Somewhere Over Bifrost
by Snapegirlkmf
Summary: Sequel to Capes, Cups and Glittery Things. Loki and his nine children go to Asgard for the summer for a vacation that they will never forget, as they meet more of their Norse relatives, Loki finds an unexpected romance, and Asgard is changed forever when the Laufeysons cross the Bifrost! Getting Away With Mischief #2. AU, Thor MCU. Loki/OC, Balder/Black Widow, Thor/Sif.
1. Across the Bifrost

**Somewhere Over Bifrost**

 **Getting Away With Mischief #2**

 **1**

 **Across the Bifrost**

 _"Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high, there's a land that I heard of, beyond the Midgardian skies," ~Loki_

 _Laufeyson townhouse_

 _New York City_

 _Present day:_

"Dad, I can't find my iPod!" Hunter yelled, as he searched for it in his room.

Loki groaned and finished packing his extra-large backpack with some Midgardian clothing, pajamas, his first aid kit and several kinds of snacks and canned food in case the children disliked or had problems digesting the food on Asgard. He also put in some children's Tylenol, Benadryl, and a bottle of Motrin. While most Asgardian remedies worked on mortals, Loki was taking no chances that his kids might be allergic to something.

He was fairly certain his mother and her army of castle seamstresses had been busy in the weeks prior to this trip sewing clothing for all of his family. Still, there were certain Midgardian items his children and he preferred to wear, and their pajamas were at the top of the list, as well as underclothes. Loki would wear his Asgardian Quest outfit when he crossed over the Bifrost, and he would transform his children's outfits into something that Asgardians would wear before he called Heimdall.

"Did you look under the bed?" he called back. "Maybe you would find it if you cleaned the demolition zone that's your room!

"I just cleaned it last week," his son answered.

Loki rolled his eyes. "And then you went and had friends over and now it looks like the city dump."

"Aww, Dad! It's not that bad."

"Until mold starts growing on the dishes under the bed," Loki muttered, and stuck in a few paperbacks along with a few spellbooks, then zipped it closed.

"Papa, are you sure we can't go with you?" Mischief asked as she hopped on the bed and settled on the backpack,

"I'm sorry, Kit, but no," Loki said in cat speak.

"Why not?"

"Well, we don't know if Asgardian food would agree with you or Odin and we would be sad if something would happen to you."

"I thought you wanted to go stay with Granny Mandy ," Odin said.

"I do, but I want to see Bestefar and Bestemor, too," she said and placed her chin down on her paws. Loki scratched her ears as he smiled and she made a soft purring sound.

"They're sad that you two can't come with us, too. But Mandy said she has some really fun things planned," Loki said.

"Yeah. she said we're going to the dog park and you're going to a kitty spa. Whatever that is. And we get to sleep on her bed at night," Odin said.

"She said I was going to get a nice green ribbon after my bath," Mischief said with a proud look. Loki had introduced her to baths and she found she liked the feel of water on her fur, but she needed special earplugs to keep water out of her ears.

"Then let's get you into your crates," Loki said and they headed out of the room.

Max used the green crayon as he scribbled lines on the paper and drew crooked circles. He used a black crayon to make odd shaped shadows as he placed the crayons down and looked at the drawing. He shivered as he placed the paper down and looked at the bottom drawer to his dresser. He walked to the dresser when he opened the drawer and removed an old show box. He carried the shoe box to the table when he opened the lid and placed the paper in the shoe box. There were other pieces of paper in the shoe box and the drawings were dark. He didn't know why he drew them, but he only did when he had a bad dream and it felt like it made the bad dreams go away if he drew them. Closing the lid, he placed the shoe box away then closed the drawer and sat against the dresser.

"Hey, Max. You ok?" Sam asked as she appeared in the doorway.

"Yeah," he said with a nod.

"Need some help packing?"

"Yeah," he said and Sam walked in the room and helped Max pack his backpack.

 **Asgard -**

Frigga watched the servants while they fluffed the pillows and straightened the bedding in the room where Vince and Nate would be sleeping and she hoped Loki would like the special bed and bathtub Odin had made for Nate. She had heard some servants' concerns about how a child who could not walk, run or ride was able to survive, let alone thrive, and Frigga smiled while thinking of Nate sailing down the grand hallways in his wheelchair. Shaking her head, she left the room as she walked down the hallway then stopped when she saw Odin walking closer.

"How goes it?" Odin asked.

"Everything is ready," Frigga said and took his hand. "I still can't believe our grandchildren are going to be here soon."

"No offense, Darling, but I still can't believe we have grandchildren. It seems like it was only yesterday we had to deal with Thor and Loki as toddlers," Odin said.

"Don't remind me," she said with a laugh and slid her arms around his and they walked down the hallway.

 **New York:**

Loki finished putting the cat and dog in their crates to bring over to Mandy's house along with their food, treats, toys, and other paraphernalia then he went to check on how Nate and Vince were doing packing up their things for the trip. Tony had modified the Magic Bullet so it did not need to be charged, it now had some new type of batteries in it that lasted over a year before they needed to be recharged. Loki had invented a spell to keep all their electronics charged while in Asgard, so Nate's tablet and his, Sam, and Hunter's phones could remain on indefinitely. Of course, they could not get their internet where they were going, so any pictures and videos would have to be saved to their devices to up load later once they returned home.

"How are you two doing in here?" he asked his sons.

"We're good, Dad," Nate said cheerily, as he folded his favorite pair of Star Wars pajamas and put them in his backpack. "Dad, do I need to bring my shampoo and conditioner or do they have all that in Asgard?"

Vince rolled his eyes. "No, they don't Nate. They just use perfume like the French did back during the Renaissance."

"I was just asking!"

"Boys, stop bickering. Vince, that was a good question. Yes, we do have those things, but if you want to bring your own, you can, Nate. It'll be one less thing your body will need to adjust to."

"Dad, do they have facilities for disabled people?" Nate asked worriedly.

"Your grandmother and grandfather have put them in for you," Loki reassured him. "They even had the Horsemaster make you a special saddle like the one you used at the ranch so you can ride with us."

Nate smiled. "And I can meet my brother Slepiner too!"

Loki grinned back. "That's right. Your grandmother says Sleph will be there to greet us when we come off the Bifrost."

"What about Fenris and Jormungdr?"

"I'm sure they will be around also. Although your brother Jorgy doesn't like crowds and he prefers to be down at the seashore where he can swim in the waves most of the time."

"Are they always a sea serpent, a wolf, and a horse?" Vince wanted to know.

"No, but they do prefer their shift forms to their human one most times. However, I think they won't mind spending time in their human form in order to play with you." Loki explained.

"How old are they?" Nate asked. "I mean, I know they're old cause they're Asgardian like you, but what's the equivalent in Earth years?"

Loki thought for a moment. "Well . . .let me see. In Earth years Sleipner would be around twenty. Jorgy and Fenris aren't yet of age, which is eighteen. Jorgy is seventeen and has about four months till he is of age. Fenris is the youngest, he is sixteen."

"Cool! If they lived here, Jorgy could have his driver's license and so could Sleph!" Vince declared.

"And I would be telling everyone to stay off the road!" Loki laughed.

"Do you think Jorgy will take us swimming?" Nate asked.

"He said he would," Loki said then headed for the door, turned and looked at them. "Hurry up. We're leaving soon."

"Ok, Dad," the boys said at the same time and he walked down the hallway. He made a little grunt when Aleta walked into him and he knelt down to look at her.

"Where are you going in such a rush, spark?" he asked.

"I can't find my crown!" Aleta said, near tears.

"Now, there is no need to get so upset," he said as he stood up and took her hand. "Let's play our game. Where did you last see it?"

"It was on my head!"

Loki tried not to laugh as he shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Were you wearing it this morning?"

"Yeah. I had it on at breakfast."

"Did you have it on when you were packing?"

"No, but I did have it on when I went to...," she said then ran into the bathroom. She came out a few seconds later and was wearing the helmet Loki made her. "It was on the top of the toilet!"

"Good. Do you need any help packing?"

"Nope," Aleta said and went into her room.

Mystic barked while Mandy slowly walked to the door and smiled when she saw Loki standing on the porch. She opened the door after hushing Mystic as Loki gave her a grin and she moved back to let him in. He brought in the crates and the overnight bag with Mischief and Odin's things then knelt down and opened the crates.

"Thank you for looking after them while we're away," Loki said .

"Oh, I am more than happy to. Besides, Mystic would be lonely if they had stayed at a kennel," Mandy said while Odin sniffed the carpet and Mystic nudged him.

"No peeing on the carpet," Mystic scolded.

"I wasn't going to pee," Odin said with a snobby look. "I'm house trained."

"Then what are you sniffing at?"

"The carpet doesn't smell like last time."

"Oh. Mandy had the carpets cleaned the other day. Took me a while to get used to the smell."

Mandy smiled at how well Odin and Mystic get along when she knelt down and picked up Mischief, lightly stroking her fur.

"Now, where are you going again?" Mandy asked.

"We're going to Norway with my brother to visit our parents for the summer," Loki said.

"Oh, that sounds wonderful! I'm sure they are going to love seeing the children," Mandy said then a sad look came over her face. "I know how much I miss my grandchildren."

"Yes, well, you know my children think of you as their grandmother."

"I know, Dear. Now, have you stopped the mail and the newspapers?"

"Yes."

"Did you pack your passports?"

"Yes," he said with a nod, but tried not to smile about them not really needing passports.

"Have you packed enough things for the children to do on the long flight?"

"Yes."

"Then you better get going," Mandy said and gave him a hug after placing Mischief down onto the floor. He gently rubbed her back then moved back and headed for the door. He gave her a wave as she closed the door and he walked down the front walk. A part of him wished he could take her to Asgard with them as he sighed and headed down the pavement.

The next day, the van headed down the street while music played over the radio and Loki tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. Thor was going to meet them at the Avengers mansion, but Loki wasn't sure when they would arrive due to the normal New York traffic,

"Dad, what's taking so long?" Vince asked.

"There appears to be glue on the street and the traffic is stuck," Loki said and Sam laughed.

"Really?!" Max asked, sitting up so he could look out the window.

"Daddy's teasing," Aleta said and Max frowned.

"Sorry, Imp," Loki said when something hit the roof of the van and he looked up.

"Whoa! It's Spiderman!" Sam said when she saw the Web Slinger hop onto the roof of the car in front of them and he turned to wave at them.

"He is so cool!" Vince said and Nate nodded.

"I heard he's really a kid," Hunter said as he looked up from his tablet.

"I don't think Dad would let us go out dressed like that and fight bad guys though," Belle said.

"You got that right," Loki thought and puffed out a breath of air as the traffic started moving again.

A short time later the van pulled up to the front of the Avengers Mansion while Thor waved at them and Loki parked the van.

"Well timed, Brother. I was about to come look for you," Thor said. Loki was still getting used to Thor's short hair as he got out of the van and walked to his older brother.

"Sorry. We got caught in traffic," Loki said while the children got out of the van and Max ran to Thor.

"Uncle Thor! We saw Spiderman!" Max said as Thor lifted him up and smiled.

"You did?!" Thor asked, lifting Max into the air and Max laughed.

"Yes, he used the roof of the van as a springboard," Loki said.

"It was really cool," Max said as they headed for the kids and Thor placed Max on his shoulders.

"Sorry I missed it," Thor said then looked at the backpacks. "Are you sure you packed enough?"

"Yes," Loki said as he helped Aleta place her Disney Princess backpack on and Thor placed Max on the ground.

After they got the backpacks on and checked to see if they left anything in the van, Loki looked up at the sky when he sighed and held Max tightly in his arms.

"Heimdall, open Bifrost! Now!" Loki called out and the sky grew dark. Suddenly a bright light appeared as the portal opened and they vanished in the bright light.

The colors swirled around them while all the kids except Hunter smiled and their hair blew around in the wind. They arrived with a soft thud when Hunter went onto his knees and vomited.

"Ewwwwwwww!" Aleta said while Loki placed Max down and walked to his son. He knelt down next to Hunter as he rubbed Hunter's back and Heimdall looked at them.

"Is he alright?" Heimdall asked.

"Yeah. I'm...fine," Hunter said while Loki helped him to his feet then Loki waved his hand to remove the vomit. "Sorry, Dad."

"There is no need to be sorry," Loki said as he gently patted Hunter's back.

"Aye, most tend to get ill after their first time traveling Bifrost," Thor said.

"If I remember correctly, the Foster woman got sick all over you after her first visit," Heimdall said and the kids giggled.

"You never told me this, brother," Loki said and Thor sighed, rolling his eyes. "Now, allow me to introduce my children."

Loki introduced them and each one said hello, but he was shocked with what Aleta said to Heimdall.

In almost perfect Norse she asked, "Do you have a ten-inch penis?"

"Aleta Lenore! Where did you hear that?!" Loki gasped and she gave him a confused look.

"Uncle Thor said it meant "have a nice day". Why?" Aleta asked and Loki saw Thor was halfway across Bifrost.

"By the Nine, I am going to kill him," Loki thought when Heimdall softly laughed and Loki frowned. "What is so funny?"

"It made my day," Heimdall said.

"I wish I could say the same. My kids are determined to make me drop dead of embarrassment."

"No, they just keep you on your toes," Heimdall laughed when Max pulled on his tunic and Heimdall looked down at him. "Yes, Little One?"

"If you can see everything, then can you see us go potty?" Max asked and Loki face palmed himself.

"Maximus Laufeyson! See what I mean?!" Loki asked.

"I tend to look at something else, Maximus. But I did see you share your last pancake with your sister this morning. That was very nice," Heimdall said.

"Sharing is caring. Daddy says so," Max said with a smile.

"Indeed," Heimdall said when he saw what Vince was doing and his eyes slightly widened. "Loki, your brave son is too close to the edge of Bifrost."

Vince was walking dangerously close to the edge of the rainbow bridge while looking down at the void and Loki felt his heart catch in his chest. Quickly, Loki ran over and grabbed Vince by the collar and Vince yelped.

"Vincent Laufeyson, WHAT are you doing?! Do you want to fall forever?!" he demanded.

"I would fall forever?! Really?! What is it like?!" Vince asked, looking down at the void.

"You aren't going to find out! Now come back over here and stop making me have heart failure!"

"Okay! Okay!" Vince said and walked to him.

They said their goodbyes while they walked along the rainbow bridge and Sam smiled.

"Wow! It looks like Mario Kart," Sam said.

"Yes, but there is nothing to catch you if you fall off," Loki said, glaring at Vince.

"How is this bridge in the middle of nothing?" Serena asked and did a quick math equation. "What's holding it up?"

"Who cares!? It's magic!" Nate said.

"Race, everyone?!" Sam asked.

"Don't any of you dare!" Loki said and they sighed. A few minutes later, they arrived at the Golden City of Asgard and Belle's eyes went wide.

"Look at that castle!" Belle said and Loki smiled down at his daughter.

The castle glittered in the noonday sun, like something out of a fairytale, but with longer spires and it seemed to float upon the air, though this was an illusion. As Loki stepped off the Bifrost, he saw Thor speaking with the welcoming committee Frigga had sent.

Among the group of nobles was a beautiful silver gray steed with a flowing silver mane and tail braided with bells and green ribbons. There were shiny dapples upon his glossy coat and as he stood, he shifted his eight hooves restlessly, his dish-shaped head with extra large nostrils drinking in the wind. His ears pricked when he saw Loki and he flung up his head and neighed a greeting. His eyes were a brilliant liquid brown.

"Hello, Father!" Sleipner neighed. He trotted out from the group to greet his parent, his eight legs making him appear to glide above the earth.

"Hello, Sleph!" Loki answered in Equus and hugged his son. "How have you been keeping?"

"I am well. And happy you are finally here and I can meet my younger siblings."

"Well, there they are," Loki laughed and pointed behind him.

Sleipner looked at the children filing off the bridge. He spied Nate and whickered softly. "Father, what happened to my brother? Why is he in that hover chair?"

"That is Nate. He was in an accident when he was six and he lost the use of his legs. The chair is how he walks now."

"Oh. Is that where he lost his parents?"

"Yes. It was a tragedy. Nate's parents were good people, they were both attorneys. They were coming back from vacation when a drunk driver hit them. They were killed and Nate was hurt. He is the only one of my children who actually had good parents before he came to Second Chance. The others . . . did not come from good homes. Some were abandoned or given up as babies, while others, like Sam, Hunter, and Belle were thrown out of their homes or sent to live at the orphanages because their parent passed away and no one wanted them."

"I know what it's like to have a parent not want you," remarked a teen boy with long wavy black hair and amber eyes. He appeared to be about sixteen, lean and well-muscled, wearing a dark green tunic with a silver double serpent on the left breast and dark brown leather pants and boots.

Loki turned. "Hello, Fenris!" He hugged his younger son. "You're looking well. You look like you've grown another inch."

Fenris smiled. "Hello, Father. Bestemor says I am growing like a weed. Finally!"

Loki laughed and ruffled his hair. "I remember when I thought I would always be smaller than my brothers. Well, I'm not quite as big as your Uncle Thor but I am taller than Balder."

Fenris smirked. "I'm sure that keeps him awake at night. Weeping into his pillow."

His father grinned. "I see that you still have that saucy mouth, Master Sass." He shook a playful finger at him.

Sleph whinnied. "You will never get rid of that sarcastic tongue of his, Father."

Fenris snorted. "Father likes me with my sassy tongue. He would not know what to do with me if I behaved."

"You got that right," Loki chuckled. "Go and meet your brothers and sisters."

Fenris suddenly looked wary, his amber eyes troubled. "Father . . . you know that mortals tell unflattering stories of me. That I am some monster wolf that eats children and kills people."

"I know, son. But your Laufeyson siblings know they are just stories." Loki said soothingly.

"Even so, Father, I do not want them to fear me." Fenris sighed. "Would it be all right if I don't tell them who I am at first? Just until they get to know me?"

Loki frowned. "Fen, you know I don't like lying."

"Yes, Father. But it's not really lying. Just not telling them the whole truth at once. I promise I will reveal my identity after a week. Please, sir?" He gave his father pleading puppydog eyes.

Loki felt his resolve crumbling like wet sand when a wave crashes over it. "Oh very well. But only till the end of the week, mind."

"Thank you, Father," Fenris beamed at him. "You won't be disappointed." He followed Sleipner to greet his new siblings, wondering if he would have anything in common with them.

Loki smiled at his Asgardian sons before walking over to Thor and tapping him on the shoulder.

Thor turned and looked at him. "Yes, brother?"

Loki gave him a Look. "So since when does this," he repeated the phrase Aleta had used to Heimdall, "mean 'have a nice day'?"

Thor flushed. "Errr . . . I had to tell her _something,_ Loki!"

"The something you should have told her was not repeat it!" his brother scolded.

"I did! I never intended for her to learn that. But she heard me singing when we were camping and I was a little drunk. I did not even know she remembered anything until the next morning when she repeated it. I told her to forget it, Loki."

Loki rolled his eyes. "Thor, telling Aleta to forget something is like telling an elephant to forget where you hid peanuts. She never forgets anything. And then she asked Heimdall!"

Thor laughed. "She did?"

Loki glared at him.

"Sorry. But that must have made his day." Thor grinned guiltily.

Loki chuckled. "It did. Next time watch what you say around my kids, okay?"

"Yes, Loki." Thor sighed.

Hunter came off the Bifrost, his stomach still a bit unsettled, to see a boy of about sixteen standing on the path before him. He looked familiar, but Hunter quickly put it down to disorientation and the fact the boy had dark hair like his father. He smiled and held out a hand. "Hi. I'm Hunter Laufeyson."

The boy smiled back and took his hand. "Hello. I am Fen. Welcome to Asgard, Hunter. I am someone that Prince Loki knows well and he has asked me to show you around the city and the palace."

"Sounds cool. Do you work in the palace?"

"In a manner of speaking," Fen said softly. "I know the palace and the city below it and the forest blindfolded. The Queen has sent a welcoming committee." He indicated the nobles and Thor and Loki beside them.

"Who are they?"

"The tall one with the red and blue tunic with the sword and tree badge is Lord Agomar. Lord Tavic is next to him in the yellow tunic with the blue shirt and the leopard badge. Then the small man is Lord Merrow, in the dark maroon tunic and the salmon and river badge. They are all on the Council of the King."

"Oh, so I guess they're pretty important," Hunter mused.

Fenris nodded. "Yes. They support King Odin."

Hooves sounded on the road and Hunter looked up and his eyes went wide.

"Oh man! Is that Sleipner?"

Fenris grinned. "It is. He is in his horse form now."

Hunter blinked. "His horse form? But I thought . . . oh that's right. Dad told us he was a shifter like him. Not like the myths where they say he is a magic horse."

"Prince Sleipner does have some magic in his horse form," Fenris acknowledged, just catching himself before he called his elder brother by his nickname. "He can run on air when he chooses and on water too. And he is faster than any ordinary horse. He serves as King Odin's steed when the king asks him to."

Hunter frowned. "But isn't that kind of . . .demeaning? I mean, he's the king's grandson."

Fenris shook his head. "No. Sleipner considers it an honor to serve the king. And King Odin honors him by choosing him as his royal steed. When he is in horse shape. Sometimes he is not, and then you can find him in the stables, caring for the royal horses and healing those who are injured. Prince Sleipner is a talented horse healer."

Hunter eyed Sleipner. "Can he understand me in that shape? Dad can, but I don't know if that's true for all shifters."

"Most shifters can understand when spoken to, because they keep their minds when they shift. They simply cannot speak the way they would when in human form." Fenris explained.

"Okay," Hunter said. "I probably should go and say hello, but maybe I'll wait since my brothers and sisters seem to be ahead of me."

"You can greet him in awhile," Fenris agreed.

"What are my other brothers like? Jormungandr and Fenris? Do you know them?"

Fenris concealed a grin. "I do," he answered. "Prince Jorgy, as he prefers to be called, enjoys swimming and hiking and fishing. He prefers to spend his time down on the beach in the ocean, usually in his sea serpent form, though he can swim well in either form. He also likes to surf. He learned that on Midgard."

"He's been down to Earth?" Hunter gaped at him.

"Several times. He has been to a place called California and learned to ride the waves there on a fiberglass board. He brought the board back and taught a few others who enjoy such things how to surf and how to make a board like it."

Hunter grinned. "I've never been there, but I've heard it's pretty awesome. I would like to go one day." He looked at the welcoming committee. "Is Jorgy there?"

"No. He was away swimming deep in the ocean when the king called for us to meet you. But I am sure he will be back for supper tonight and you can meet him then. He usually dines with the royal family in their special dining room."

"I can't wait to talk to him about surfing in California." He glanced around. "What about Fenris?" he spoke that name in a hushed almost reverent tone.

One raven brow quirked up. "Oh, he's around somewhere. Probably hunting," he replied in an offhand tone.

"In his wolf form?"

"Most likely. He can hunt in either form, but he prefers his wolf shape."

"Have you seen his wolf shape?" Hunter asked in awed tones.

"I have," again his brother fought to keep from smirking. "He is a huge gray wolf with silver markings on his muzzle and head, and black tipped ears and a black tail tip. His legs shade to silver on his paws. He is quite handsome."

"How big is he? Like a house?"

"A _house!_ " Fenris howled in mirth. "Oh sweet Valhalla on a ski sled! No, he is about the size of a small mountain pony. Which is big enough for a wolf."

"Can his howl freeze people in their tracks?"

"Uh, only if they're very old or children," he smirks. "No, he might be huge but his howl is like a regular wolf's, only much louder. Is that the stories they tell upon Midgard?"

Hunter flushed. "Uh, some of them, yeah. And some of the myths say that he can't be bound by anything but a special chain made by the sound of a cat's footfall, the sinews of a bear, the breath of a fish, a maiden's beard, the roots of a mountain and bird spit or something like that. It was called Gleipner."

"Sounds disgusting. How is that supposed to hold anything?"

"It was magic. Designed by a dwarf, I think."

Fenris rolled his eyes. "Yes, like a dwarf could forge that." He snorted. "What else does this story say?"

Hunter thought for a moment. "Uh that Fenris bites off Tyr's hand when he won't be freed from the chain and that it holds till Ragnarok when he breaks free and kills Odin."

"What? That is . .. ludicrous!" Fenris coughed. "In the first place, Tyr is Odin's general and he already had lost his hand in a battle against Svartalfheim ages ago. Also Odin is Fenris' grandfather and there is no way Fenris would break the codes of family honor and murder his kin. He may be a wolf shifter but he is not a monster."

"Chill, dude," Hunter said softly. "It's just a myth, we know it's not real. Dad says half the stories about him are wrong or are twisted around to make him look like a bad guy."

"Forgive me," Fenris heaved a sigh. "It's just . . . I know Prince Fenris personally and he would never do anything like that." _See, Father, this is why I wanted to remain anonymous for now. Because of all the lies they tell about me._

Sleipner trotted toward his younger siblings when Aleta smiled and her eyes went wide.

"Greetings," Sleipner neighed and wondered if they understood him.

"Daddy, is this Sleipner?" Max asked.

"Yes, it is," Loki said while walking closer and Sleipner looked at him. "Son, this is Aleta and this is Max."

Sleipner looked at Max when he blinked then shook his head at the strange feeling he got from Max.

"Can they understand me?" Sleipner asked.

Loki shook his head. "Well, Belle may eventually, because she is a Lorekeeper, but the others won't. Vince is a Ghost Speaker and Aleta a Seer, but none of them have AllSpeak, Sleph."

"What is he saying, Daddy?" Aleta asked.

"He just wants to know if you can understand him. I told him that you don't know AllSpeak."

"I wish I could talk to him. He's really handsome."

"Thank you, Little Sister," Sleipner said with a nod.

"He said thank you," Loki said and Sleipner lowered his head so she could hug him.

"Does it take a long time for him to get his shoes on in the morning?" Max asked and Loki smiled.

"Yes, it does, Little Brother," Sleipner said with a small laugh.

"Yes, it does." Loki translated.

"Does it hurt?" Max asked.

"No, it doesn't hurt. My hooves are like a thick finger or toenail and I don't feel anything," Sleipner explained and Loki translated.

"That's good," Max said and hugged him.

"Father, Max looks just like he was one of your blood," his eldest son remarked in surprise.

"I have been told that," Loki said, looking at Max.

"Is he?"

"No, Sleph. He does bear a remarkable resemblance to me but I adopted him from the same orphanage I did all the rest of my kids. Max was . . . he was badly abused by his mother, who was a . . . lady of the night. On his birth certificate and adoption papers it says Father Unknown. Given her profession she probably didn't know who sired him. And frankly, I don't give a damn. Max is MY son now, and if he looks like me, so much the better."

"I agree, Father," he said and gently nudged Max.

"Where is Fenris, Daddy?" Max asked.

"Yeah, we want to meet him!" Aleta said, looking around as she tried to find him.

"Oh, he is around here somewhere," Loki said as he looked at Fenris and Hunter.

"Who is that talking with Hunter?" Max asked.

"That is a friend of mine. He's going to show us around while we're here."

"Let's go say hi," Aleta said and she and Max ran off.

"Why didn't you tell them that was Fenris, Father?" Sleipner asked.

"Fen asked me not to," Loki explained. He told Sleipner about Fenris' request and how he would reveal the truth a week from now.

"Why do mortals tell such stories?"

"I don't know," Loki said then looked around for his third son.

"Where is Jormungandr?"

"He went swimming," Sleipner said with a shake of his head. "He said he'll be back for supper."

"Ah," Loki said then walked over to Hunter and Fenris and Hunter was holding Aleta in his arms. "Hello, Fen."

"Greetings, my prince," Fenris said, his tone respectful. He gave Loki a short bow.

"Have my youngest been bothering you?"

"No. In fact, they are quite pleasant."

"Wait until you get to know them," Loki teased, but Fenris frowned.

 _Would they hurt me if they knew the truth?_ Fenris thought.

"Daaaaaaaddy!" Aleta said and rolled her eyes.

"You two do tend to get into trouble," Hunter said and tickled Max. Max giggled and squirmed in his arms and Hunter raised him high over his head. "Right, Imp?!"

"Would you mind showing my children around for a week?" Loki asked. 'If you aren't busy with other duties that is?"

"Not at all, sir," Fenris replied. "I am done with my tutors for the summer, so I am free to do what I choose."

"You have to go to school during the summer?" Max asked.

"Yes," Fenris said with a nod.

"That's mean! Summer's for playing and going on vacation!" Aleta said and crossed her arms over her chest.

Fenris grinned. " I shall have to tell Master Utred that next time he tells me to study my algebra."

Loki rolled his eyes with a shake of his head when the rest of the children walked over and Fenris looked at them.

Belle nudged Sam and whispered, "Holy moley! He's even hotter than Tom!"

Sam blushed. "Please don't remind me. But you're right, He is _REALLY_ hot. Like supermodel hot."

"Fen, this is my oldest, Samantha," Loki said and Fen bowed.

"Hello," Fen said with a smooth tone and Sam smiled.

"Hello," Sam said.

"You met Hunter," Loki said and Fenris nodded. "This is Belle, Lucy and Serena."

"Hello," Belle said.

"Hi," Lucy said.

"Hi," Serena said and Fenris nodded.

"You've met Aleta and Max. This is Vince and Nate," Loki said and Fenris looked at Nate's hoverchair.

"Father, why is he in that hoverchair?" Fenris whispered in AllSpeak and Loki explained. Nodding, Fenris made a bow and Sam almost melted at his smile. "It is a pleasure to meet all of you."

"Sorry to interrupt, Brother," Thor said then smiled when he saw Fenris. "Ah, hello, Fen..."

He lightly grunted before he could finish his nephew's name and gave Loki a stern look.

"Greetings, My Prince," Fenris said with a bow.

"Is there something you wanted?" Loki asked.

"Oh," Thor said with a look which asked him what was going on then nodded. "We need to go to the castle. Father and Mother are waiting."

"Yes, let's go," Loki said then turned and looked at the children. "No running."

"Sure, Dad," Sam said and nearly fainted when Fenris brushed some hair out of his eyes.

Aleta was peering curiously at his tunic and asked, "Why does your shirt have the double snake on it? That's Daddy's symbol."

"You're right, spark," Loki praised. "That is my House badge. Here on Asgard, we three princes all have our own households and our own House badges. Uncle Thor has a hammer for his and Uncle Balder has a sword with a crown beneath it. Anyone you see wearing green with this symbol means they are in my household and they work for me."

"Oh. We thought it meant he was a member of Slytherin," Vince said and Nate giggled.

"What is Slytherin?" Fenris asked.

"By the Nine," Loki sighed and explained. Fenris softly laughed at the idea of a magical school while they walked along and he started to feel a little more at ease.

Aleta tugged on Loki's tunic sleeve. "Daddy, can I ride Sleph?"

"Well, that's up to your brother," Loki told her.

"I wanna ride too," Max chimed in.

Sleipner looked at them when he lowered himself down so Thor and Loki could place them on his back then he carefully stood up.

"Giddy up!" Aleta said.

"What does that mean?" Sleipner asked.

"It means she wants you to move," Loki said then looked at her. "What do you say?"

"Please," she said and Sleipner started walking.

"Hold onto his mane, Aleta, but don't pull it," Loki instructed.

"Okay, Daddy." She carefully took Sleph's mane in her hands.

"I will be careful, Father, do not worry," Sleph reassured him.

"I know you will," Loki said and they headed for the castle. Some of the guards stared at Loki and the children as they walked through the gate and headed for the grand doors.

"Is there a problem?!" Thor asked with a stern look.

"No, sire," one of the guards said and the other shook his head.

As they passed through the complex towards the throne room, the curtains over a window at the infirmary twitched aside and a woman's face peered out. She had golden hair and deep blue-green eyes, and she would have been beautiful but for the unsightly scar that marred her left cheek. She sighed in longing as Loki walked by, her eyes riveted to him.

 _He has returned,_ she thought and her heart beat excitedly. Then a voice from within called her name and she sighed and withdrew.

The Einherjar stood on either side of the grand doors as Loki and Thor nodded and the Einherjar opened the huge doors carved with gold and silver. Trumpets flared as they walked in the throne room and the children's eyes widened.

Odin sat on the high throne while Huginn and Muninn sat on the top of the throne and Frigga sat on the smaller throne next to him.

"Greetings," Odin said as they came to a stop in front of the throne and Thor, Loki, Hunter, Fenris, Max, Vince and Sleipnir, who had changed into his Aesir form, knelt down on one knee. Odin look at Nate, who smiled, when he nodded and motioned with his hand for them to stand.

"Greetings, Father," Thor said then looked at Frigga. "Mother."

"Greetings, Father," Loki said,"Mother."

Odin smiled warmly at them. "My sons have returned to Asgard. And brought my Midgardian grandchildren too. Your mother has made ready rooms for you all in the west wing of the palace, down the corridor from our chambers. Loki, we have given you your old room, but refurnished it. Thor, your room remains the same. We will give you time to unpack before we have supper in our private dining room."

"Yes, Father," Thor said.

"Thank you, Father," Loki said.

"Daddy, look at the ravens," Aleta whispered loudly and some of the people in the room softly laughed.

"These are Huginn (thought) and Muninn (memory)," Odin said.

"Huginn is his thoughts and Muninn is his memory," Belle said.

"Correct."

"Can we touch them?" Max asked. "Please?"

Behind Max, Fenris' lips quivered. _Now there's a master of the puppydog look! I do not think even Bestefar can resist that._

"Of course," Odin said. Loki whistled as the ravens took flight then landed in front of the toddlers. The black feathers shimmered in the torchlight while Aleta and Max watched them move closer and tilted their heads side to side.

"Greetings," Huginn said.

"Salutations," Muninn said.

Hi," Aleta said.

"Hello," Max said.

"Is it alright if we pet you?"

"Yes, that would be fine," Muninn said.

"Just don't pull on my feathers," Huginn said.

"We won't," Max said.

"That's rude," Aleta said.

Loki smiled while watching his youngest gently pat the ravens and Max giggled when Muninn lightly butted his head against Max' chest.

The ravens went from one child to the other when they looked at Belle then looked at each other.

"Greetings, Lorekeeper," Huginn said with a nod.

"You know I'm a Lorekeeper?" Belle asked.

"Oh, yes," Muninn said.

"Though you are still young," Huginn said.

"Of course she is, Feather Brain!" Muninn said with a sigh and rolled its eyes. "I swear. You need glasses."

"Oh, like you don't?! Who nearly flew into a wall this morning?!"

"I did not!"

"Did so!"

The ravens started cawing and squawking as their wings rose and Aleta and Max ran to Loki.

"Enough!" Odin's voice boomed and the ravens lowered their heads.

"Someone's going to get a time out," Max whispered and Loki smiled down at him.

"Well, he started it," Huginn said,

"You're the one who call her too young."

"Yes, but I knew she was young. You thought I didn't know that."

"I said enough!" Odin said.

"Sorry," they said together and Thor and Loki tried hard not to laugh.

"Familiars!" Odin sighed and the ravens flew back to perch on the back of his throne.

"We love you, Odin!" they singsonged and everyone brust out laughing.

Bowing, Thor and Loki turned as they led the children to the great doors and they left the room.

"I can't believe we're really here," Serena said to Lucy as they walked down the corridor.

"Isn't it like ten kinds of awesome?" her golden-haired sister asked.

Serena nodded, her pale hair drifting about her like frost.

 _I can't believe that Fen is so hot he could melt ice cream!_ Sam thought dreamily.

"Do you think we'll see Valkyries?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know," Sam said.

"The Valkyries are no more," Fenris said sadly. "They all perished defending Asgard from Surtur's hordes two centuries ago. Their loss is mourned greatly."

"Oh," Lucy said in a small voice.

"Lucy wants to be one," Belle said.

Fenris smiled sadly. "Long ago, many girls of Asgard dreamed that. But since they are gone, there are no new ones to take their place. Even their steeds are gone, they died when their riders did. But you can still see the sacred field where the horses used to graze."

"This place is huge," Nate said. "How do you not get lost?"

"I have a great sense of direction," he said. _And a good sense of smell,_ he thought.

"Maybe we should have a map?" Belle said.

"I will have one drawn up for you," Fenris said when they came to a long hallway and he smiled. "This leads to your rooms."

Whoa! Imagine skateboarding down that!" Vince said with wide eyes.

"No," Loki said with a stern look.

"Aww, Dad!" his daredevil son sighed.

Fenris led them down the hallway when they came to the first door and he looked at them.

"This is your room, Hunter," Fenris said and opened the door.

"Whoa!" Hunter said as he walked in the room and placed the backpack down on the floor. Fenris closed the door while Hunter looked around then was startled by the two young girls in his room. Both were beautiful and were wearing white gowns bearing the silver double serpent, but one had long black hair and the other had short blonde hair. "Who are you two?"

"We are your servants, I am Elkie and this is Helgi," Elkie said and Helgi curtsied.

"You mean you're going to clean up after me and stuff?"

"Yes," Helgi said.

"Sweet!" Hunter said and smiled. _I think I'm really gonna like it here!_

 **A/N: Hope you all like this first chapter! This will have more adventure and some more angst than the first story and lots of romance too! Enjoy!**


	2. Welcome Feast

**2**

 **Welcome Feast**

 _Good food shared with family is the hallmark of harmony~ Loki_

Loki looked at his reflection in the gold framed mirror as he adjusted the green cape with gold lining on his shoulders and smiled He knew he had to wear his horned helmet to the dinner, but the helmet was too heavy and he could hardly hear anything. He sighed when the door opened and Frigga entered the room after knocking.

"Hello, Mother," Loki said with a small bow.

"Hello," she said, walking closer and had something in her hands. He saw the golden helmet in her hands as he frowned and tilted his head to one side. The golden headband had two curved horns and two metal pieces looked like it would outline his face. He admired the craftsmanship as he smiled and she held her hands out. "Your father had this commissioned several months ago and hopes you will wear it to dinner."

Loki looked at the headband while fighting back some tears and blinked. He placed the headband on as he looked in the mirror and made a few adjustments. Frigga stood next to him as she placed her hand on his upper arm and she smiled.

"Perfect," she whispered and he nodded.

Loki held his hand out as Frigga took his hand and they headed for the door.

"Do you think the children are ready?" she asked and Loki made a soft laugh. "I will take that as a no."

"Shall we go check on them?" he asked and she nodded.

Max knew he was supposed to be getting dressed for dinner. Instead, he had left the room he was sharing with Aleta and decided to go exploring. He looked at the gold framed portraits on the walls as he tried to figure out who they were. He touched the leaves of the long leaf plant in ivory planters. He ducked into the small alcove when someone walked down the hallway. Then, suddenly, he realized he was lost.

"Oh no," he whispered as he tried to figure out which way led back to his room and tried hard not to cry. He knew Loki would be angry with him for wandering off, but he wanted his papa.

"Oh!" the woman who had walked around the corner said as he looked at her and she seemed a little startled. Her white hair was pulled into a tight bun and her face was round with just a few wrinkles. She was slightly chubby and was as tall as Frigga. Her blue gown had a golden belt around her waist and she wore black leather sandals.

"Hello," Max said with a small bow and she smiled.

"Greetings," she said.

"I'm Max. Who are you?"

"I am Halgran."

"Can you help me? I was supposed to be in the nursery with Aleta, but I wanted to look around the palace."

"Did you get yourself lost?"

"Yeah," Max said and lowered his head. Halgran knelt down as she held out her arms and he ran to her. She held him for a few seconds then moved back and Max smiled at her.

"Well, I guess we should get you back to the nursery before your parents get worried."

"I don't have parents. Just my daddy and my brothers and sisters."

"Who is your daddy?"

"He's Loki," Max said and Halgran's eyes slightly widened.

"Oh! You are one of Prince Loki's sons!"

"Yeah."

"Well, I was his nanny when he was your age."

"Wow!" Max said and she picked him up and they headed down the hallway.

"You look just like your daddy when he was little," Halgran smiled. "So very like."

"Lots of people say that," Max said.

"What do you mean you can't find him?!" Sam asked while Hunter sighed and leaned his back against the door.

"When Aleta came to my room and she couldn't find Max, I thought they were playing Hide and Seek. I went into the nursery and checked every place he could hide. I even went onto the balcony. He's not there," Hunter said.

"Dad is going to have a cow!" Sam said when she saw Loki and Frigga walking down the hallway and sighed. Loki wondered why they looked so stressed when he let go of Frigga's hand and walked quickly down the hallway.

"What's the matter?" Loki asked.

"It wasn't our fault!" Hunter said with his hands up in surrender.

"What isn't your fault?"

"Daddy!" Aleta said while running toward him and she wrapped her arms around his right leg. "Max is missing!"

"Max is what?!" he asked as he looked at his oldest children.

"Max is missing," Sam said while Frigga walked closer and her eyes widened.

"I will alert the Einherjar," Frigga said, but Loki placed his hand on her upper arm and shook his head.

"Hold on," Loki said as he lifted Aleta off the floor and held her in his arm. "Now, spark, are you sure he's missing and not just hiding?"

"Yeah! I can't find him anywhere!" Aleta said and he saw tears in her eyes. He held her as he looked at Sam and Hunter and Sam sighed.

"Dad, I checked the nursery. He's gone," Hunter said.

"Someone took him!" Aleta wailed and Loki hushed her.

"My word. What is all this ruckus about?!" Halgran asked as she walked closer and Max had his cheek against her shoulder.

"Halgran?!" Loki asked with a surprised look and she smiled.

"Hello, Slippy," she said and Loki felt a blush move over his whole body.

"Slippy?!" Max asked, lifting his head.

"I used to call him that due his slipping away from me the moment my back was turned," she said and the kids and Frigga laughed.

"Yes, well...," Loki said as he took Max from her and held him in his arms. "It is good to see you again."

"Who is she, Dad?" Hunter asked.

"She is or was his nanny," Frigga said with a smile.

"Were you Uncle Thor's nanny, too?" Aleta asked.

"Oh yes!" Halgran said with a laugh. "If you think he was a handful, Stormy..."

"Stormy?!" Sam said with a laugh.

"I called him that because he would erupt like a thunderstorm when he was in a bad mood or didn't want to do something."

"Oh, we got to call him that!" Hunter said.

"Don't you dare," Loki said with a stern voice then looked at Max. "Mind tell us where you ran off to?"

"Oh, don't be so stern with him. He just wanted to have a look around and got lost," Halgran said and Max nodded.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," Max said unhappily and sniffed giving Loki puppydog eyes.

"Well, being sorry doesn't make up for all the worry you just caused," Loki scolded and Max nodded. "But I forgive you."

"Yeah! I thought someone took you, Booger Head!" Aleta said and Loki glared at her.

"No name calling, Aleta," he reminded, his tone soft.

"Now that that has been settled. How about going to get dressed? Dinner is almost ready," Halgran said with a warm smile.

"And you need to meet the rest of my brothers and sister," Max said. Loki placed Max down while Max took Halgran's hand and he watched them walking down the hallway.

"I'm amazed she is still here," Loki said while Frigga walked closer and took his hand.

"She had been living in a small cottage just outside the palace walls. When she heard you were going to be here with your children, she insisted on returning to help you keep them under control," Frigga said.

"She will be a great help, Mother. Assuming my children do not drive her crazy."

"Considering how you and Thor drove her crazy, I am sure she is up to the challenge."

"Thor drove her crazier," Loki argued.

"Really?! Who was it who put itching powder in her hair just so he could go riding?!" Frigga asked, arching her eyebrow.

"I was six and... And she made me stand in the corner for fifteen minutes afterwards."

Laughing, Frigga hugged her youngest son as they went down the hallway and she wrapped their fingers together.

 _Jormungandr's room:_

Jormungandr stood in front of the gold framed mirror as he looked at his reflection and brushed some bleached blonde hair from his eyes. His eyes were a sharp yellow with slit pupils and he tilted his head to one side. Being able to shift into a serpent did have its advantages, but being born with snake eyes was annoying. Many Asgardians tended to ignore his eyes, but there were a few who stared and would make harsh whispers behind his back. He wasn't sure how his father's adopted children would react to his eyes as he closed them for a few seconds then opened them. Bright emerald eyes looked back at him when he smiled, nodded his head and went to get dressed.

"Are you sure you don't need any help?" Halgran asked while watching Nate reach for the tan tunic on the bed and he shook his head.

"No, I'm good," he said. Halgran admitted she was impressed with how well Nate moved around in his wheelchair then her attention was drawn to Vince, who has gone out onto the balcony and was standing on the top of the balcony railing. "Master Vince, just what do you think you are doing?!"

"I'm just looking around." Vince said then yelped after she had appeared behind him and gently lifted him into the air. "Hey!"

"You will get off of there right now!" she growled and carried him back into the room. Vince wasn't sure if she was going to hit him as he backed up after she put him down and she saw the fear in his eyes. "What is the matter?"

"Don't hurt me," Vince said and she heard a whimper in his voice.

"Oh, My Little One, I would never do that," she said as she walked closer and held her arms out. He felt a sense of trust coming from her when he ran to her and she hugged him.

"He's always doing stuff like that." Nate said. "Dad says he's going to make his hair white. He likes to climb things, and he hates small spaces. The orphanage manager used to lock him in a closet. I was lucky. Grimes just called me a useless cripple."

"Bless the Norns, what horrible things to say!" she said and looked at Vince. "I am sorry if I frightened you."

"It's ok," Vince said and she ruffled the top of his head.

"Just promise to be more careful. Your father would be devastated if anything happened to you."

"He says that all the time," Vince said then moved back.

"As for you," she said, walking to the wheelchair and looked at Nate. "You are not useless."

"I know," Nate said with a grin. "Want to see what my wheelchair can do?"

"Yes," she said and Nate smiled.

"I call my chair the Magic Bullet. Because Uncle Tony made it so it can go fast, like a race car . . ."

"A race car?"

"It's a really fast Misgard vehicle," Loki said while walking in the room and looked at Vince and Nate.

"I see," Halgran said and Loki felt like something was wrong.

"Is there a problem?"

"I was out on the balcony and she caught me walking a little too close to the edge of the railing," Vince said.

"I brought him back inside and he thought I was going to hurt him." Halgran said and Loki nodded.

"I guess I should have told you my children have had rough times growing up and have been victims of abuse," Loki said.

"How horrible."

"Yeah, but then Dad found us and adopted us," Vince said and she smiled.

"Anyway, Uncle Tony put some really cool gadgets in my chair," Nate said and showed her the robotic arm he uses to get things down off shelves. Loki watched his son showing off his wheelchair then went to help Vince get dressed and smiled.

 _Another part of the castle:_

Jormungandr walked down the hallway when he saw Fenris and walked closer.

"What's up, Bro?" Jormungandr asked and Fenris arched an eyebrow.

"I hate it when you talk like that. It makes you sound so...mortal," Fenris said.

"What's wrong with that? Our adopted brothers and sisters are mortal."

"Yes," he said with an almost growl.

"Oh, I get it. You're in one of your moods," he said and Fenris scrunched up his nose.

"I'm not in a mood. I'm just not sure if I can trust them."

"Norns, when will you get over what they wrote about you?! Look at me. I'm supposed to be this large serpent who is either chasing his own tail or eating it. And I am supposed to bring about the end of everything,"

"And that doesn't bother you?"

"No, it doesn't."

"That's where we're different."

"Yeah. I know. And being like that is just going to keep you from enjoying getting to know them."

Fenris watched his brother walk away when he sighed and leaned against the wall.

 _That's easy for you to say, Jorgy_ , Fenris thought. _You were never hunted in wolf from like a beast or shot with an arrow by mistake and nearly died of a collapsed lung before Healer Rhiannon saved you._ His hand traced the two scars beneath his tunic just under the rib on his right breast. The scars are the only reminders of that black day when he was fourteen. Scars that Loki knew nothing about because Odin and Frigga forbade it, not wishing to cause their son pain since he could not return to Asgard at the time as his exile was not over.

After several minutes, the children were assembled in the hallway while Loki walked from Sam to Aleta and tried not to smile. He felt like the father from the Sound of Music as he placed his hands behind his back then looked at Halgran.

"I hope they weren't any trouble," Loki said.

"Well, there were a few glitches, but nothing we couldn't handle," she said then looked at the children. "Right, My Loves?"

"Yep," Sam said and the other kids nodded. Loki noticed Aleta was wearing her princess helmet as he shook his head, smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Then let's get going," Loki said when he saw Jormungandr walking closer.

"Hey Dad,"Jormungandr said.

"Hello Jorgy," he said and gave his son a hug,

Vince stared at his older brother. "Dude, you look like surfer!"

"I do like to surf," Jormungandr said with a wide grin.

"Cool! Can I see your board?!"

"Oh, man! Once Vince gets talking about surfing and skateboarding, we'll never get to eat," Hunter groaned.

"Come on, Vince. You can sit by Jorgy at dinner and chew his ear off," Loki told him. "Now let's head in for dinner before Hunter dies of starvation."

Jormungandr laughed as they walked down the hallway and headed for the main hall. The horns sounded after the large doors were opened and Loki felt a little shocked to see the room was filled with people. Both noble and peasant were invited to meet his children and Odin, sitting on his throne, gave Loki a nod.

"Whoa!" Hunter said and the other kids nodded.

"Looks like Granddad pulled out all the stops to make you feel welcome," Jorgy said.

"He really shouldn't have," Loki whispered. Frigga noticed he was upset as she gave his hand a squeeze and he smiled at her. They headed for the long table in front of the stairs to the throne as Loki saw Fenris sitting on the stairs near the archway to the balcony and Fenris barely nodded his head. Loki let go of Frigga's hand as she walked up the stairs to sit on the smaller throne when Loki and the boys except for Nate knelt down on one knee and the girls curtsied.

"Stand!" Odin said as they stood and he looked at the people gathered in the room. "Now that my whole family has arrived, let the banquet begin!"

Loki helped Aleta and Max sit on the booster chairs near his chair while Aleta placed her napkin on her lap and Max tucked the edge of the napkin in the top of his tunic. Loki shook his head as Max removed the napkin and placed the napkin on his lap. After the children were seated, Loki sat down when he saw Thor sitting with his friends and Thor raised his goblet in salute. Smiling, Loki raised his goblet then watched the servants bring in the first course and leaned back in the chair.

The first course was small fig, goat cheese, and almond appetizers. They were arranged in a circle upon the platter and each person was given two, except Thor who took four.

The fig was fresh and had a small indentation in the middle filled with goat cheese and an almond on top.

Aleta tapped Loki's arm. "Daddy, what's this?"

"It's a fig with cheese and an almond, spark," he told her. "Try it, it's good." Asgardian red figs were more flavorful than their Midgardian counterparts and Loki loved them. He demonstrated by picking up his fig and biting it. "See?"

Aleta picked hers up and looked at it skeptically. "Max, you try first."

Max picked up his fig and ate it. "Mmm! I like it!"

Aleta tried hers. "It is good!" She ate all hers and started on the second one. When it was all gone she looked mournfully at her plate. "Are there more?"

The server came around with another plate. "Would you like another, princess?"

"Yes, please," Aleta said.

The server gave them all another one.

The next appetizer was skewers of wild boar roasted with a sweet cherry barbecue sauce with pieces of cherries inbetween them. Loki ate his with relish and so did everyone else.

"I like this steak, Dad," Max said, his face shiny with grease.

"Max, it's not steak. It's pork." Loki told him. "But it's very good, isn't it?"

Max nodded happily.

"I like it too, Daddy," Aleta said.

The next course was a soup, a broccoli with sharp cheese, and Loki was pleased to see all his children eating it happily.

"I love broccoli cheese soup," Serena said to Lucy as she spooned some into her mouth.

After about fifteen minutes the main course was served. It was roasted pheasant rubbed with herbs and a chestnut stuffing with raisins. It was served with parslied beets and sweet potatoes and green beans. Yeast bread with honey butter was also served.

"This is so good!" Sam exclaimed, eating some of the pheasant. "What kind of chicken is this?"

"That's not chicken, Samantha," Thor told her. "It is pheasant."

"I love it!" the teenager enthused.

"Yeah! It's really good!" Hunter said with a mouthful of food.

"Eew, Hunter, eat with your mouth closed!" Belle said.

"Sorry," Hunter said and took a drink of fruit punch. Loki had told the servers not to give the children wine, but he was enjoying a sweet berry wine Odin had brought up from the wine cellars.

After the main course, the servants brought out some sweet berry tarts, some honey sponge cakes with fresh cream on the top and platters with berries and cheese.

"Oh wow! This berry tart is amazing!" Lucy said and Serena nodded.

"I like the cake," Aleta said with some cream on the tip of her nose.

"Hold still," Sam said as she used a napkin to wipe Aleta's nose and Aleta smiled.

Loki softly smiled while he watched Jorgy talking with Vince and Nate and Sam was talking with Sleipnir, who had changed into his human form. Loki glanced over at Fenris, who had been watching them throughout the feast, and he had hoped his son would have come and eat with his family.

"Daddy, do you think Fen would like some cake?" Max asked.

"He might," Loki said. He watched Max get up when Max asked one of the servants for a plate with the honey sponge then walked to Fenris. Fenris looked at Max as he walked closer then held out the plate and Fenris looked at the cake.

"Do you want some?" Max asked.

"Sure," Fenris said and took the plate.

"Ooooop! I forgot the fork!" Max said then went to get one. He returned as he sat down next to Fenris and handed him the fork. "Why are you sitting here all by yourself? Why don't you sit with us?"

"I'm not allowed," Fenris said.

"Why not?"

"I'm not a Royal, like you are, or one of the warriors."

"But you know Daddy."

"Yeah, but that's how things are," he said and was a little surprised when Max sat closer to him.

"Then I'm going to sit here, too."

"But, you're a prince."

"Nope. I'm Max!" he said with a grin and Fenris looked at Loki.

Loki gave him a small nod as Fenris smiled and started eating the cake.

"Did you see that?" Frigga asked as she glanced over at Fenris and Max and Odin looked over at them.

"Yes, I did," Odin said with a nod.

"Why does he feel he needs to be apart from his family?"

"He's like his father in that respect."

"True, but he is their brother."

"He will come around," Odin said when he heard Fenris laughing at something Max said and Odin took a sip of wine.

Max tugged on Fenris' sleeve. "Fen, what would happen if you came and sat with us?"

 _Nothing,_ his brother thought. But he made himself answer, "Nothing good for me. I would be thrown out of the hall for forgetting my place. Or worse, any noble could order me put in the stocks or whipped."

Max looked horrified. "But why?"

Fenris sighed. "Because what you were born matters here. It's how our society functions. Although four years ago it wasn't like this. Not as strict. But then the revolt happened. A bunch of commoners got together and started demanding things like better pay and fairer laws and they attacked some nobles they worked for and some people got hurt and killed and a castle was burned. The king sent in the army to put it down and arrested the ring leaders and then the Council passed new laws. Laws to teach the commoners their place."

 _Laws I hate,_ Fenris thought angrily. _But for some reason Grandfather will not revoke them. Last time I tried to convince him to do so, he ordered me away and threatened to spank me. Granted I was only thirteen then but ._ . .He wondered whether his father knew about the changes in Asgard since his rebirth and vowed to tell him about them. It was why he tended to spend most of his time roaming the forests instead of here in the castle.

"But that isn't fair!" Max said.

"I know," Fenris said with a sigh.

"I'm going to tell Daddy. "

"No," he said with a shake of his head. "It will only get him in trouble."

"Well, it's still wrong," Max said with a pout. "If you want, you can be my brother. That will make you a Royal, too."

"You...? You want me to be your brother?"

"Yeah," Max said as he nudged him and Fenris smiled.

"Well then, Little Brother, want to go get some more cake?"

"Yeah!" Max grinned as they got up and went to get some more cake.

"Well, that is one down, eight to go," Loki thought as he watched Max and Fenris head for the table where the rest of the tarts, honey cakes, fruit and cheese had been placed and leaned back in his chair.

After the servants cleared away the dishes, Odin nodded and music filled the Great Hall. Loki recognized the song as all around started singing and some pounded their fists on the top of the tables.

"Whoa! That's loud!" Nate said.

"You should hear some of the other songs," Jorgy said. "My ears were ringing from the last feast."

"What are they singing about?" Vince asked.

"It's a song about Bors."

"Who is he?" Nate asked.

"He is our great-granddad."

"Oh," Vince said.

Fenris longed to cover his ears, the music hurt his sensitive eardrums. He also disliked the subject of the song, knowing from reading forbidden history texts in the archives that half of what the song claimed was false. Bors had not been a great ruler like the song claimed, but a tyrannical warlord. Yet all of the histories that spoke of that time had been banned or burned. Fenris had located the one book by chance-it had been hidden inside another one on hunting. He had known immediately that it was a forbidden book and had swapped out the cover of it with another on boring crop rotations, this way no one would know what he was really reading.

Max put his hands over his ears. "Oww! It's too loud!"

Fenris pulled the small boy against him. "Take your hands away, Little Brother. It's considered rude to do that."

"But my ears hurt," Max whimpered.

"Mine too," Fenris sighed. "Give me a minute." He took a cotton napkin and ripped it into small pieces, rolled them and stuck them in Max's ears. "How's that?"

"Better," sighed his brother. "What about you?"

"I will deal with it. They will see if I do it." He finger-combed Max's hair over his ears.

The song ended and a gentler aria began to play, this one about two lovers who met beneath an ash tree and fell in love, but were forced to part due to a feud between their families.

"I like this song better," Serena remarked. "It sounds pretty."

"What does it mean, Dad?" asked Sam.

Loki softly translated the song for his children, all except Belle, who already could understand the words.

"Are your dinners always like this?" Hunter asked Jorgy.

"No," he replied. "Usually we have our dinner in our private dining hall, just for the Royals. This is just Granddad's way of welcoming you to Asgard. We only do this on holidays and feasts after tournaments and state dinners."

"So not too often," Hunter clarified.

"Nope." Jorgy smiled.

"Can you show me some tricks on your board?" Vince asked.

"I can. You can swim, right?"

"Of course!" Vince said indignantly. "Dad made us all have repeat lessons at the Y."

'Good. So you won't drown," Jorgy joked. "Only kidding. Dad would make boots out of my hide if I ever let that happen."

The feast was winding down as the servants cleared the tables and Loki noticed Aleta was sleeping on Sam's lap. He glanced over at Max, but he was still chatting with Fenris, but Loki noticed Max was started to yawn. Loki rose from his chair as he walked over to his sons and Fenris looked at him.

"Looks like it's someone's bedtime," Loki said as he leaned over and picked Max up.

"I'm not sleepy, Daddy," Max said, placing his cheek against Loki's shoulder and half closed his eyes.

Fenris remembered a few times he said the same thing at Max' age, but Loki never really believed him and he would end up falling asleep before they made it to the nursery.

"Then why are your eyes closing?" Loki teased.

"Just...resting them."

Max made a soft sigh as he drifted off to sleep and Loki smiled at Fenris.

"Do you want me to take him?" Fenris asked.

"No, but you can accompany us to the nursery," Loki said while Sam walked over and he saw Aleta was also asleep.

"Max's asleep, too?" Sam asked.

"Looks like," Loki said as he turned and looked back at the other children. Nate and Lucy were yawning, but the rest of them were talking with Jorgy, Frigga or Odin and Hunter was watching Thor challenging Sif to an arm wrestling contest.

"Oh! Look at those little darlings!" Halgran said as she walked closer and Loki smiled. "Have they worn themselves out?"

"Looks like. We were going to take them to the nursery," Loki said.

"Norns, let me have them and you go enjoy yourself," she said then took Aleta and Max from Sam and Fenris and walked away.

"Is she always like that?" Sam asked with a laugh.

"Yes, she is," Loki said with a nod.

By the time the others have left and Halgran had taken the children to their rooms, Loki was alone in the Grand Hall and was standing on the balcony. He watched the dark stars twinkling in the night sky and the cool breeze moved through his hair.

He felt the night calling him when he checked to see if anyone was around and shifted into his owl form.

Loki took wing as he flew into the dark sky and enjoyed the wind moving through his feathers. He watched the ground moving below him when he saw a gray and silver furred wolf running by the trees and Loki flew down, landing on a branch. He recognized who the wolf was as he moved his head side to side, flew down to the ground and shifted into wolf form.

Fenris dipped his head respectfully as he saw Loki coming. "Hello, Father."

"Hello, Beta," Loki greeted his son, gently nuzzling him, his tail held high in the dominant Alpha position.

Fenris put his ears back slightly and licked Loki under the chin, which was how a wolf greeted his Alpha.

The silver and gray wolf bounded ahead of his father. "It is a wonderful night to run."

"It is," Loki agreed, his midnight coat blending perfectly with the shadows. "Let's go!" He sprinted through the trees and Fenris raced with him, his tongue hanging out.

The two wolves raced each other through the trees, their gait smooth and powerful. Loki saw with pride that his son was nearly as big as he was, though slenderer in the chest and shoulders.

"Are you glad to be back, Father?" Fenris asked when they paused in a clearing.

"I am glad to see my family again," Loki said. "And to have you meet your siblings. You seemed to be getting along well with Max."

"He reminds me of you," Fenris said.

"A lot of people say that."

"Are you sure he's adopted?"

"Yes, he's adopted."

"Hmmm...," Fenris said with a nod. He didn't want to tell his father that Max's scent almost matched Loki's and shook his head.

"What were you talking about?" Loki asked and Fenris looked at him.

"He wanted to know why I wasn't eating with the rest of you and I explained it wouldn't be proper due to me not being a Royal."

"You are a Royal," Loki said with a small growl.

"I know, but they don't."

"And Granddad doesn't treat me like one," Fenris thought.

"What else did you talk about?"

Fenris knew he couldn't lie to Loki, so instead he avoided mentioning the topic he had discussed with Max first, instead saying, "Max told me he wishes me to be his brother so I could sit with you. I agreed. Then we both complained about how our ears hurt when the music began to play and I ripped up a napkin and stuffed his ears with it to muffle the noise."

Loki laughed in wolf fashion. "That's pretty clever, Fenris. Are you sure you want to continue this charade?"

"Yes, Father. I want them to get to know me and I get to know them first."

"As you wish," Loki said when he spotted two rabbits near a bush and nodded his head. Fenris went down in a hunting stance as they stalked the rabbits then broke out into a run. Fenris wasn't sure if they were hunting or playing until he watched Loki move off in a different direction from the rabbit he was chasing and the rabbit vanished down the nearby hole. Fenris chased the rabbit he was chasing around a tree then moved off as the rabbit dived into the other hole and he came to a full stop.

"That was fun," Loki said as he padded over to him and sat on the ground.

"I wasn't sure if we were playing or hunting," Fenris said.

"Neither did the rabbits," Loki said and Fenris barked a laugh.

"I have missed this," Fenris said as he nudged Loki and Loki nodded. Being away from his other children hurt, but he knew Midgard would not be safe for them and he watched Fenris stretch out on the ground. In the moonlight, it was easy for them to see each other, but seeing the difference in the chest area of his son's fur sparked an uneasy feeling.

"Are you alright?" Loki asked.

"Yes. Why?"

"Well, I just noticed there is something wrong here," Loki said and nuzzled his nose into Fenris' chest. Even though it tickled, Fenris knew he couldn't lie and he sighed, rolling over onto his back.

Loki nuzzled the area by his right rib where two circular scars with barely any fur were. "What's this?"

"I got hurt," he said and Loki's eyes went wide.

"What happened?!"

"I was... I was shot with an arrow."

"When did this happen!?"

"It was when you were still in exile. I was hunting and someone shot me by accident."

Loki felt his blood boiling as he growled and Fenris whimpered.

"Did they find who did it?"

"Yes," he said with a nod.

"Tell me the rest," Loki said, looking up at the dark sky as he tried to calm down.

"I barely made it back to the palace. My right lung had collapsed and I would have died if Rhiannon hadn't saved me."

"How old were you?"

"I was fourteen."

Guilt moved through Loki as he sighed and Fenris sat up, licking Loki's chin.

"Why wasn't I told?"

"What could you have done? Like I said, you were in exile."

Loki knew he was right. There was nothing he could have done, but not being there for his son still hurt.

"I just hate the idea of any of my children being hurt or ill."

"Well, I'm still here to tell the tale. That must mean something," Fenris said and Loki softly laughed.

"True," Loki said then looked up at the moon. "Well, it is getting late. I need to get back to check on your brothers and sisters."

"I'll go back with you...," he said then paused. "If you want."

"Yes, I would like that!"

With a happy bark, Fenris walked by his father's side and they headed into the forest.

"You still have your rooms in the palace, right?" Loki asked as they trotted back to the castle.

"Yes. But they haven't been used in a month or so. Lately I've preferred the forest," his son answered.

"You can sleep in my rooms for tonight and let the maids clean yours tomorrow," Loki told him.

"On the couch," Fenris replied. "I'm not Max's age anymore to sleep in your bed."

"I'll give you a pillow and a blanket," Loki said easily. "And you can borrow some pajamas from me. They should fit, though you might have to roll up the pants a bit."

"I can just sleep in my clothes. You don't need to go through all this trouble," the younger wolf protested.

"Fenris," Loki said firmly.

"Yes, sir," he dipped his head in acquiescence then followed his father back home.

 _A/N: Hope you all liked this chapter! Sorry it took so long to post but I've been busy with taking care of my elderly father who had metastasized prostate cancer. Reviews are always welcome so I know you are still reading, or follow this story so you don't miss an update! Thanks to ninewood-you know why._


	3. Something's Rotten in Asgard

**3**

 **Something's Rotten in the Kingdom of Asgard**

 _If you think you smell a rat, you probably do. ~ Loki_

 _Something's rotten in the kingdom of Asgard._

Such a thought would be an act of treason, but Loki knew something was amiss. He had noticed how some servants acted when nobles walked by or when he talked with them. He had seen one or two servants with fear in their eyes when they made the smallest mistake.

 _What is going on?_ Loki thought, adjusting his helmet and looked at his reflection.

He had also noticed another odd thing. Some of the nobles, especially those belonging to certain houses that used to bully and torment him as a ten-year-old and adolescent until he grew strong enough to fight back with his magic, were walking about wearing short whips on their belts like those used to hunt. Loki hated the idea of using a whip on anything, especially a defenseless animal or a child. The sight made his hackles rise, and his inner wolf long to snarl defiance at those whip carrying fools.

"Norns," Loki spat as he walked to the door and left the room. He walked down the hallway when he heard loud shouting and he ran around the corner. One of the nobles, Lord Brakken, a tall beefy man with pig like eyes, his blonde hair caught back in a tail, stood over a small boy, who was around the same age as Nate, and the child was on his hands and knees. Lord Brakken had one of the whips in his hands as he glared down at the boy and the boy was shaking.

"Do you call this clean!?" Brakken demanded as he kicked the bucket of dirty water over and the boy flinched.

"No...," the boy said as he picked up the scrub brush and started scrubbing the floor. Some of the water sloshed onto Brakken's boots and Brakken's eyes narrowed with cruel delight.

"How dare you!" Brakken shouted as he raised the whip and Loki's eyes widened.

"Hold, Brakken!" Loki ordered, his emerald eyes flashing.

"Stay out of this, Trickster," Brakken shouted. Loki waved his hand as the whip sailed out of Brakken's hand and into his.

"A trickster I may be, but I do _not_ approve of beating a child!" Loki snapped, walking closer and Brakken sneered at him.

"You have no authority here. In fact, you shouldn't even be here."

"Well, I am here and I will not allow you to do this!" Loki said and snapped the whip in two.

Brakken's mouth opened and closed a few times like a fish out of water and Loki knelt down next to the boy.

"What is your name?" Loki asked.

"My name is Artos," Artos said in a soft voice.

"Why are you scrubbing the floors?"

"I am helping my mama."

"Who is your mother?"

"Her name is Claire."

Claire was one of Loki's cleaners and Loki stood up to look at Brakken.

"You dare harm one of my servants?!" Loki demanded.

"He was being insolent!" Brakken snapped. "Besides, if he's yours why isn't he wearing your colors and sigil?"

"Mama's washing them," Artos said, looking up at Loki.

"There's your answer," Loki said, folding his arms over his chest.

"It still doesn't excuse his behavior! He needs to be punished!" Brakken shouted.

"No, he does not. My own children tend to miss a few spots here and there when they clean, but I don't beat them for it," Loki said.

"Oh, yes, your "children". I am not surprised you would adopt rejects and misfits," Brakken said with a sneer and a green light flared in Loki's eyes.

"I want you to leave. Now!" Loki growled and Brakken backed up.

"The Allfather will hear of this!" Brakken said as he nearly tripped over his feet while he ran down the hallway and Loki looked down at Artos.

"Stand up," Loki said and Artos stood up. Loki waved his hands as the floor suddenly appeared clean and the Archmage held his hand out. "Let's go see your mother."

"She won't be dismissed, will she?" Artos asked with fear in his eyes.

"No, she won't. I won't allow it," he said and Artos took his hand.

"Then why are we going to see her?"

"I am going to ask if it is alright for you to become my squire," Loki said and smiled at the shocked look on the young boy's face.

"Do you mean it, my prince? I'm not a noble."

"I mean it and it doesn't matter if you're noble or not. Now, let's go find your mother," Loki said and they walked down the hallway.

Claire was stunned after Loki and Artos had found her cleaning his chambers and Loki had told her about Brakken. She knew Lord Brakken was one of Odin's top nobles, but Loki making her son his squire after saving him from a beating caused her heart to pound.

"Are... Are you sure about this, My Prince?" she asked.

"Yes, I am sure," Loki said with a smile.

"But your father..."

"My father will approve once I tell him what happened."

"Can I be his squire, Mama?! I promise to work really hard and I'll be good," Artos said and Claire covered her mouth with her hand to hide her smile.

"Yes, you can, but you must do everything Prince Loki tells you," Claire said.

"I will"

"Then let us go get some breakfast," Loki said then waved his hands and Artos' clothes changed into a green tunic with his sigil on the front, a black leather belt, green breeches and black leather boots. He was also wearing a green cape with a gold clasp and his hair was combed neatly, Loki held his hand out as Artos took his hand and they left the room. Claire wiped the tears from her eyes as she smiled then went back to work.

In the private dining room set up for the royal family, Loki finds Fenris sitting and eating a plate of scrambled eggs, venison sausage, and crispy potatoes with a cup of peppermint tea.

"Hello, Fen," Loki greeted his son. "This is Artos my new squire."

"Greetings," Fenris said to the boy and smiled at him politely. "Have you eaten yet, sir?"

"No, and neither has Artos, which is why we are here so early." He gestured to the chairs along the table. "Go and fill up a plate, lad, then come and eat."

Artos looked startled. "But My Prince, I am not . . . that is . . ."

Loki smiled at him gently. "Artos, I give you permission to eat with me. Is that what you were trying to tell me? Now go and get yourself something to eat, you look like you are hungry."

"Yes, sir!"

Artos went to the buffet and took a plate and filled it with all the food upon the buffet.

Loki watched and then went and filled up his own plate. He fixed himself some coffee and carried them both to the table.

As Loki ate he noticed Artos eating happily, sometimes pausing to just stare at the food in disbelief, clearly not used to eating such hearty fare for breakfast. The action reminded him of his children when he had first adopted them. He paused and asked, "Artos, what do you usually eat for breakfast?"

The boy paused and replied, "Usually, sir, just a piece of fruit and some bread. Or a bowl of oatmeal with a bit of honey."

Loki frowned. "And how about lunch?"

"Sometimes just some bread and cheese. And dinner is usually stew with vegetables and a bit of meat and some more bread."

"No wonder you are so thin. From now on you will eat here with me for breakfast. And you will eat proper meals every day. You go and tell Kara that she is to give you soup and a sandwich for lunch with a piece of fruit and a cookie or a tart or whatever they have baked that day. And milk. At dinner you are to eat what my kids are served. No one goes hungry in my household."

"Thank you, sir!" Artos' eyes were shining and he carefully brushed crumbs from his new tunic. The child had sandy blonde hair with a slight tinge of red in it and bright dark blue eyes like the lake on a cool day.

Once he had finished eating, Artos put his plate on the cart kept for such purposes and then stood at attention behind Loki's chair. "My Prince, may I fetch you more coffee?" he queried, noticing Loki's coffee cup was nearly empty.

"You may. I take some cream and two sugars," Loki told him.

Artos took his cup and scurried over to the buffet to refill it.

Loki lowered his voice, then murmured to Fenris, "So when were these new laws regarding nobles carrying whips and beating servants put into effect? I never saw anything like this before. Then again, last time I was here, I was bringing Jorunne in for trial and was almost killed for my troubles, so I wasn't exactly paying attention."

Fenris set his fork down. "The Council passed them after the revolt."

"What revolt?"

Fenris explained, and flinched when he saw Loki's eyes darken wrathfully. "Father, there's nothing you can do right now about it."

"I can speak to the King," Loki snapped. "These laws are unjust, and not ones that would have ever been passed when I was a child. No one, lord or prince, was allowed to abuse the servants or commoners back then. You know the story of Adabiel and Kara and me. I cannot believe your grandfather has changed so much as to allow this to go on."

"Sir . . .he has in subtle ways. I cannot explain it myself but . . . sometimes he is nice and accommodating and other times he is . . . cold and harsh . . . like the warlords were of old," Fenris murmured. "And when he is like that . . . it's worth more than your life to cross him." He flushed. "Grandmother doesn't even share a bed with him anymore."

Loki's eyebrows went up. "Really?"

Fenris nodded. "Everyone knows this, her maids are always muttering about it, saying they should get back together again but . . . she refuses. She has separate quarters from his."

Loki coughed uncomfortably. "Fen, sometimes . . . sometimes when people are older they prefer to . . . sleep alone . . ." But even as he came up with that excuse, his instincts were screaming at him that something was wrong. Odin and Frigga had always shared a room because Odin was so often away during their marriage—first with wars and then when he left Asgard to wander the Nine for a certain portion every year or two. Loki knew the King used these trips to check on the other realms under his jurisdiction and to relieve the constant pressure and dictates of his crown. From what he had learned of Odin from older retired members of the Guard and nobility, the King seemed to prefer being an itinerant tailor to ruling his kingdom at times, as he had once been a simple thread mage, and only when his father, warlord Bors, took the throne was he forced to become a ruler.

His son gave him a sharp skeptical glance. Loki sighed. "Have you asked her why she has done so?"

Fenris shook his head. "No. It's not really my business. But it is kind of odd. I mean, as bad as things were with my rotten mother, you never stopped sharing a room with her until you divorced."

Loki grimaced. "I didn't dare, Fen. I wanted to keep an eye on her."

Artos returned with his cup of coffee. "Would you like anything else, sir? More bacon or eggs?"

"No, I'm good for now, thanks." He removed his helm. "Here. Why don't you go and polish this in the armory."

"Of course, sir! I will put it on your stand in your quarters when I am finished." He took the helm, his eyes glittering with hero worship.

As Artos scurried off with the helm tucked under his arm, Fenris chuckled. "He reminds me of an eager wolfling, happy to be doing what his Alpha asked him to."

"Well, he is, considering I saved him from a beating earlier," Loki told him and related the incident with Brakken.

"Father, that's all too common these days with some of the nobles," Fenris admitted. "That's one reason why I tend to stay far from court. Because I would end up in too many fights. And I don't want to get a reputation for being a hothead like Uncle Thor."

"Does Thor know about these . . . rules?" Loki asked, sipping his coffee.

"I assume so. But he says very little. And his servants aren't beaten either. Or Uncle Balder's."

"I should think not," Loki said.

He glanced over at the table where Odin was sitting and noticed Allfather looked upset or even angry.

"Morning, Daddy," Max said as he appeared next to Loki and Loki smiled, lifting his youngest son onto his lap.

"Good morning," Loki said as he gave his son a hug and a piece of sausage. "Say good morning to Fen."

"Morning, Fen!"

"Good morning, Little Brother," Fenris said with a small grin.

"Did you eat all your breakfast?" Loki asked.

"Yeah, but...," Max said as he glanced at Odin then leaned against Loki's chest. "He yelled at someone."

"Who did he yell at?" Fenris asked, looking at Odin.

"It was one of the ladies who brought our breakfast. She tripped and some of the eggs fell onto his sleeve."

"Where is she?" Loki asked, looking around and noticed some of the servants were moving quickly in and out of the room.

"He told one of the guards to take her out of the room." Max said then looked up at him. "Did she get a time out?"

"Maybe," Loki said when the doors opened and Brakken entered the room. Brakken quickly headed for the table where Odin sat and the muscle in Loki's jaw twitched.

"Daddy, why are you angry?" Max asked. Loki watched Brakken talking softly with Odin as Odin glanced at Loki and Loki saw the anger in his face.

"Fen, will you please take Max outside," Loki whispered and Fenris nodded, standing up.

"Come along, Little Brother," Fenris said and Max gave Loki a puzzled look. Nodding, Max got off of Loki's lap as Fenris picked Max up and quickly left the room.

Loki kept eating while he sipped on the coffee, but didn't look away from Odin.

"Loki!" Odin bellowed and Loki placed the mug on the table before standing up and placed his hands in front of him.

"Yes, Father," Loki said with a calm tone.

"Come here!"

Loki felt eyes on him as he walked to the table where Odin was sitting then placed his arms behind his back.

"Is there something I can do for you?"

Odin glared at him when he looked at Brakken and Brakken had a smug look on his face.

"Am I correct and you interfered with Lord Brakken's treatment of one of my servants?" Odin asked.

"If you mean did I stop him from whipping an innocent boy, then, yes, I did."

"You had no right!"

"The boy is my squire, and I reserve the right to discipline him as I see fit, sire." Loki replied evenly. His eyes narrowed slightly. "That is still how things are done around here, are they not?" His fingers trace a rune of calm behind his back, seeing now what Fenris meant.

As the magic took effect, Odin blinked and relaxed, his abrupt anger fading. His good eye focused on Loki. "Loki? I . . .I apologize for shouting. Lately I seem to have these odd flares of . . . never mind. As your squire of course you are allowed to discipline him as you see fit. Any of your personal servants fall under your jurisdiction and should not be interfered with by anyone."

"But—but, sire—" Brakken protested.

Odin gave him a Look from under his eyebrows. "Enough! I have spoken, now let it be. A prince's household is his alone to command. Furthermore, when your prince gives you a command, you shall obey."

Brakken paled and stammered, "Yes, Allfather." He bowed and scurried from the room.

Loki remained standing beside Odin's chair, waiting to be dismissed.

"If that is all, Loki, please go and finish eating. I . . . suddenly feel rather tired and wish to rest." He rose and walked slowly from the room, leaning on his carved serpent staff, seeming suddenly old and frail.

Loki watched him go, concerned. _What by the Nine just happened here? My spell was not all that made him change his mind. And it certainly did not make him tired. There is something not right here, but I'll be damned if I know what it is._

Recalling Max's words before Odin summoned him, Loki beckoned to a servant and whispered, "I need you to find out what happened to the woman who accidentally spilled eggs upon the king this morning. Report to me immediately after you do."

The servant bowed, "Yes, My Prince." Then hurried off.

Loki returned to his seat, sipping the remainder of his coffee and pondering what could have caused Odin to have these odd flares, as he put it. He nibbled a piece of bacon when Belle came into the room, wearing her blue dress with the golden roses he had made for her as a Halloween costume. "Good morning, Belle."

Belle smiled at him and went to give him a hug and kiss. "Morning, Dad. What happened? I felt you were angry before."

Loki sends to her, explaining what happened.

Belle frowned. "Dad, that doesn't seem right. It seems almost . . . like Bestefar's bipolar."

Loki shook his head. "It does, but Asgardians don't suffer from that type of mental disorder."

"Could it be some sort of dementia?" Belle whispered, hoping no one heard her.

"No, I don't think it's that either," Loki said, sipping on some more coffee.

"Then we have a real mystery on our hands," Belle said with a grin.

"Rut Ro!" Loki said in Scooby Doo's voice and she giggled.

"Jeepers!" she replied and he slid his arm around her shoulders.

"Where are the rest of our family?"

"Nate, Hunter, and Vince are with Jorgy. Serena and Lucy are touring the gardens. Aleta and Sam went to feed the ducks. I don't know where Max is."

"Max is with Fen."

"Fen is really cool. But I think there's something wrong with him. He seems so sad."

"Can you keep a secret?" he asked and she nodded.

"He's your brother."

"He is?!"

"Yes, but he doesn't feel comfortable around all of you."

"Why?!"

"He isn't sure if you'll accept him because of the myths and stories about him."

"But they're just that. Myths and stories."

"You and I know that but he has been . . . ostracized by people here at court because he is a wolf shifter. Even here, where magic is accepted and I am Archmage, certain types of magic are not seen as . . . good. To be a wolf shifter is often to be called dangerous and a beast and a monster. Rather like being half-Jotun used to be." Loki smiled sadly. "And Boda, my ex wife . . . she was unkind and nasty to him as a small child and routinely called him a monster and a beast who would go crazy and devour everyone. I swear she is the reason half those myths got started down on Midgard."

"That is horrible!" Belle cried angrily.

"Well, she is a horrible person." Loki sighed. "Which is one of the reasons why I divorced her."

"Why'd you marry her?"

"I wasn't given a choice. My marriage was arranged by my parents. They chose Boda because she was pretty and the daughter of a powerful noble, Lord Snorri Bjartursson. Father thought it would be a good alliance. But while he gained the support of a powerful warlord, I ended up miserable."

Belle wrapped her arms around him, sensing there was more to that whole story than Loki wished to share with her. "Well, I'm glad you're free of her now. How long has it been since you've been divorced?"

"Quite awhile now. I divorced when Fenris was six and Jorgy nine by Asgard time. Centuries by Midgard time."

"Did you have to pay alimony?"

"No, not exactly. When we drew up the divorce decree, we settled on giving her back her dowry payment and her estate and lands that she brought into the marriage. Then I gave her a sum of money, around 30,000 gold pieces, and it was agreed I would have sole custody of my children and she would not attempt to see or contact them because it was her treatment of them especially which led to me divorcing her. Not that she wished to see them anyhow. She was also a Runaround Sue."

Belle scowled. "She cheated on you?"

Loki nodded. "Many times. She chased anything in pants when I was gone from Asgard doing my job as Ambassador to Jotunheim. Now you see why I never wish to speak of her. She created a huge scandal and everyone talked behind my back about how she cuckolded me with half the men at court—married and unmarried."

"You're well rid of her, Dad. If I ever see her, I wouldn't give her room to move while I spit at her."

"Then I'm glad she will never come to court again, because I wouldn't want you to meet her," Loki said feelingly. "But enough about old memories. How about you and I go visit the Royal Library today?"

His bookworm daughter grinned as if he had just given her a million dollars. "Could we? Oh that would be awesome!" She hugged him again.

"We can not only browse the sections of regular books and histories, but because you are a Lorekeeper and I'm Archmage of Asgard, we can go into the Mage Vault and look at the spellbooks and magical histories and beastiary compendiums."

"Really? We can! Oh this is like the best vacation ever!"

"What has you so excited, dear?" Frigga asked as she came into the dining room.

She was wearing a lovely scoop necked yellow dress with a gauzy shawl with glittering roses upon it, her hair piled on her head.

"Bestemor, Dad says we're going to visit the Royal Library!" Belle said. "And we can look at the magic section."

"Well, no wonder you are glowing," her grandmother laughed. "That is a treat for someone who loves books like you do."

"Books are my life," her granddaughter admitted.

"You are so like your father," laughed Frigga. "Books were his life too—and they still are in a way. When he was your age he had a book attached to his hand."

Belle laughed. "Hunter says I am the High Priestess of Literature and was probably born reading."

"Well, your father and I think that is a very good thing," Frigga smiled at the dark-haired girl. "So you keep right on learning. No knowledge is ever wasted."

"Dad says that all the time."

"I learned it from my mother," Loki chuckled, finishing his coffee. "Have you eaten, Belle?"

"Yes, Dad. I had some bacon and some toast. And I have a pear here for a snack." She showed him the Asgardian green pear in her pocket.

"Child, are you sure you ate enough?" her grandmother asked.

"I'm fine, Bestemor," Belle said breezily. "I don't eat a lot for breakfast."

"All right, dear. But Loki, you make sure she doesn't waste away while she's reading."

"Yes, Mother," her son said, rolling his eyes.

"Loki Laufeyson, don't you roll your eyes at me!" she scolded.

Her son ducked his head, hiding a smirk. "My apologies."

Frigga sighed. "I don't mean to interfere in how you raise your children, dear, but I'm a grandmother."

"Bestemor, don't worry. I always eat a big lunch," Belle reassured her. "Come on, Dad! I want to see some of those cool illuminated manuscripts and smell the ink and parchment."

Loki and Belle walked the short distance from the palace complex to the library, which was a huge building of three stories with large marble pillars at the front entrance with two statues of leopards reclining at the entrance. The doors were solid oak inlayed with gold and showed scenes of scholars learning various arts. The library had beautiful green bushes at either side of the staircase and a fountain with a mermaid leaping out of the water with benches surrounding it so people could sit and read. Two flowering pink trees flanked the fountain on either side.

Inside there was an entryway where people could hang their coats and cloaks if it rained and also leave their rain boots on a rack to dry. There was a bin with several pairs of soft shapeless felt shoes.

Loki explained they were there so people could leave their wet shoes in the vestibule and use these soft slippers while they browsed in the library, thus avoiding the need for someone to mop floors because people tracked mud or water in on the polished wood surface. "It also prevents lots of people slipping and falling," he murmured.

Since today was a nice sunny day, they bypassed the vestibule shoe box and continued on into the library. A large lit up map under a glass showed the library plan and where each section was located with a colored key. A desk off to one side was manned by a librarian with glasses and a brown skirt, boots, and simple cream colored blouse and lace up maroon bodice. She had her wispy blond hair in a braid.

She paused while checking ins tacks of books and looked at them. "Greetings, I am Anya, how may I help you?" Then she recognized Loki and stood up and curtsied. "Oh, Prince Loki! I was not aware you had returned. Forgive me, you know every nook and cranny of this old building."

"Greetings, Anya. This is my daughter, Belle. She will most likely know every nook and cranny too by the time this vacation is over," Loki smiled cordially. "Would you please give her a library card? Oh and make it so she has access to the Restricted Magic Section? She is a Lorekeeper."

"By the Nine! I am impressed! We haven't had a Lorekeeper here in a very long time." She curtsied to Belle. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Princess Belle."

"Just Belle, please," Belle smiled. "I'm only a princess in the palace."

Anya laughed. "You remind me very much of your papa. My prince always insisted we call him by his name when he was here." She pulled open a drawer and took out a green card which bore the words Royal Library of Asgard on one side and then she turned it over and wrote Princess Belle Laufeyson, Lorekeeper and added a string of numbers and pasted a strip of glowing tape on it.

"There you go, dearie! The gold strip will give you access to the Magic Section, you simply need to wave it in front of the silver box to the left of the doors and they will open for you. The magic books check themselves out when you leave the Vault, so no need to come to me to do so. But any other volumes just bring them to the desk and I or another librarian will check them out for you."

"Thank you very much!" Belle said, and took her new library card and put it in the opposite pocket of her dress.

"Here is a bag for your books,' Anya said and handed her a brown leather drawstring bag to put her books in.

"Thank you," Belle said, impressed with how kind and helpful the librarian was.

"Where shall we start?" Loki asked his daughter, breathing in the aroma of books, ink, and parchment in delight.

Belle looked around. "Let's start with the history section. I want to read about the Valkyries."

Loki led her up the grand staircase to the top story and through many shelves until they reached the history section. There he helped her choose two books on Valkyries and she put them in her bag.

As they made their way out of the section and towards the stairs to go to the Vault where the magical texts were stored, they passed a table where a woman sat reading a medical treatise. She had long golden hair in a braid coiled on the back of her head, and wore a simple Healer blue dress and apron with worn shoes. She kept her head lowered to hide the scar that ran down her cheek, her brilliant indigo eyes peering over the top of her book as Loki and Belle passed by.

Her eyes widened in appreciation as she observed Loki with his arm around his daughter, and a slight flush tinged her cheeks. _Quit staring, Rhiannon! He will see!_ She scolded herself and quickly returned to reading up on how to relieve concussions and head trauma. But all the while her heart pounded and her brain kept replaying the sight of Loki walking with that curious grace he possessed, like a sleek cat, and the way his leather pants moved across his backside.

 _Norns, Rhiannon! Stop it! He is not for you and never will be. He doesn't even know you exist. And even if he did, you are a commoner and he is a prince and princes do not court commoners. So quit dreaming foolish dreams and just concentrate on studying._

She buried her nose in her book again, biting back a sigh of longing.

Loki and Belle continued down the staircase, unaware of the indigo eyes that followed the Master of Mischief until he was out of sight.

Loki brought Belle down to the last story of the library, where the Vault was. The Vault was set below the ground and the huge double doors were made of magical wood carved with mystic symbols. To the left of the door was a silver box which had a slot in it.

"Just wave your card in front of the slot and the doors will open," Loki instructed.

Belle removed her card from her pocket and did so. The runes on the doors glowed and then the doors swung open.

For Belle it was like stepping into paradise. The room was lit by softly glowing mageglobes that shed light bright enough to read by but not so bright as to hurt the eyes when reading. There were rows upon rows of shelves with books of every description. The air was redolent with the smell of ink and parchment. Belle and Loki inhaled it as though it were the finest perfume.

"The shelves are labeled with runes for each kind of spellbook they contain," Loki told her. "Just read the sides and you will see what I mean."

Belle went and read all the sides and found one on Mind Magic and Spiritual Magic. She went into the section and began perusing the volumes while Loki found the section on Magical Healing and began to examine the spellbooks there.

Something within her whispered that this book might shed some light on what might be wrong with Odin. She took the book and tucked it into her bag. "Dad, I think I found something that might help us figure out what's wrong with Bestefar."

"Hmm?" Loki muttered, reading through a book about mending broken bones and other ailments. "That's good, hon. Why don't you look around some more while I look through this?"

"Okay, Dad," Belle agreed and went back to browse a different section happily.

 **A/N: Hope you all liked! More will be coming soon!**


	4. Of Tea Parties, Murals, & Advice

**4**

 **Of Tea Parties, Murals, and Brotherly Advice**

 _Sometimes the best advice does not come from a parent, but an older sibling ~ Loki_

Loki looked at the invitation as he tapped the thick piece of paper against his fingers and frowned. Aleta had been invited to go to the noble daughters' tea party, but it was only for noblewomen and their daughters.

"The Hel with it," he said as he headed for the nursery and saw Aleta playing with some dolls Frigga had made for her. "Hello, spark."

"Hello, Daddy! Want to play tea party with me?!" she asked.

"How about we go to a real tea party?!"

"What tea party?!" she asked, running to him and he picked her up.

"Today is the annual tea party for the daughters of the nobles."

"Will there be real tea and tea cakes?"

"Yes, and there will be games as well."

"Yay!" she said and clapped her hands.

"So, you want to go?"

"Yeah!"

"Then let's get dressed."

A few minutes later, Loki was dressed in his green and yellow armor, green cape, green boots and his old helmet. Aleta was dressed in a green sleeveless dress, green slippers, a green cape and she wore a gold headband with small gold horns curving over the top of her head. She looked adorable.

They walked down the hallway while guards and servants bowed and Aleta held tightly onto Loki's hand. They arrived in the main hall as she looked at the long tables covered with white linen table cloths and brightly colored flowers were in crystal bowls at the center of the tables.

"Ooooooo!" Aleta cried as she looked around and Loki lightly squeezed her fingers. The noblewomen stared at them and one or two of them whispered to each other and pointed at them. Loki fought to keep from rolling his eyes, thinking that back home him bringing his daughter to a little girls' tea party or playdate wouldn't have raised any eyebrows whatsoever as New Yorkers were used to seeing single dads as well as moms attending things with their daughters. But here he felt like a fish out of water. The daughters of the noblewomen were gathered in groups according to their age and Loki noticed there were several who were Aleta's age.

"Why don't you go say hello," Loki whispered as she nodded and let go of his hand. He watched her walking to the girls when she introduced herself and the girls curtsied. She looked back at Loki then she smiled and he went to sit on the steps.

"Your Highness," made him look up as an older noblewoman with her white hair curled up in a tight bun approached him and Loki braced himself.

"Is there something I can do for you?" Loki asked.

"Well," she said and glanced over at Aleta. "I am surprised you brought her."

"Why shouldn't I?!"

"No offense, My Prince. I just thought you would be too busy to..."

"I am never too busy for my children," he said and she softly smiled.

"I wish my husband was so attentive," she said with a smile. "I am Morganni."

"Please to meet you," he said and she sat down next to him on the step.

"They seem to be getting along," Morganni said.

"She's a social butterfly," Loki teased and she laughed.

"May I ask what happened to her mother?"

"Her mother was an unwed teenager and she gave Aleta up because she could not care for her. The orphanage matron was having difficulty placing her with a family because Aleta was showing signs of having the Sight and she frightened mortals with her unexplained trances and partial prophecies. They started to neglect her and that's when I came and adopted her when she was eleven months old."

"Oh! How horrible!"

"Yes. Most of my children come from broken homes."

"Well, she is lucky to have been taken in by you."

"No, I'm the lucky one."

"Daddy!" Aleta said as she ran to him and he wondered what was wrong. "We're about to play games! Come on!"

"Yes, Princess," He said and Morganni smiled as he got up and followed Aleta.

A few hours later, Loki carried Aleta back towards the nursery as her cheek rested against his shoulder and he held the headband in his right hand.

"Did you have fun, spark?"

"Yeah. I made a lot of new friends," she said then yawned.

"That's good."

"Daddy?"

"Yes, darling?"

"One of the older girls said I'm not a princess because I don't have a mommy. I told her I didn't need one and I am a princess because you're a prince."

"Do you know which one said that?"

"Her name is Auroni."

"Well, just ignore her. She's just jealous," he said then entered the nursery and headed for her little bed. "You remember what I always say, don't you?"

She nodded. "All girls are princesses, even if they live in tiny attics, or dress in rags, or aren't pretty or young or smart, because a princess is what you believe inside, and if you believe you can be anything at all."

"That's right, darling." He kissed her forehead. "Now why don't you lay down and take a little nap, okay?"

He placed her on the bed while she yawned and he slipped off her shoes. He put Minx under her arm as he watched her drifting off to sleep then leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "Sleep well, Princess."

She gave him a small smile then he headed for the door, turned to look at her, and left the room. _You are my little princess, spark, and no one will ever tell me differently. All my daughters are._

 ** _An hour and a half later:_**

Aleta woke up to see Max looking down at her. "Hey," she greeted, sitting up.

"I thought you were never waking up," her brother said. "I was so bored."

"How come?"

Max sighed. "Cause everybody else is doing stuff I can't do. Hunter and Fen are exploring in the woods, Nate is riding with Sleph, Vince is practicing with his skateboard and showing Jorgy. Sam is sewing something with Bestemor, Belle is reading, and Serena and Lucy are doing beauty salon stuff, painting their nails and doing their hair with flowers. Girl stuff."

"Well, I'm awake now," his sister stated. She slipped off the bed and put on her green shoes. "Whaddta want to do?"

Max thought for a moment. "You wanna paint something?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Something nice."

"Okay. Let me get my art kit." Aleta went to where Loki had put her portable art kit, which had some water-based paints, brushes, crayons, pencils, and a little artist palette. She picked up the silver box and said, "We need paper."

"Where can we find some?" Max wondered.

"Maybe Daddy has some," Aleta suggested.

But when they went to knock on Loki's door, they saw he wasn't inside, and some maids were making the bed and sweeping.

The two toddlers looked at each other.

"Now what?" Max queried.

Aleta turned and headed for the tall double doors at the far end of the hallway. "I know! We can ask Bestefar if he has some. I saw him writing yesterday with a bunch of paper on his desk."

"Okay!" her brother agreed and the two went down to the king's chambers.

The two guards who were at the doors saw them coming and smiled at them.

"Hello, little prince and princess," one greeted. "Have you come to see your grandfather?"

"Yes, sir," Max replied. "We want to borrow something."

"Oh, I see," chuckled the second guard. "That sounds like an important errand." He turned and opened the door for them.

The two ran into Odin's private chambers and looked about.

There was a receiving room with a stately oak table and four chairs, plus a large plush sofa and a chair with a foot stool. A potted plant stood in one corner and several portraits graced the walls—of Frigga in a pretty wedding dress, Frigga holding baby Balder, then Thor, and then Loki.

"Bestefar?" Max called softly.

"Where is he?" Aleta asked.

Then they heard snoring from a partially opened door to the right.

"I think he's in there," Max murmured.

The two ran into the bedroom.

They saw a large cherry oak armoire standing in a corner beside a large bay window. A wash stand with a basin and a pitcher, towel and shaving accessories with a mirror over it stood next to a long dresser with a brush, comb, and a box with hunting dogs upon it in inlaid gold and carnelian.

There was a long bench at the bottom of the bed with some robes draped over it and a pair of boots under it. The huge bed had the thick golden brocade bed hangings drawn and from within issued loud snores.

Max and Aleta giggled.

"Bestefar's taking a nap," Aleta snickered.

"Yup. He must be tired," Max observed. "He snores almost as loud as Uncle Thor."

Aleta giggled. "Why do some men snore?"

"Daddy said Uncle Thor does 'cause he broke his nose so many times in battle. And when it healed something inside got messed up and he can't breathe right through his nose when he sleeps, so he snores."

Aleta eyed the bed hangings. "You think that's why Bestefar snores? What war did he fight in?"

Max shrugged. "I dunno. Some old one. Like maybe the one Belle's always talkin' about."

"Where Mr. Lincoln freed the slaves?"

"Yeah. The Civil War," Max nodded.

"I dunno, Max. Bestefar's really _old_. Maybe he fought in the one with George Washington. "Gainst the redcoats."

"Maybe Bestefar crossed the Delaware in that boat," Max surmised.

"I think I 'member seeing a man in there with an eyepatch," Aleta said.

"Yup." Max nodded. "So he coulda got his nose broken when a redcoat punched him as he was getting' outta the boat."

"I hope he beat up that ole redcoat," Aleta cried indignantly. Then she looked at the opposite wall from the window. It was bare without any portraits or decorations.

As she stared at it, Odin mumbled in his sleep.

Max glanced at the bed. "Sounds like he's having a bad dream."

"Should we sing to him like Daddy does to us?" his sister wondered.

"I don't wanna wake him up," Max said softly. "What if he's cranky like this morning?"

"Okay." She eyed the wall again. "Max, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Max stared at the empty wall. "I'm thinking it needs a picture on it. Maybe Bestefar is sad cause he don't have anything to look at when he wakes up."

"I would be if I had to look at that," Aleta agreed. "Let's make Bestefar a nice picture to make him smile."

"Okay," her brother agreed eagerly. "What shall we draw?"

"How about we draw our house an' the park an' all of us with Daddy?" Aleta suggested. "Bestefar doesn't have any pictures like that in here."

"That's good. And I can make the duck pond and a rainbow," Max said happily.

Aleta opened her art box and the two took the pencils and the paints out and began to draw on the wall.

Twelve minutes later the two budding artists were finished with their masterpiece. There was a brown house with trees around it and a rainbow over it. It had a yellow sidewalk leading to the park where there was a pond with some yellow ducks and benches. Aleta had drawn Serena and Lucy feeding the ducks.

Max had drawn Vince climbing a tree and Hunter playing baseball with Sam. He made Belle reading a book under a tree and Nate sitting next to a bench.

Aleta made Max walking a dog that was supposed to be Odin while Aleta stood next to Loki who held Mischief. Everyone was smiling and Max added the sun shining.

They stepped back and studied the painting.

"It looks pretty good," Max said critically.

"Yeah. Think Bestefar will like it?"

"Uh huh. Cept we forgot one thing."

"What's that?"

"To sign our name," Max said.

"Max, I don't know how to write."

"You can make an A, right?"

"Yeah."

"And I can make an M."

"I guess we can sign it with our 'nitials," Aleta said.

They wrote an A and an M and then an L in the bottom right hand corner.

Aleta clapped and then said, "Okay, we gotta clean up. Daddy always gets mad when we don't pick up our toys."

Max nodded. "I know. I don't wanna time out."

They picked up the paints and the cup and put them away in the art case.

Loki was just coming down the hallway to get changed for supper when he ran into Samantha. His daughter had dyed her hair pink today and was wearing a pretty summer dress the color of a ripe raspberry with small gathers and an embroidered hyacinth on the bodice.

"Hey, butterfly. That's a really nice dress. Did you make that with Bestemor?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, but Dad, you better come quick."

Noting her alarmed look and the worry in her eyes, Loki asked, "What's wrong?"

Sam drew in a deep breath. "Uh . . . Max and Aleta went looking for some paper in Bestefar's room and they . . . uh decided to paint him a picture."

"That sounds very sweet," Loki began.

"On the wall, Dad!" Sam cried.

Loki froze. _Oh, Nine Hells!_ "Where are they now?"

"They're inside his room, waiting for him to wake up and see the picture."

"Sweet Valhalla on a ski sled!" Loki gasped. He began to run towards Odin's bedroom.

The God of Mischief remembered with searing clarity what had happened to him when he had drawn protective runes upon the wall of the feast hall when he had been the same age as his youngest son. He could not forget it, and not just because he had a photographic memory. It was because of the scars left behind from the switching he had received at the hands of the man his toddlers had just painted a mural on the bedroom wall for.

Given Odin's unpredictable temper of late, Loki feared he would wake up and see the results of his two scamps' artwork and blow his stack. And no one knew better than Loki what happened when the Allfather got angry at a child. Loki didn't think even being his grandchildren would protect Aleta and Max from his father's wrath.

The Asgardian bolted into the bed chamber, ready to intervene to prevent his father's temper from falling on his two mischievous children.

To his horror he heard Max's little treble asking, "Do you like it, Bestefar?"

"We painted it just for you, so you would have something happy to look at when you woke up," Aleta told him.

Loki cringed and waited for the bellow of rage. _Shit!_

"Father, they didn't mean to deface the wall—" he began.

His jaw fell open as he beheld Odin sitting on the edge of the bed in his shirt and a pair of old ragged pants with brown slippers, his white hair standing up and his eye patch askew, looking down at his two grandchildren and _smiling._

The painting upon the wall was clearly visible and sprawled from one end to the other in impossibly bright and cheerful colors.

Odin looked up as his son entered. "Why, Loki, look at the lovely mural my grandchildren made for me!"

Loki skidded to a stop, his heart still slamming in his chest. For a split second he couldn't believe what he had just heard. Then he opened his mouth and blurted, "Who are you and what have you done with my father?"

"Daddy, why are you acting so silly?!" Aleta asked.

"Well...," Loki said then paused and Odin pushed up the eye patch.

"I believe your father thought I would do to you what I did to him when he had drawn protective runes on the walls of the feast hall," Odin said.

Aleta gave him a puzzled glance. "Did you give him time out?"

Odin gazed at Loki as he noticed the look in his son's eyes and sighed. He had regretted punishing Loki in such a manner and remembered the fear in Loki's eyes afterwards.

"No, I...punished him," Odin said.

"How?" Max asked.

"Not the way I would have done, scamp," Loki replied.

"And I regret what I did," Odin said and Loki looked a little stunned.

"Well...," Loki said then paused. "I'm glad you enjoyed their present."

"I do," Odin said then looked at the little ones. "But it doesn't mean you can just go around painting the walls."

"We didn't have any paper!" Aleta said and Odin smiled.

"I will have paper sent to the nursery," he said and gently ruffled her hair.

"Oh!" she said when she remembered the tea party. "Daddy and I were invited to this tea party with the noble ladies and their daughters!"

"I see," Odin said, looking at Loki. "Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah! There was a lot of different teas and snacks. We played games. And I made a lot of new friends."

"That's good."

"Can you come and play with us, Bestefar?" Max asked.

"I need to get changed first," Odin said then got up and headed for the dressing screen.

Loki studied the mural on the wall, noting with amusement the way the children were drawn. Each one had on their favorite outfit and was smiling. Aleta had drawn Loki wearing his green armor and helmet and holding Mischief.

"That's some pretty good drawing, kids."

"Thanks, Daddy. Do you like the rainbow?" Max asked.

"I do. You remembered all the colors."

"You taught us how. ROY G BIV."

"Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet," the two recited the mneumonic Loki had taught them to remember the colors of the rainbow. It was also the order of colors in the light spectrum.

Loki smiled, pleased that his children had remembered his little trick to identifying the colors of the rainbow.

Aleta peered over at the large dressing screen where her grandfather was changing. "Hey, Bestefar are ya done yet?"

"Aleta! You know better than to ask that," Loki scolded softly.

"Yeah," Max retorted. "It's impolite."

'How do you know?" Aleta demanded.

"What have I told you about polite and impolite, spark?"

Aleta sighed and recited, "It's impolite to ask if somebody's done getting dressed because it makes them feel uncomfortable and like they gotta rush somewhere. It's polite to just wait till they're done. It's polite to knock first before going into someobody's house or bedroom if the door is closed."

"Yeah and it's impolite to just walk in on somebody when they're in the bathroom," Max reminded.

"I couldn't help it! I had to go really bad!" his sister snapped. "And Lucy was in the one I usually go in. So I had to use Daddy's. Wasn't my fault he was in the shower!"

Odin emerged from behind the screen, now wearing a clean set of blue robes, and a white shirt and black pants. He sat down on the bench to put his boots on. "She walked in on you when you were bathing?" he asked his son, his mouth quivering. "By the Nine! Didn't you lock the door, Loki?"

 _Aww, not this again!_ His son thought with a silent groan. "I forgot. I was in a hurry to take one before I had to pick up Hunter from soccer practice. I never expected to be invaded by a pint sized imp who asked questions that would have embarrassed a courtesan." He flushed slightly and Odin laughed.

"But Daddy! You said asking questions is how you learn!" his daughter protested.

"Not those kind of questions, spark," her father sighed.

"Yeah, you don't ask a boy about the size of their thingamajig," Max said indignantly. "It's impolite."

Odin's shoulders shook with laughter so much he could hardly lace his boots.

Loki put his face in his hand. "Oh Norns help me!"

"Loki, they bring laughter with them much like their father, " Odin chuckled.

Loki nodded while Odin stood and held his hands out. Aleta and Max took his hands as they headed for the door and Loki rolled his eyes and followed them out of the room.

 **Ten minutes earlier, the Royal Stables:**

"Please inform me if I cause you discomfort, Prince Nathan," the groom said nervously as he lifted Nate from his chair and placed him in the special saddle on Sleipner.

"It's okay. I can't feel anything below my waist," Nate explained

The groom carefully tightened the straps about Nate's legs and fastened the belt about his waist. Then he was finished and Sleph paraded out of the yard.

Nate enjoyed the feeling of riding the tall silver stallion, since Sleph could trot so smoothly it felt as if he ran upon the air with his eight legs. The bells on his bridle jingled harmoniously as Sleph took Nate down the main causeway from the palace and then veered off through the large sunny fields that were full of wildflowers. The air smelled fresh and sweet, and Nate smiled and said, "This is great! Much better than sniffing the smog in the city. Can we see what's over there? I think I see a lake."

Sleipner tossed his head in answer and strode towards the large freshwater lake that provided lots of fresh trout, bass, and sturgeon for the castle folk. The lake was deep and cool and the waters sparkled like lapis lazuli when the sun hit it. Willows and aspens surrounded it and there was a path that led to and from the castle up to it. There were logs that had been sawed in half to make benches to sit on and fish, sanded smooth as satin.

Nate gazed at the water in delight. "This is a really nice fishing spot, Sleph. We should come here and go fishing one day."

Sleph nickered an affirmative. _Of course we can, little brother. That would be relaxing._

The silver stallion wished that his mortal brother possessed the gift of All Speak, so he could understand Sleph in his horse form. All Asgardians had that ability to some extent, which meant they could speak and understand many tongues, and for some, like Loki, it also meant he could speak the tongues of birds and animals of all kinds. Sleph was unsure if that was because Loki was a master shifter, meaning he could shapechange into any creature he wished, including magical ones. Although Sleph had no trouble understanding Equus, the language of horses, since he had been born a horse and had stayed in that form until he was two years old and learned to change his shape into a boy.

Sleph walked nearer to the lake, going down to the shore to drink some of the crystalline water.

Nate uncapped his small silver canteen that Loki had bought him and drank some of the chilled pear juice that was inside. He had just screwed the top back on and hung it on the little leather hook on the saddle when Sleph heard the sound of feet coming towards the lake and lifted his head, his muzzle dripping with water.

Three boys about ten and eleven came into view, carrying fishing poles and a pail. They were dressed in well made clothes two bearing a house badge of a wolverine upon a gray barred shield, the other had a white tower and a sword on a black field. They were clearly the sons of lords, and two seemed to be brothers with similar wheat colored hair and the other had reddish hair and moss green eyes.

They paused when they see Sleipner and Nate.

"Why look, Jarvan! It's Loki's Lame Prince on the king's steed!"

His brother eyed Nate scornfully. "Better be careful, Little Cripple, that you don't fall off! You will never be able to get back on!"

The other two laughed as if they have never heard anything so funny in their lives.

Nate flushed. Their words were nothing he had not heard before. Plenty of kids teased him when he lived at Second Chance but since becoming Loki's son he had not had to deal with such bullies in a long time.

"Just because you can walk doesn't mean you are better than me," Nate began.

"Of course it does!" said the boy with the white tower. "What can you do? Nothing but sit there like an old woman!"

Nate opened his mouth to refute them then realized that everything he could do would not be something those boys thought of as important here.

"Ignore them, Brother," Sleph said.

"Yeah, they're not worth it," Nate said. Sleph started moving when the boys blocked their path and Sleph snorted.

"Get out of the way."

"Why don't you come down here and make us?!" Jarvan challenged and Sleph glared at him.

"Yes, or are you a coward like your father?!" Jarvan's brother, Sethlyn asked.

"My dad isn't a coward!"

"No, what he is is a monster!" the other boy, Rath said and the brothers nodded.

"My father said Odin should have killed him ages ago!" Jarvan said and Sleph snorted, pawing at the ground with his hoof.

"How dare he speak of Father and Bestefar in such a manner!" Sleph said and Nate lightly patted Sleph's shoulder.

"My dad is not a monster either!"

"Yes, he is!" Sethlyn said.

"And you are worthless!" Jarvan said and the boys laughed.

"Leave me alone," Nate said. Sleph started moving.

"No one insults my brother like that," Sleph said as he snorted louder and shook his head.

"See, even Odin's stallion thinks so!" Rath said.

"Why don't we relieve it of this worm so it can go back to a true Asgardian!?" Jarvan asked as the boys grew closer and Sleph snorted.

"Stay away from me!" Nate said while Sleph moved to keep the boys from grabbing onto Nate, but Rath grabbed hold of Nate's leg and pulled. Sethlyn helped pull Nate off the saddle as Nate landed hard onto the ground and he looked up at them.

"He looks like a turtle on its back!" Jarvan said and the boys laughed. "Isn't that right, Turtle!?"

Nate glared at them when he saw Sleph, now in his nornal form, standing behind them and Sleph snorted air through his nose.

"What did you call my brother?!" Sleph asked while the boys turned around and their eyes widened.

"P-p-prince Sleipnir!" Rath said.

"What are you doing here?!" Jarvin asked.

"I was enjoying a ride with my brother," Sleph said, looking at Nate

"We didn't see you," Sethlyn said, looking around for another horse.

"That is because he was riding on me!" Sleph said then changed back into his horse form.

"By the Nine!" Rath shouted while the boys backed up and Nate smiled.

"We are in such trouble," Sethlyn said, but Jarvan just snorted a breath of air.

"We are not in any trouble," Jarvan said.

"Yeah, you are," Nate said as Sleph changed back into his normal form and Jarvan laughed.

"No, and do you want to know why?! It's because Odin will never believe we did anything to monsters like you! In fact, he might even have you abominations destroyed!"

"Bestefar would never do that," Sleph said.

"He will once our fathers tell them you attacked us!" Jarvin said then ripped one of the sleeves of his tunic and his brother tore off the house badge on his tunic. Rath did the same then the boys started breaking their fishing poles and Jarvan smiled. "See?!"

"What I see is you getting into more trouble," Sleph said, pointing toward the sky and Huginn and Muninn circled them then flew away.

"Who cares about a pair of ravens!?" Rath asked.

"Those are Huginn and Muninn," Nate said with a smile. Huginn and Muninn had become friends with Nate after he fed them some of his food and Muninn loved to sit on the back of the wheelchair when Nate would zoom the wheelchair down the hallways.

"Odin's ravens?!" Sethlyn gasped.

"Run!" Jarvan said as they ran off and Nate looked up at Sleph.

"Are you alright?" Sleph said as he knelt down and helped Nate sit up.

"Yeah," Nate said, but Sleph checked for injuries just to be sure. "Those guys were jerks."

"They were rude," he said with a nod.

"Well, I'm used to being picked on by guys like them. I was teased all the time until Dad adopted me."

"No one should make fun of someone who cannot walk or has a disability. Just because they do doesn't mean they can't do anything."

"Yeah, but it doesn't stop them," Nate said with a sigh.

"No, but you should not let them make you feel inferior," Sleph murmured. "Although I know how easy it is to let them do so." He smiled sadly.

"You do?" his brother cried. "But . . . but you're a prince!"

Sleph laughed. "Yes, but once I was a boy like you, who had no mother or rather my mother was my father and my sire was a magical stallion. Perhaps Father never told you, but I did not become a human boy until I was two and he could teach me how to shift. And then I had to learn things like how to wear clothes, and shoes, and walk, because I was used to being a colt with eight legs. And I could talk . . . but my accent was odd because I had spoke Equus for so long. And I preferred to sleep in the stable on a bed of straw rather than in a bed too." Sleph gave a soft sigh.

"Did—did kids make fun of you too?"

"Oh yes. They called me horse freak and my father would never be proud of me, among other things. I would shift and hide and then Father would find me sitting in a tree or on a hill, crying my eyes out because I was such a misfit and I felt I didn't belong anywhere."

"What did Dad do?"

"He would hug me and dry my tears and he would say, Sleipner, no one can make you feel inferior unless you let them. Then he would tell me all the ways that he was proud of me. And he would tease me and make me laugh and suddenly what those boys had said were like the cawing of a jackdaw—a lot of noise. And eventually I learned how to behave correctly in my human form, but even now I am not comfortable with large groups of people.

I tend to prefer the quiet places and the company of the horses, who understand me best."

"You serve Bestefar as his royal steed don't you?"

"I do. It is a great honor to do so," Sleipner said proudly. "Bestefar trusts me to carry him to war and to hunt and I serve him wholeheartedly."

"Do you . . . uh . . . do anything else besides that?

"Yes. I also am a horse Healer. When someone has a horse that is sick or injured or a mare who has a hard time delivering they call me and I come and help them. I am not a mage like Father, but I have small magics to help me with sick horses. It is rewarding and I am content."

"People respect you now," Nate observed.

"Yes, but it took awhile to find my place. I am sure once you find yours, you will command the same respect that I , we better get back to the castle."

"How? I can't get back on your back," Nate said when a loud crack of thunder roared through the sky and they looked up. Thor sailed toward them when he landed near them and Sleph smiled.

"Looks like Bestefar knows," Sleph teased and Nate nodded.

"Nathan, are you injured?!" Thor asked as he ran to them and knelt down.

"No, I'm fine," Nate said.

"Your grandfather sent me to fetch you," he said then looked at Sleph. "He is very proud of you for standing up for your brother."

Sleph nodded while Thor lifted Nate of the ground and Sleph turned back into his horse form. Thor carefully placed Nate onto the saddle then took the reins and they headed back to the castle.

 **A few minutes later**

Odin sat on the golden throne while Rath, Jarvan and Sethlyn stood in a small line and Loki stood next to Nate's wheelchair. Odin had ordered the healers to check Nate for injuries upon his return, but he only had a few bruises and Sleph had confirmed to Odin what had happened. The fathers of the three boys stood with the rest of the nobles as Odin looked at the boys then at Sleph, Loki, and Nate and drummed his fingers on the arm of the golden throne.

"Allfather, please, this is all a mistake," Rath's father, Rolno, said.

"Yes, the boys were just having some fun," Sethlyn and Jarvin's father, Norvan, said with a weak grin.

"Do you think it is fun to drag my grandson off a horse and make remarks about him not only being unable to walk, but that he, his brother and father are monsters and abominations?!" Odin demanded and Loki noticed his father was not in the same mood he was in when he saw the mural Aleta and Max painted on his bed chamber wall. This was the Odin who would have punished them and Loki pressed his lips into a thin line.

"N-no, Allfather, we do not," Rolno stuttered.

"Do you think I should kill my son then?! That is what one of them said."

"Uh, he was just joking," Norvan said, glaring at Jarvan.

"He said YOU said it!" Odin said and anger flared in his eye.

"I... I said no such thing!"

"Lies!" Huginn squawked.

"Lies!" Muninn repeated, spreading his wings out.

Odin became silent for the longest time as Loki looked around the great hall and the nobles were becoming nervous. He wondered what his father was thinking when he saw Odin sit straighter and placed both hands on the armrests.

"Guards, take the boys to the dungeons and have them whipped," Odin said and Loki's mouth fell open.

"No!" Rolno gasped.

"This is outrageous! Surely, you cannot believe these freaks over our sons!?" Norvan demanded and Odin glared at him. The lord cringed, suddenly realizing he had made a terrible mistake.

"As for the two of you," Odin said as he stood up and walked down the stairs toward them. "You are no longer of noble birth."

He tore off the house badges from their tunics then tossed the badges to the floor.

"Your homes, servants and properties will be seized and your wives and your children will be placed in stables or the mines!"

"Father, no!" Thor said then became silent when Odin gave him a Look from his good eye.

"Guards, take these men to the dungeons. They are going to be imprisoned until I find time to have them executed!" Odin said then walked out of the room and the doors closed behind him.

"This is all your fault!" Rolno shouted at Loki as the guards dragged him away and Loki placed his hand on Nate's shoulder.

"Dad...," Nate said in a small voice and Loki knelt next to the wheelchair.

"Now you listen to me. This is not your fault," Loki said.

"But..."

"Bestefar is just angry. Once he calms down, he'll change his mind," Loki said and Nate nodded. Sleph pushed the wheelchair away as Loki stood up and Thor walked to him.

"Do you really believe that, Brother?" Thor asked.

"I hope so," Loki said and Thor patted his brother's shoulder. Yet he feared he was mistaken. The man who had issued those judgments was reminiscent of the man he had known growing up, who had beaten him bloody on more than one occasion. _Father, what is happening to you? How can you be a loving grandfather a few hours ago and then turn into some bloody dictator? Yes, you should have been angry at those boys and what they did but not like that! Thor knows it, I know it, and so do my sons._

He beckoned to his brother. "Thor, can you fetch Mother for me? I need to speak with her."

Thor nodded. "Yes. Loki, do not blame yourself. He has been . . . behaving like this for awhile."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Thor sighed. "Because for awhile he seemed like his old self. And then he will go and issue commands like this and I swear it is as if he is someone else. How do you explain that, brother?"

"I don't know. I would say enchantment, but I've looked with my Sorcerer's Sight and I can detect nothing."

Thor lowered his voice even further and whispered in Loki's ear. "When he gets . . . unpredictable and crazy like this . . . Loki, he frightens me."

Loki's green eyes met Thor's cerulean ones. "I think you should be frightened. Something is not right here. Please, fetch Mother."

Thor nodded and strode away and Loki walked out of the throne room and into his mother's solar. Loki knew she would know to meet him here.

"You heard?" he asked and Frigga nodded.

"I cannot believe he would do such a thing," Frigga said. "True, those boys were in the wrong, but to have them whipped..."

"Mother, he used to have me whipped," Loki said.

"Yes, I remember, but he would feel so sorry afterwards."

"What about he did to their fathers? He's going to have them executed."

"I only hope, once he calms down, he will change his mind."

"Do you...? Do you have any idea why this is happening? I thought he might be enchanted, but I see no sign of it."

"No, I have no idea what is wrong with him," she said then paused. "You do know we are no longer sleeping in the same quarters, don't you?"

"Yes, I have heard that."

"I just couldn't stand seeing him like this anymore," she said and placed her face in her hands. She started sobbing as he moved closer and gently rubbed her back.

She leaned into him as Loki placed his arm around her and she placed her head against his shoulder.

"Do you want to know what really worries me?" she finally asked. "I am afraid the nobles will rise up and demand he release his claim on the throne."

"Can they do that?"

"Yes, but he will not do it without bloodshed."

"Surely, it wouldn't come to that."

"I know it wouldn't but...," she said when they heard footsteps and she quickly stood up, walking to the window. Odin appeared in the doorway as Loki looked from him to his mother and stood up.

"Frigga, is there something wrong?" Odin asked and Loki saw the same look in his eyes and face as he had earlier. Odin walked to her when she turned and he wrapped his arms around her, She placed her face against his chest as Odin looked at Loki and Loki blinked.

"I think she is overwhelmed with what happened to Nate," Loki said, lying.

"Oh, yes, that was upsetting," Odin said then moved Frigga's head back so he could look at her and gently kissed her forehead. "Easy, My Love, it's over now."

"I know," she said and he held her. Loki, sensing they wanted to be alone, headed out of the room and sighed.


	5. Punishment, Persuasion,& Puzzle Pieces

**5**

 **Punishment, Persuasion, and Puzzle Pieces**

 _Sometimes the answer to a puzzle is right under your nose~ Loki_

 _A/N: Trigger warning for some non-explicit punishment of minors._

Sethlyn, Jarvan, and Rath sat in the cell gloomily, looking out at the guards walking by. They had heard the shouts of their fathers coming from somewhere in the darkness and it scared them.

"Do you...? Do you really thing they'll do it?" Sethlyn said, playing with the torn fabric of his tunic.

"They won't do anything!" Jarvan said, shoving him.

"Odin is going to have us...whipped!" Rath said, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"No, he won't! Our fathers would never allow it!"

"I heard Father shouting! He said they were going to execute them!" Sethlyn said as he sniffed and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"The Council would never agree to it!"

"Here now. What is all this shouting?" came from the darkness and a tall guard walked closer. He had long brown hair with streaks of grey down to his shoulders and two braids of hair encircled his head. The braids were tied with a black cord and he was wearing the armor of the Einherjar. His face was round and his eyes were a clear hazel color. His nose looked like it had been broken a few times and his full beard had a white stripe of hair which went from his bottom lip to his chin.

"Who are you?" Rath asked.

"My name is Bjarten," Bjarten said with a nod.

"Are...? Are you here to whip us?" Sethlyn asked with a staggered sigh.

"Aye, I am."

"This is highly unacceptable! We are noble born!" Jarvan said.

"Ah, ya must be the leader of this pack. Think ye're tough, do ya?!" Bjarten said with a smile.

"How dare you speak to me!? You are..."

"I serve Prince Loki. It is he who asked me to be the one who punishes ya for what ya did to his son. Lucky ya didn't get Kurlnar. He likes to use a cat-of-nine-tails."

Sethlyn and Rath gasped while Jarvan snorted a breath of air and Bjarten crossed his arms over his chest.

"Jarvan, be quiet! You will make it worse," Sethlyn cried, swallowing sharply.

"Nobles do not get whipped. That is for commoners," Jarvan insisted desperately.

"We are commoners now," Rath sniffled. "Odin took our rank away."

"He can't!" The older boy cried.

"Yes he can!" his brother whimpered. "He's the Allfather. He can do what he pleases."

"Aye, ye're right. He can." Bjarten said. "But Prince Loki knows what it's like to feel the Allfather's wrath..."

"He does?" Rath asked with wide eyes.

"Aye, I have heard the tales of how Odin would beat him or have Loki whipped when he did something wrong."

"But... But he is the prince!" Jarvan said.

"He is also the Allfather's son. I have taken a switch to my boys when they misbehave. But I will tell you this. I do _not_ enjoy it!"

"You don't?" Sethlyn asked.

"No, I do not!" Bjarten said with a shake of his head.

"Our father has... He has a servant boy beaten if we misbehave," Jarvan said with a sigh.

"Now that has always seemed odd to me. To punish someone else when 'tis ye who have done wrong. I always tell my boys if ya do wrong ya must learn to take the consequences of yer behavior."

Rath stared at his boots. "This . . . this whole thing is our fault," he declared miserably. "And now my father will pay for my stupidity."

"Odin really wouldn't have them executed, would he?" Sethlyn trembled.

"Prince Loki is trying to get him to rescind that order," replied Bjarten. "But who knows if he will be successful with the way the Allfather's temper has been of late?"

"Why would the prince care what happens to our fathers?" Rath asked. "We hurt his son."

"Because Prince Loki knows such an order is not just. And though ya hurt his son an' ya should never have done so, the prince did not want ya whipped. "Tis why he sent me to ya. He cannot totally revoke what his father did, but he can make it so ya only suffer a little compare to what ya would did Kurlnar get hold o' ya lads."

Rath looked wretched. "I just wanted to go fishing. I never should have said or done what I did. My mother would be ashamed of me." He sniffled again and wiped his sleeve across his eyes.

"What are you, a crybaby, Rath?" sneered Jarvan. "He has not even beaten you yet."

The other boy glared at his friend. "My father could die because I followed you and behaved like an idiot! He can beat me however much he wants because it is my fault my family is now nothing and my mother and little sister will now work in the mines."

"It isn't my fault!" Jarvan objected. "It is Loki's fault for bringing a lame boy here."

"See?" Bjarten said. "Sayin' things like that is what got ya in trouble in the first place. Young Prince Nathan has as much right to be here as any of ya. He is a nice lad who is clever and can do much even though his legs dinna work."

"He's right, Brother," Sethlyn said.

"Yes, he is," Rath said with a nod.

"Are you taking his side against your own brother?!" Jarvan gasped.

"If it gets me out of a beating, yes," Sethlyn said with a nod.

"Right," Bjarten said as he pushed the button and the force shield vanished. "Let's get this over with. Who wants to go first?"

"I do," Rath volunteered as he hopped out of the cell and stood in front of the tall man.

"Good lad," Bjarten said with a small smile. "Now, there are three switches over there. They are all different weight and thickness. Go pick one."

Rath walked to the table where the switches were as he picked up each one and tested them to see which one wouldn't hurt too much. He walked back to Bjarten then handed him the switch and Bjarten nodded.

"Turn around," Bjarten said. Rath turned around then he felt the large hand on his shoulder and closed his eyes. Bjarten raised the switch then lightly hit Rath's back over his shirt six times and Rath only cried out after the last one. "Sorry, lad."

"I'm... I'm fine," Rath sniffled and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"I want to go next," Sethlyn said as he hopped down and walked to Rath.

"Alright," Bjarten said and Sethlyn walked to the table and picked a switch. He handed the switch to Bjarten then turned around and felt the large hand on his shoulder. Bjarten raised the switch and lightly hit Sethlyn's back six times over his shirt and Sethlyn whimpered after the last one. "Sorry, lad."

"No," he said with a shake of his head. "I deserve it."

Jarvan glared at the guard when it was his turn and Bjarten sighed. Jarvan walked to the table when he picked up the last switch.

"Turn around," Bjarten said and the boy obeyed. Bjarten lifted the switch and he lightly hit Jarvan's back six times then hit him hard one more time. Jarvan screamed.

"That was seven not six!" Jarvan shouted while tears rolled down his cheeks.

"The last one was for making them do this," Bjarten said, dropping the switch on the floor.

"But that's not fair!" he shouted, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his tunic.

"Neither is getting yer brother and friend in trouble."

"Ow, this hurts," Rath said as he felt the pain move up his back.

"Well, lucky for the three of ya, Prince Loki has sent over some of his healing cream. It will take the pain away and the welts will fade in a few days."

The boys removed their tunics while he placed the green salve on their backs. It cooled and numbed the sting instantly and then Bjarten helped them put their tunics back on.

"Thank you," Rath said and Sethlyn nodded.

"Aren't ya going to thank me, lad?"

"Thank you," Jarvan said then sniffed.

"Do ya want my advice?" he asked and the boys nodded. "If I were ya, I would make friends with Prince Nathan instead of bullying him."

"Why?" Rath asked.

"Well, having a prince for a friend can help ya and yer family if there's trouble and no one would mess with ya. More so if the father of the prince happens to be Prince Loki," he said with a grin and a wink and the boys looked at each other.

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Rath said.

"Me too," Sethlyn said and Jarvan sighed. He didn't want to be beaten again or get into anymore trouble.

 _How bad can it be?_ Jarvan thought.

"Alright. We'll do it," Jarvan said and Bjarten laughed.

"Good lads. Now, back in the cell," Bjarten said and the boys got back in the cell. Pushing the button, he watched the force shield go back up then walked away and headed up the stairs.

Loki met Bjarten in a small room the guards had to sleep or play cards in at the top of the stairs. The prince was alone and still he whispered, "Is it done?"

"Aye, My Prince," Bjarten sighed. "The boys are sorry for what they did."

"Yes, I imagine so. I'm sorry I had to ask that of you, but you were the only one I could trust to carry that out with a minimum of harm."

"Better me, sir, than one o' the other brutes. Ya know what they are like."

"Yes. And now I must beard the dragon in his lair and see if I can't get the King to rescind his order to execute."

"Are ya sure that is wise, My Prince?"

"Wise?" Loki snorted. "No. But I am the only one who stands a chance of doing so. I'm not called Silver Tongue for nothing."

"Good luck then, Highness," Bjarten said sincerely. "Oh and here's your healing salve back." He held out the jar.

Loki shook his head. "Keep it. I have more. And you may need it if you or one of your family ever gets injured."

"Many thanks, my prince."

"Don't mention it," Loki said. "Well, I had better get this over with."

He vanished in a puff of green smoke to Odin's chambers.

Loki strode up the hallway to Odin's door and halted. He gave the guards on duty a look then asked, "How is his temper now?"

"The king seems a bit less agitated, Prince Loki," replied one big fellow.

"Yes he seems in a better mood right now after he was with Queen Frigga."

Loki breathed softly through his nose, thinking that he might just have a chance now to persuade Odin to rescind the order.

The guards admitted him and Loki entered the receiving chamber. He found the king looking over some papers at his large mahogany desk, his forehead wrinkled as if he had a headache. He looked up as Loki came over. "Loki, what can I do for you?"

"Hello, Father. You look tired."

"I am, a little." He winced as a stabbing pain struck behind his eyepatch.

The ever observant Loki saw. "Father, do you have a headache?"

"Yes. It . . . it came on suddenly." Odin moaned.

Loki snapped his fingers and a bottle of Advil Migraine appeared on the desk. "These pills will help with your headache, Father. Do you have water to swallow them with?"

Odin rubbed his eye. "Over there in the silver pitcher."

Loki went over to where the pitcher was and poured a goblet of water and brought it to the king. He opened the bottle and shook two pills into his palm. "Here, Father. Just put these on your tongue and then drink the water. They will go right down and soon you will feel better."

Odin swallowed the pills. "Thank you, Loki. You are a good son."

"Do you get these headaches often, Father?" he queried.

"They come and go," Odin answered. "Especially when I am tired or stressed or angry. I usually take some powder the Healers gave me but it makes me sleepy."

Loki nodded, thinking the headaches might be a sign of something but he couldn't quite put his finger on what. Plenty of people he knew back on Midgard got stress headaches and he knew his father had more stressors than most because of who and what he was.

"How long have you been having them?"

"A long time, Loki. I thought for awhile they had stopped but then they occurred again. Right after the revolt I had to put down. " Odin sighed and finished the water. "Did you need something from me, son?"

Loki sat down at the table, steepling his fingers and trying to figure out the best way to approach this. Finally, he said, "Father, I have been thinking. I know you believe the best punishment for those former nobles of yours is to execute them but what if I told you there was a better way to punish them?"

Odin looked up at him. "I have not yet signed the execution order. Go on."

"Well, it seems to me that you would be better served if you made them serve a prison sentence and then conscripted them into the army. There they would serve at your pleasure and you would have three good soldiers. And you could give their wives to Mother to be her handmaids and seamstresses. The children could serve in her household as pages and in the stables under Sleipner. He can always use extra stablehands."

Loki put every ounce of persuasion he possessed into his speech, praying his silver tongue would convince his father to issue a stay of execution.

"Do you really think that is the better course?" the king asked.

"Yes sir, I do," Loki replied. "This way they will serve as an example of what happens when a noble thinks that he can do whatever he wants to anyone. Those three seem to believe that because my children are mortal they are not as worthy as Asgardian children. But this punishment will show them otherwise."

Odin was silent for a long while and Loki feared that this time his silver tongue had not worked. But finally the old king heaved a sigh. "Your medicine works fast, Loki. And I believe you are correct, this will be a more lasting punishment. Very well, I shall have the order issued to a prison sentence of not less than two months and then conscription into the army. The families can go and work for Sleph and Frigga and I will take their lands and titles and reserve them for further notice. If I have a man perform a heroic act for the kingdom I can give him a title and the lands accompanying it."

"A good idea, Father." Loki agreed. "Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes, it has almost completely gone away. I must have the name of those pills."

Loki handed him the bottle. "Here. Keep them in case your headaches come back. You take two with a glass of water every six hours until the pain goes away."

"I believe I will have something light brought up to eat."

"Sometimes after one of those headaches it is best to not eat too heavily," his son agreed. "How about some soup and bread with butter and fruit?"

Odin nodded. "I shall ring for Skatha to bring me a tray. Thank you, Loki."

"You are most welcome, Father."

Loki rose and left just as Odin's manservant, Skatha came into the room. He thanked the Norns his silver tongue had not failed him.

 **Meanwhile:**

Thor sat in the mead hall having a drink with his friends Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg. The Warriors Three expressed concern over the Judgment of Odin that had occurred that day and Thor muttered something about Loki trying to change Odin's mind before taking a long drink of mead.

"If anyone can do it, it's Loki," Fandral said, lifting another tankard of mead.

"Aye, that brother of yours can talk his way out of almost anything," Hogun remarked, sipping his dark ale.

"Loki did not do anything wrong," Thor protested. "The wrong was done to my nephew Nathan. Still, Father ought not have been so harsh."

Volstagg nodded. "You are right, Thor. I do not use whips or switches on my children when they misbehave. I scold and make them do chores."

"That is similar to how Loki punishes his," Thor told him. "Loki says it is wrong to discipline with fear. His adopted children and even the ones he had with Boda have known too much mistreatment for him to ever take a switch to them so he uses other punishments instead to correct behavior."

"I hear he was upset about those three brats getting whipped," Fandral said, admiring himself in his pewter tankard.

"He was," Thor confirmed. "Loki does not like when children are beaten. Even ones that have done wrong like that."

"Neither do I,' Volstagg agreed. "I hope Master Silvertongue can change Odin's mind and get the order of execution rescinded."

"So do I, Volstagg," Thor said and then drank, draining his tankard and letting the barmaid fill it again.

The three friends discussed what had been going on since Thor had been on Midgard with the Avengers while drinking more ale and mead. Finally, Thor decided he was tired and needed a nap. He bid his friends farewell and headed back to the palace. It was such a nice day he decided to take a nap in the Queen's Garden, where there was a large hammock inbetween two huge oak trees.

He settled down in the hammock and was soon snoring loudly.

Aleta and Max were playing in the garden, running around playing hide and seek among the statues.

Max darted around a unicorn statue and heard some thunderous snoring. He paused and cocked his head. "Aleta, that sounds like Uncle Thor."

"Why's Uncle Thor taking a nap in the garden?" his sister wondered.

Max shrugged. "Maybe he was too tired to go into his bed."

The two toddlers stood a little ways away and winced at the way the hammock shook from the Thunder God's snores. Mjolnir was beneath the hammock.

Aleta recalled something she had seem on TV. "Hey, Max, 'member that commercial we saw when we was watching cartoons? The one about the band-aids that make you stop snoring?"

Max nodded. "Uh huh. They were something called Breathe Right Strips. Why?"

"Cause I have some in my pocket. Daddy was gonna give them to Uncle Thor when we left the house but I said I would hold them and I forgot I had them." Aleta said.

"Hey, maybe we can see if they work by putting one on Uncle Thor."

She pulls out the box and the two look at the picture showing how to use the strips.

"Look! You need to put it on your nose," Aleta said.

"Let's put one on Uncle Thor," Max declared and took a strip and climbed into the hammock and placed it on Thor's nose.

He climbed down and the two waited to see what would happen.

Thor kept snoring loud enough to saw wood.

Aleta covered her ears. "Holy Hannah! Max, I don't think it worked."

Max winced. "I don't think so either. Now what?"

"Maybe we need more than one?" the little imp suggested.

Max considered while Thor made the tree branches shake.

"Yeah. I mean, it is Uncle Thor."

"Lemme put them on," his sister said bossily, and then she took the box and climbed into the hammock.

Aleta carefully pasted all the strips onto Thor's nose until she had used them all and covered the Thunder God's nose with them as if he had gotten surgery or was wearing a mummy costume.

"There! I hope that works. Or I'ma gonna go deaf!"

She jumped out of the hammock, starting it swaying, and the combination of the sun and the rocking lulled Thor into a deep sleep and he ceased snoring for awhile.

"It worked, Aleta!" Max crowed.

His sister high fived him. "Now let's see if Kara has any cookies for us."

The two raced off to the kitchens to beg treats from Kara, who was Loki's best friend growing up and was still.

After about an hour or so, Thor woke up feeling better for his nap. He hopped out of the hammock and picked up Mjolnir and hooked it on his belt. His stomach rumbled and he made his way over to the Royal Dining Hall to see what had been set out there for lunch.

As he walked through the halls, servants and maids stared at him and hid giggles behind their hands.

Lady Sif approached, smiling at him. "Greetings, Thor. I had heard you returned from Volstagg. But he did not tell me you had broken your nose again."

Thor frowned, puzzled. "Broken my nose? I have not done that in . . .awhile, Sif."

Sif eyed him, frowning. "Honestly, Thor, you can admit if you have a war wound. No one here will think less of you."

Thor just shook his head. "I am hungry, and going to see what is on the menu for lunch. Would you like to join me?"

"If it pleases you," Sif grinned and followed him into the private dining room.

Balder was seated at a table, eating some roast pork with potatoes and vegetables. A tankard of mead was at his elbow. He glanced up as Thor and Sif walked into the room. "Good afternoon, brother, Lady Sif." Then he saw Thor's nose. "Thor, what happened to your nose? Did you get hit in a spar with Fandral?"

"Balder, I do not know what you are talking about," Thor said, confused. 'My nose is fine."

"Then why is your nose all bandaged?" Balder asked.

"My nose is what?" Thor frowned, and reached up to touch it.

Just then Loki entered the dining room with Lucy in tow. He saw Thor and frowned. "Thor, why is—"

"Loki, don't ask!" Thor grumbled. "I do not know."

Loki drew near his brother and examined his face. Suddenly he began to laugh. "By the Nine, Thor! Why are you plastered in Breathe Right strips? You only need two at the most!" He doubled over, laughing hysterically.

"Loki, what do you mean?" his brother cried. "Did something happen to my nose?"

"Oh something happened all right," chortled the God of Mischief. "Your nose is wrapped up like you were King Tut! Or had a nose job."

Thor ran over to where there was a small mirror. As soon as he saw his face he yelled, "Loki! What did you do?"

"Me? I did nothing. I was busy talking with Father," objected his brother.

"Then who put this on me?" cried the Thunderer.

"Were you sleeping anywhere in particular this afternoon?"

"I fell asleep in the hammock in the Queen's Garden. Why?"

"Because I think one of my kids played a joke on you," Loki grinned.

Sif began laughing and so did Balder.

Thor just groaned. "Norns, why me?"

Loki wiped tears from his eyes. "Thanks, Thor. I needed that."

"What did you call those bandages, little brother?" Balder asked once he had stopped laughing.

"They are called Breathe Right strips and they are supposed to help people stop snoring when they sleep," Loki explained. "I meant to give you some, Thor, but then we crossed the Bifrost and it slipped my mind. But I thought I gave the box to Aleta."

Thor rolled his eyes. "Of course she would do something like this."

"In her defense, you do snore like Skrymir," Sif chuckled.

"Worse. You never had to share a room with him," Loki groused.

 _The Royal Forest:_

The forest in Asgard in summer was full of beauty. Leafy green deciduous trees and low lying ferns provided shade from the strong sunlight. Oaks, ash, and golden aspens grew profusely and the air was filled with birdsong. Hunter followed Fenris into the forest, envying the way the older boy moved like a ghost through the trees, never snapping a twig or catching his tunic on a branch, his footfalls practically silent.

"You and Dad move like ghosts through the trees," Hunter remarked.

"That is because we are used to hunting for our suppers," Fenris returned. "If you aren't quiet, there goes your dinner."

Hunter nodded, trying to recall how he used to walk when he cased a mark and managed to walk almost as quietly as his mentor over the ground. "I haven't been out too much in the forest like this," he admitted. "The first time was when Dad took us all to the Catskills camping. It was fun, but we didn't hunt. My sisters would have freaked out. They think everything is cute."

Fenris grinned. "Somethings are, but then you eat them."

Hunter laughed. "I will eat almost anything. In the orphanage we got slop for food, so I got used to snatching food from the street vendors if they wouldn't let me work for them."

"You were a thief?" Fenris was startled.

"Yeah. A good one too. It was either go on the streets and run with a gang or stay in the orphanage and let Grimes beat me for everything. So I figured at least if I was in a gang nobody would mess with me. And they didn't, for the most part. I was Beta, second in our Wolf Pack. We called ourselves Fenris, and we were badass."

He showed Fenris his wolf's head tattoo on his arm.

Fenris almost fell over. "Your gang was called Fenris?"

Hunter nodded. "Yeah. Our leader thought it was cool to have the Great Wolf as our symbol. We even had a shrine to him and would pray to him for luck and quickness in battle and when we cased a house or a mark."

Fenris gaped. "You had battles down in Midgard?

"Well, not like with armies, but the gangs fought each other for territory and stuff. We were enemies with the Purple Crushers. They were real scum. They killed one of my friends, stabbed him in the lung. I tried to get help for him but by the time I found someone he was dead." Hunter sighed softly. "My Alpha blamed me for what happened, even though I had nothing to do with it and for a long time I thought I was a murderer until Dad told me differently."

Fenris was so shocked he did not respond for a moment. Then he said, "You are no murderer, Hunter. Prince Loki would know. He has been in battle." He gently steered his brother around a patch of dry ground.

"Dad fought in battles?"

"Oh, yes. There are quite a few tales of his bravery. He is both a war mage and a medic."

"Whoa!"

Hunter pictured Loki battling alongside Thor as they moved onward then Fenris placed his hand up. Hunter knew it as a signal to stop as they knelt down in the bushes and looked out at a herd of what looked like deer. The males had large sharp antlers while the females had soft tan hides and some fawns were grazing on the grass nearby.

"Are we going to try to get one of those?" Hunter whispered.

"No, they are protected," Fenris said with a shake of his head. "There used to be large numbers of them, but, people hunted them nearly into extinction. Queen Frigga asked Odin to protect them or they would vanish. Prince Loki even rallied some nobles into asking him until Odin finally decreed it against the law to hunt them,"

"Cool."

They moved on when they saw a large elk in another open area and Fenris places his finger to his lips. They watched the elk moving off toward the trees when Fenris nodded and they entered the field. He knelt down as Hunter knelt down next to him and Fenris studied the hoof prints on the ground.

"This way," Fenris whispered as they followed the hoof prints and they kept downwind of the elk. The elk looked behind its shoulder as they ducked down then the elk moved on and they followed close behind it. They traveled for a long time until the elk stopped at a stream and Fenris sniffed the air. He moved silently through the bushes while Hunter watched then looked at the elk. The elk drank its fill, but didn't see Fenris slowly walk up to the elk's left side then gently stroke the soft hide. The elk raised its head as it snorted and moved through the shallow water to the other side of the stream. Fenris softly laughed as Hunter walked out from behind the bushes and his eyes were wide.

"That was wicked!" Hunter said and Fenris frowned.

"I wasn't doing anything evil," Fenris said, puzzled.

"No, I mean that was amazing!" Hunter explained. "Wicked's what we say when something is amazing or surprising."

"Oh," he said with a nod.

"Dad told us not to do that because that was a wild animal and it would get spooked and attack."

"Yes, he is right. It took me a long time before I got the nerve to try it."

They walked away as Fenris started gathering things and Hunter wondered what he was doing.

"What are those for?" he finally asked and Fenris smiled.

"I am going to show you how to catch a leekraya," Fenris said.

"A what?" he asked and Fenris pointed to the groundhog looking creature.

"Leekraya are pests that eat a farmer's garden and dig holes everywhere but they are fat and sweet meat when you roast them or make a stew from them."

"Oh. Like our groundhogs," Hunter remarked.

Hunter watched while Fenris made a snare then made one of his own and Fenris used some fresh berries and chopped vegetables he had brought with him as bait. They headed back into the bushes while they watched a pair of leekraya sniffing the berries and vegetables, but didn't enter the snare and Hunter sighed.

"This is going to take forever," he whispered and Fenris smiled.

"A good wolf knows how to wait or they go hungry," Fenris said and Hunter nodded. "Tell me more about this gang of yours. Did they really pray to Fenris?"

"Yeah, we did."

"Did you?"

"Yep. Though I didn't think he was listening to me."

"Why would you think that?"

"The thing I prayed for the most was for someone to take me away from the orphanage so I could have a real home."

"Then he was listening. You have a real home with Prince Loki and your brothers and sisters."

Hunter smiled when Fenris sat back on his legs and stretched.

"I need to relieve my bladder," Fenris said as he carefully half-stood up and they headed for the trees.

A few minutes later, they headed back to the snares when they saw what looked like a wolverine trying to take a leekraya and Hunter frowned.

"What is that?" Hunter whispered.

"It's a targe," Fenris growled. "We'll have to wait for it to leave and catch another one."

"But there was only two of them."

Before Fenris could stop his little brother, Hunter picked up a rock and threw the rock at the targe. The rock hit the targe as it hissed, turned, and growled at them.

The targe lunged at Hunter, jumping into the air, its fangs bared. Hunter yelped in fear and went to draw his dagger but would have been bitten had not a silver wolf sprang and knocked the deadly animal flying. Fenris grabbed the targe by the neck, snarling furiously. He landed on his paws as he shook the targe until the its neck snapped then he dropped the body onto the ground.

"Whoa," Hunter cried as he stumbled backwards, falling down onto the ground and landed hard onto a rock.

"Are you mad?!" Fenris growled after changing back to his normal form and stood over him.

"No!" he said with a shake of his head. "I didn't realize it would attack me."

"A targe will attack anything when its blood is up. That's why I wanted to leave it alone. They are vicious and their bites can carry infection because they eat carrion." Fenris scolded. "Next time listen when I tell you something."

"Yes, sir," his brother muttered, wincing as he shifted off the rock.

"Come on, let's take these and make camp." Fenris wiped the blood from his lips. Snorting, Fenris picked up the bodies while Hunter got up and they headed into the forest.

They walked for a long time until Fenris found a spot to make camp, turned and looked at Hunter.

"Are you alright? You're limping," Fenris said.

"I'm fine," Hunter said while limping closer and Fenris placed the bodies of the targe and the leekraya on the ground.

"Tell me what's wrong."

Hunter didn't want to admit his butt was hurting as he sighed and lightly rubbed his butt.

"When you... When you did that, I fell and landed on a rock," Hunter mumbled, blushing, and Fenris smiled.

"I see. Well, go soak in the stream," he said, pointing to the stream. "Your father would have my hide if you came home injured."

"No, he wouldn't."

"Go!" Fenris said with a small growl and Hunter went to the stream. The water was cold, but not too deep as he sank down to his waist and leaned back against a rock.

Fenris looked at his little brother as he thought about how wild and brave Hunter was and also thought about his prayer.

 _He prayed to me, but I didn't answer. What sort of brother am I to ignore his pleas for help?_ Fenris thought then sighed and removed the jar of green salve Loki had given him from the pouch on his belt.

"Can I come out now?" Hunter asked a few minutes later and Fenris placed another stick on the fire he had made.

"Yes," Fenris said and Hunter got out of the water. The air was a little chilly as Hunter quickly ran to the fire, but his butt still hurt so he didn't sit down.

An ever observant Fenris asked, "Does your backside still hurt?"

"Yeah."

"I have some of Prince Loki's salve if you want me to put some on you."

"No! That stuff stings!"

"It's better than people finding out you sat on a rock," Fenris teased and Hunter glared at him.

"That's not funny."

"Neither is defying your brother."

"My what?!"

"I am not a friend of your father," he said, standing up. "I am his son."

"You...?! You're really Fenris?!" Hunter said and Fenris slowly walked closer.

"Yes."

"Why were you lying to us?"

"Because I was afraid."

"You were afraid of us?!"

"I didn't know if you believe those mortal stories about me and..."

"Dude, I read some of those stories! They were a load of crap!"

"They were what?"

"They were stupid!" Hunter said then laughed. "This is so cool! My brother is Fenris!"

"Which makes me the Beta," Fenris said with a look. "And that means you have to listen to me!"

"I will!" he said with a wide grin.

"Good. Now, you will let me put Father's salve on you or I will pin you down and make you!" Fenris threatened and both of them laughed while Hunter nodded his head.

Hunter submitted with a sigh and followed Fenris over to the fallen log that sat before their fire pit. His brother removed his half cloak and spread it over the log. "Lean over, little brother," he instructed.

Hunter obeyed, grumbling. "If you tell anyone about this, I will kill you."

Fenris smirked. "I know how to keep secrets, wolfling. Now quit whining. I will be done in a few minutes."

Fenris flipped up the tail of Hunter's tunic, revealing the other's slender backside. He saw the blue and purple bruise and hissed in sympathy.

"Is it bad?" Hunter asked, trying to turn his head around.

"It's fairly large, no wonder you were limping. Stay still." He uncapped the salve.

Hunter froze.

Fenris bent to apply the salve to the bruise and as he did so he noticed several faint white lines on his brother's skin. He frowned, but gently rubbed the salve on.

Hunter gasped. "It's cold!"

"It has numbing properties," Fenris explained. "It also will decrease any sore or inflamed area within an hour. How does that feel?"

"Um . . . better. Can I get up now?"

"One moment," Fenris put some more on and then said, "You may get up now. I am done, little brother."

Hunter went and pulled on his pants and underwear.

As he did so Fenris asked, "Where did those marks come from, Hunter?"

His brother scowled. "Mr. Grimes' belt. I told you he used to beat me. That's one reason why I ran away."

"Does Father know?"

"Yeah, he knows. He got Grimes arrested for it and for selling kids into slavery."

"If I had been there..."

"You would have turned him into kibble," Hunter said with a smile.

"What is kibble?"

"It's a form of dog food."

"Then, yes, I would have turned him into kibble."

Hunter noticed the look in Fenris' eyes as he tucked the tail of his shirt in and Fenris wiped his hands on the ground.

"Are you alright?" Hunter asked.

"No. Yes. I don't know," Fenris said with a sigh. "I had no idea there were children out there who needed my protection. If I had known..."

"Yeah. Well, most of my friends thought you were just a story and we took our strength and courage from that," Hunter said and lightly nudged him.

"You truly are brave, but a little too wild for your own good."

"Want to keep teaching me the ways of the wolf?"

"Only if you swear to listen to me! And I do mean everything!"

"I promise!" Hunter said and Fenris looked at the body of the targe.

"Clean and gut this!" he said and tossed the body of the targe at him then handed him the knife.

"And what are you going to do?"

"I am going to take a nap," he said as he stretched out on his back and Hunter rolled his eyes, picked up the knife and laughed.

"Fenris? Can we eat this?" Hunter queried as he knelt down to begin the task.

His brother opened an eye. "Yes. If you hang it for a day and season it right."

Hunter looked around for a high branch and something strong to hang the meat from then went back to the task and winced at the sight of the guts.

"That's disgusting!"

"But tasty."

A few minutes later, Hunter had a pile of meat to his left and a pile of guts to his right and he looked at Fenris. Placing the knife down, he slowly lifted up a long piece of intestine as he crept closer and smiled. He wasn't sure if he should stick the intestines down Fenris' tunic, but he couldn't resist and reached over to lift up the top of the tunic. He yelped as Fenris' eyes snapped open when he playfully jumped at Hunter and carefully pinned Hunter onto his back. Fenris softly growled at him as his eyes shimmered in a golden light and pinned Hunter's arms against his side.

"Do you yield, Pup?" Fenris growled.

"Yeah! I give!" Hunter said and dropped the intestines. Fenris rolled off him then rested on his back and laughed. "How did...?"

"You were silent, but I smelt the scent of the meat."

"Ah!"

"To be honest, you did get closer than most who try to sneak up on me. The only one who can is Father."

"Yeah, he does tend to show up out of nowhere," he said and they laughed.

"I can hear Uncle Thor coming from miles away. He makes more noise than a Frost Giant."

Hunter laughed harder as Fenris smiled and looked up at the sky. They became quiet while Fenris thought about Max, Nate and Vince and placed his hands behind his head. "Do you think Max, Nate and Vince would like to join us next time we go hunting?"

"I think they would, but Nate might have some trouble because of his wheelchair."

"That wouldn't be a problem. I could carry him on my back."

"So, uh, are you saying we're your pack now?" Hunter asked, glancing at him.

"That is exactly what I'm saying."

"Cool," Hunter said and they watched the clouds moving across the sky.

"Fen? Did Dad teach you how to hunt?"

"Yes. As a wolf first, and then later in human form. We used to hunt together all the time when he was home. He hunted with me a night or so ago."

"What did you catch?"

"Nothing. It was for fun. We had just eaten dinner so we weren't hungry. A wolf only hunts and kills when he needs to. That is Pack Law. And you only take the stupid and unwary and the old and sick, but never a mother with young. If you kill more than you can eat at one time, you cache the prey and then eat it the next day. We do not kill for the sake of killing, like packs of wild dogs do sometimes."

"Is it true that Alpha eats first in the pack?"

Fenris nodded. "Yes, unless his mate has pups to feed, then he brings her a share first or if the pups are weaned he and she will chew up some meat and regurgitate it for the pups to eat."

"You mean they throw up food for them?"

"Yes. How else would they have food in small enough pieces for a pup's milk teeth to chew?" Fenris said matter of factly.

"Oh. I guess that makes sense." Hunter sat on the log and thought. "If I were a wolf, what rank would I be?"

"You would be a juvenile," Fenris replied. "Not young enough to be a pup but just old enough to hunt. And under command of me, your Beta, and Father, your Alpha and his mate the Alpha female."

Hunter's stomach growled.

His brother raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like it's time to eat. Or it will be once I cook one of the leekrayas." He stood up and removed a steel cooking pot from his pack. "Fill this with water from the stream and bring it back here."

Hunter did as he was ordered then watched as Fenris skinned a leekraya, cut it into pieces, seasoned it with some spices from a pouch on his belt and seared the pieces on sticks over the fire before tossing them into the water. He gathered some wild onions and garlic growing near the stream and water cress and added it to the pot. He took a potato from his pack, peeled and sliced it and put it in too. Then he added some more spices and a handful of flour and stuck the pot on a tripod of sticks over the fire.

"That will be done in about an hour and a half," Fenris said.

"Where did you learn to cook like that?"

"Father taught me," Fenris answered. "In the meantime, eat this." He gave Hunter a bar of pressed venison, cranberries, oats, and honey.

Hunter bit it. "This is good!"

"That's pemmican," Fenris said. "Father learned how to make it from your native tribes. It is good to eat when you are traveling. Or you need something to eat and your stew is still cooking."

The two nibbled on the bars of pemmican while waiting for the stew to get done. Fenris would occasionally stir it and taste it to see if it needed some more spices.

When he judged the stew was nearly done, Fenris heated a little cast iron skillet over the flames and added two strips of bacon. He cooked the bacon and crumbled it into the stew. Then he mixed flour, water, a little salt, and a pinch of baking soda together and poured it into the skillet. He waited two minutes then flipped it and cooked it till the other side was brown and then slid it onto a tin plate. He did the same for the rest of the batter and then put the skillet aside.

"Pancakes?" Hunter asked.

"Flatbread," answered his brother. "You eat it with the stew." He tasted the stew again, nodding. "It's done."

He gave his brother a tin plate with four flatbreads and a bowl of stew and took the same amount for himself.

Hunter blew on the stew and swallowed a spoonful. The most glorious taste spread across his tongue. "God, this is good!" He ate the bowl rapidly, using the flatbread to sop up the thick juice.

"I told you leekraya was good eating," Fenris said, and finished his bowl and went to get another helping.

Soon both boys had finished the stew and flatbread and were quite full.

Fenris waited until the pot had cooled before sending Hunter off to the stream to scrub it and the dishes with soap sand, which he carried in a small pouch in his pack.

Hunter returned with the dishes and pot washed and left them on a flat rock to dry. Then he leaned back on the ground and sighed contentedly. "That was really good."

"Thank you," Fenris said modestly. Then he reached in his pack and pulled out a handful of peppermint stars. "Here. Dessert. And they help with digestion."

"Dad loves peppermint," Hunter remarked, taking some of the candies.

"Who do you think gave me them?" laughed his elder brother.

Replete the two siblings rested and gazed at the stars until they were tired, then they rolled themselves in their blankets and fell asleep after Fenris had banked the fire. Overhead, the stars danced, and one star in particular gleamed especially bright in the heavens, the Asgardians called it Lokabrenna, or Loki's Torch, for it had been seen in the sky when Loki had been born, and was a sign of greatness. That star shed its light upon the two sleeping brothers, quietly watching through the night.

Meanwhile, back at the palace, Belle was reading the book she had borrowed from the library on revenants, unquiet spirits, and evil influences. Some of what she read surprised her, such as the fact that a revenant, which was a spirit that refused to pass on to Valhalla or Hel, could hide within someone for years and then slowly take over the host's mind.

Belle felt a chill run through her. _If that is what has happened to Bestefar . . ._ she read on to try and find out how to detect if someone were a revenant's host, but the book was vague about it. Frustrated, she set it down and went to find Loki, figuring he might be able to shed some light on it.

She found him in the dining room. "Dad, you have to see this," she said to him.

Loki glanced at her, setting his coffee mug down. "What is it, Belle?"

"I was reading that book I borrowed from the magic section of the library," she began, " and I think you need to read something I found."

Loki rose to his feet, feeling Belle's urgency and knowing she would not have come to him unless the matter were of utmost importance. "What have you found?" he whispered as they left the hall.

Belle told him what she had read so far. 'But Dad, I couldn't find anything on how to tell if the host were possessed by a revenant. I thought maybe you could since you read quicker than I do."

Loki nodded. "Let me take a look at it, little raven."

They arrived at Belle's room, which she shared with Serena, as she did at home. She opened the door and they went inside.

"I left the book here on top of my pillow," she began, walking over to the bed.

She halted, astonishment and disbelief crossing her face. "Dad! The book—it's gone!"

 **A/N: Thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, faved and followed this work! I really appreciate it!**

 **Thanks to ninewood for her assistance!**

 **Yes there is an evil cliffy! I am known for them . . . (evil laugh) . . . so what do you think happened to Belle's book? And how did you like the bonding with Fenris and Hunter? Max and Aleta's little prank? Loki and Odin?**


	6. Serena's Wild Ride

**6**

 **Serena's Wild Ride**

 _One good rule to remember when riding—stay calm so your mount doesn't panic. ~ Loki_

"Are you sure it didn't fall behind your pillow or under the bed?" Loki queried.

"I left it right here," Belle cried, dismayed. She looked under the bed and behind the pillow. The book was not there. "Dad, I don't understand how it could just disappear."

"It couldn't. Did the maids come and clean here today? Perhaps they moved it?"

But a thorough search of the room turned up nothing.

Then Loki recalled that sometimes the magical book returned themselves to the library.

"Do you think that's what happened?"

"I will check and see tomorrow. Right now stop fretting, little raven. What's done is done. We'll figure it out."

Belle sighed. 'I just thought the book might help Bestefar. And I don't want anyone thinking I'm irresponsible and lose books."

"Belle, anyone who knows you would never think that. Why don't you write in your chronicle for a while?" He put an arm around his daughter and hugged her gently.

"Okay, Dad. I'll write down what I read so it doesn't get forgotten," Belle said.

Loki nodded. "That's a good idea. I'm going to check on my mare Starflight. I want to ride her tomorrow when I take whoever wants to ride with me." He headed out of the room.

As he was walking down the back stairs to the kitchen which had a closer exit to the stables than going through the main entrance of the palace, he saw a young boy around five sitting on the stairs holding his leg and crying softly. Loki's trouble radar went on alert and he stopped in front of the tow-headed youngster, who was wearing a simple blue tunic, brown pants, and half boots.

Loki knelt next to him. "Hello. Did you fall and hurt yourself?"

The child looked up at him, and Loki recognized a familiar pair of blue eyes, ones that resembled those of Kara, his best friend from childhood. "I just scraped my knee, Prince Loki."

"May I see?" he queried gently.

The boy removed his hand and Loki saw that he had torn the knee out of his trousers and there was a large scrape on his left knee. "That looks like it hurts a lot," he said sympathetically. "Let me take you back to my quarters and fix it."

"Oh, you don't have to do that, my Prince," protested the boy. "My mama can fix it when she's not busy." He sniffled.

"Is she busy now?"

"Um . . . yes, sir. She's the Head Chef so she's prepping for dinner now."

"You're Kara's little boy, aren't you?" Loki exclaimed.

The child nodded shyly. "Yes, my Prince. I'm Loki Sigurdson. But most folks call me Little Loki."

Loki smiled. "I'm your godfather, lad. And I think I need to fix that knee of yours. How did you fall?"

Little Loki shrugged. "I was running with a basket I had used to pick some herbs for Mama and I tripped over a loose cobblestone. Mama's always telling me to be careful and not run, but I wanted to play and I forgot."

"Accidents happen. May I carry you?" Loki asked.

In answer, Little Loki held out his arms.

The prince picked him up and cradled him securely, marveling at how much the child resembled his mother, except for his hair, which was the same color as his father's. Sigurd was the Lieutenant of Odin's Einherjar, a tall wheat-colored blonde with hazel eyes, quite handsome, an excellent swordsman, but gentle with animals, children, and women. He adored his fiery wife, joking that her spoon could decimate an army when she wielded it.

Loki teleported to his chambers and set small Loki down on one of his sitting room chairs, the comfortable one with the footstool. "Okay. You stay there while I get a few things."

The child nodded and looked about curiously while Loki fetched his first aid kit from his backpack.

He brought the kit back to the table and opened it, removing some Bacteen antibacterial wash that didn't sting, some gauze pads, some Neosporin, and a very large Band-Aid that flexed to cover knees and elbows.

Little Loki looked alarmed when he saw the bottle of antiseptic. "What's that, sir?"

"Just an antiseptic wash," Loki replied. "I need to clean that scrape so it doesn't get infected."

Little Loki shrank back. "No! I hate the yarrow wash! It burns!" He started to cry.

"Hey, take it easy," the Master of Mischief crooned. "This isn't yarrow wash. It's medicine from Midgard and I promise you it doesn't burn."

"It doesn't?" the boy sniffed.

Loki handed him a handkerchief. "No, I swear by the Norns."

Little Loki watched while Loki sprayed some of the Bacteen over the scrape, but it didn't burn or hurt. Loki gave him a smile when he spread some of the Neosporin over the scrape then placed the gauze on top. He placed the large Band-Aid on top of the cloth while Little Loki watched then Loki went and placed everything back in the backpack.

"There. All done," Loki said and Little Loki moved his knee back and forth.

"Thank you, My Prince," Little Loki said and Loki picked him up and teleported back to the kitchens. He placed Little Loki back down as he patted the small boy's head and smiled.

"Now, you go tell you mother what happened and remember to keep that knee covered for a few days," Loki said.

"I will!" Little Loki said as he started to run then paused and walked back to the kitchen. Loki gently shook his head as he headed for the stables and placed his hands behind his back.

Loki walked into the stable when he saw Rath, Sethlyn and Jarvan helping Sleph mucking out the stalls and Sleph smiled at him.

"Hello," Loki said as he walked closer.

"Hello, Sir," Rath said, moving some of the horse dung into a pile with a small broom.

"Hello, Sir," Sethlyn said.

"Hello," Jarvan said with a cross look. He still didn't like the idea of cleaning out the stables, but it was better than being whipped.

"Hello, Father. Is there something we can do for you?" Sleph asked.

"No. I was just going to check on Starflight," Loki said.

"Which one is that?" Rath asked.

"That mare over there," Loki said, pointing.

"Oh. She is a really nice horse," Sethlyn said. "She let me give her an apple this morning."

"That was because you gave her a good brushing down," Sleph said.

"Sounds like you're becoming an expert groom," Loki said.

"It's not that hard," Sethlyn said. "Father never let me do it with my horse. He says that is what stable boys are for."

"And he's right. We're nobles not stable boys," Jarvan thought and Loki noticed the look on his face.

"Well, I won't keep you," Loki said walking over to Starflight's stall. The mare turned her head and peered at him. "Hello, girl."

Starflight watched him opening the stall door when he walked in the stall and noticed how clean and neat the floor was. Fresh hay was placed where she normally slept and in the feeder and fresh carrots were on the small shelf so she could snack on them.

He walked closer when she lightly nudged his right shoulder and he lightly patted her neck.

"Do you wish me to saddle her?" Rath asked, making Loki turn around.

"Yes, I think she would like some exercise." He stroked her inquisitive gray nose. Starflight was a beautiful dapple gray mare with a golden mane and tail. Like her mother, Loki's beloved Wind Whisper, she had a sweet temperament.

Rath went to fetch Loki's saddle, but it was Sleph who carried the saddle for him. Nodding, Loki watched Rath help Sleph put the saddle on Starflight's back and Starflight gently nudged Rath.

Sleph helped his father onto the saddle as Rath held the stable door open and Loki lightly nudged Starflight's side.

The gray mare snorted eagerly and stepped lightly through the door, her ears pricked for Loki's cues to go forward.

Loki motioned for her to move as Starflight headed out of the stable and down the trail. The sky was bright and a deep blue with just a hint of clouds and the wind blew through his hair. They headed down for the paddock while some of the servants waved or bowed and Loki nodded his head.

Starflight was happy to be outside, tossing her pretty head and whickering.

"Yes, I'm glad to be outside, too," Loki said, gently patting her neck.

The gray mare glided over the ground like ballet dancer, her gait smooth as silk, one of the hallmarks of her breeding.

Loki motioned for her to go a little faster as she sped up and he held the reins tightly in his hands.

He nudged her side as she went into a full gallop and headed for the fence to the paddock. She had enough speed to make the jump as he signaled her to rise and Starflight rose into the air. The top of the fence didn't even touch her hooves as she moved through the air then landed gracefully on the ground.

Loki patted her neck. "Good girl! Shall we jump some more?"

The gray mare tossed her head in a nod and whickered.

Loki headed for the opposite end of the paddock and Starflight lengthened her stride until she was galloping then jumped neatly over the opposite fence, again clearing the five foot obstacle easily.

Again Loki praised her and they trotted through the fields of green gold grass towards the forest verge.

The trees spread out around them as Loki looked around and memories of his childhood riding through the forest filled his mind.

The wind moved through his hair while the sunlight twinkled through the leaves and the sound of birdsong filled the air.

He mapped out a trail in his mind where he would take whoever wanted to go riding with him when he stopped the gray mare near a stream and she dipped her head down to take a drink.

Loki dismounted then he walked to the stream and knelt down, cupping some of the water into his hand. He gave the water a quick sniff then drank some of the cool water then wiped his hand on his trouser leg.

"Daddy!" made him stand up when he saw Serena walking closer and a young handmaid was right beside her. The handmaid had long red hair braided down her left shoulder and a round face with bright green eyes. Loki noticed something familiar about her when he smiled and crossed his arms over his chest. She was Ingrid, one of Volstagg the Valiant's daughters.

"Hello," Loki said after the girls walked to him and Starflight looked at them. "What are you two doing out here?"

"We were berry picking," Ingrid said, holding up a wicker basket.

"Did you tell anyone where you were going?"

"Yes," Serena said with a nod.

"Mind if I go with you?" Loki asked and they nodded. He took the reins as he led the gray mare down the trail and they found a large blueberry bush. He checked to see if the berries were ripe enough to pick then used his magic to make some special gloves for the girls to prevent their fingers from getting stained by the juice.

A short time later, the baskets were full and the girls were tired so he helped them onto Starflight and they headed back to the castle.

"Thank you, Prince Loki," Ingrid said after he helped her down from the saddle and she smiled up at him.

"You are quite welcome," Loki said. He liked how the children of the royal court were accepting his children and he handed her the wicker basket. "Are you sure those are enough berries? Your father does tend to have a hearty appetite."

"Yes," she aid with a giggle. Everyone knew of her father's love of food and she waved as she ran off.

"I like her, Daddy," Serena said.

"I'm glad you're making new friends," he said as they headed for the stable and she looked at the basket.

"Do you...? Do you think she would like to come to Earth and visit me? I'd like her to meet my other friends."

"I can't see why not," Loki said and they headed into the stables.

 _The next morning..._

Loki, Thor, Serena, Belle, Lucy, Sam, Nate, Vince and Max walked to the stable while Loki held onto Max' hand and swung his little hand back and forth. Aleta had been invited to another tea party so Frigga offered to take her and Hunter was with Fenris. Jorgy was off swimming in the ocean and had promised to teach Vince to surf later on that week. They arrived at the stables as Sleph helped them pick out their horses and Max was given a brown pony with a black mane and tail.

"Would you like someone to ride with?" Sleph asked Max.

"Yeah!" Max said while Little Loki walked closer and Loki smiled at him.

"Hello, Loki," Loki said and Max gave his daddy a confused look.

"He has the same name as you!" Max said, wide eyed.

"I was named after him," Little Loki said.

"Oh!" Max said as he elongated the "o".

"Yes, his mother is my closest friend and I am his godfather," Loki said.

"I know what that is," Max said.

"How is your knee?" Loki asked.

"Much better," Little Loki said, showing him the Band-Aid. "Mommy washed it off then placed this back on."

"Do you still want to go riding?" Max asked and Little Loki nodded. Sleph picked a light tan pony with a cream mane and tale for Little Loki and helped the little boys onto the saddles.

"I'll take them to the paddock, Father," Sleph said and Loki nodded. Sleph led the ponies away while Loki helped the rest of the children onto their horses and Loki noticed the look on Serena's face.

"What's the matter, moon pi?" he asked softly.

"Are you sure they're friendly?" she asked.

"Yes, they're friendly. In fact, I have a special horse just for you," Loki said and Rath led out a chestnut brown horse with a black mane and tail. Serena slowly walked closer while the horse lowered her head and she gently stroked the horse's nose.

"What is her name?"

"Her name is Moonlight," Rath said with a nod. Moonlight lightly nudged her as Serena looked at Loki and smiled.

"I like her."

"And she likes you," Loki said and helped his daughter onto the saddle.

"Master Sleph said Moonlight is a very gentle horse, Princess," Rath said and she nodded.

Taking the reins, Loki led Moonlight to the other horses then got onto Starflight and looked at the children.

"Shall we get going?" Loki asked.

"Yeah," the children said at the same time and he laughed. Serena lightly nudged Moonlight's side as the chestnut mare nodded and followed the other horses. Serena was a little surprised with how softly Moonlight moved and seemed to understand she was nervous and Serena lightly patted the mare's neck.

The horses headed down the trail with Loki in the lead and he turned back every now and then to make sure the children were behind him. They were looking at the scenery or chatting and Serena gave him a wave. He waved back as they headed into the forest and the trees spread out around them.

 _Back at the paddock..._

Sleph watched Little Loki and Max riding the ponies when Frigga and Aleta walked closer and he smiled at his grandmother and niece.

"Hello," Frigga said.

"Hello," he said then looked at Aleta. "Don't you look pretty."

"We were at a tea party," Aleta said.

"Oh!"

"Who is that riding with Max?" Frigga asked.

"That is Loki. Father's godson."

"He has the same name as Daddy."

"Yes he does," Frigga said with a nod.

"Hi, Leta!" Max said as he rode the pony closer and Little Loki was right behind him.

"Who's that?" Little Loki asked.

"That's my sister, Aleta."

"Want to come riding with us?" Little Loki asked.

"Can I?" Aleta asked, looking at Sleph.

"I'll go get another pony," Sleph said and Frigga smiled.

A few minutes later, the three new friends were riding their ponies and laughing and Frigga and Sleph leaned on the top fence railing.

Serena was doing fine on Moonlight, marveling at all the beautiful scenery and she giggled as a squirrel raced up a tree beside the trail.

Thor was riding on Mercury, his big red stallion, and he peered back at her. "How are you doing, Rena?"

"I'm fine, Uncle Thor," she said.

"Just let Moonlight follow the other horses and she  
will take care of you. She is my horse's granddaughter."

Nodding, Serena let Moonlight lead as they followed the other horses when, suddenly, something flew by her and Serena jumped. A bumblebee flew around her as she tried not to flinch and the buzzing sound filled her ears as the bumblebee flew by. She knew swatting the bumblebee would only make it angry so she didn't move and held tightly onto the reins. Another bumblebee flew closer to Moonlight as the mare snorted and shook her head. A few more bumblebees moved by when one of the bumblebees stung Moonlight's ear and the mare moved faster.

"Slow down!" Serena shouted while another bumblebee stung Moonlight's ear and the mare shook her head.

"Serena!" Thor shouted and Loki stopped Starflight so he could turn around.

Moonlight was headed quickly down the path as the chestnut mare ran by them and Serena was holding tightly onto the saddle. Loki didn't have time to cast a spell to remove her from the saddle or grab her and Moonlight went off the trail and into the forest.

"I'll get her!" Sam said while hitching her brown mustang to go after them and Thor and Mercury were right behind them.

"Stop! No! Slow down! Whoa!" Serena said as Moonlight went faster and the bumblebees buzzed around them. She knew Moonlight was just as frightened as she was as they moved by the trees when she saw a low hanging branch and her eyes widened.

"Moonlight! Look out!" she tried pulling back on the reins but the mare had the bit between her teeth and was panicked and didn't heed her frantic pull.

The low hanging branch came closer and closer until they were right under it and Serena winced as the branch hit her in the head. She swayed to one side then fell off the saddle and Moonlight kept going.

"Serena!" Sam shouted as her horse came to a stop and Thor rode Mercury after Moonlight.

Loki and the rest of the children arrived as Loki quickly got off of Starflight and ran to his daughters.

"Dad! Is Serena okay?" called Lucy.

"Don't touch her!" Loki shouted then knelt down next to them. Thor arrived with Moonlight as the mare looked at her mistress and gently nudged Loki's back. Loki looked at the mare when he reached up and patted her nose. "I know you didn't mean it."

"Dad?!" Belle asked.

"Hold on," Loki said and used his magic to examine Serena.

"Did she get the breath knocked outta her? I had that happen when I did a flip off my board once," Vince reminded them.

"No, I don't think so," Loki said as he sat back on his legs and gently shook Serena. "Moon pi, can you hear me?"

"Is she breathing?" Sam asked.

"Yes. I checked her pulse and heartrate and they are fine too," Loki reassured her. He bent to open one of Serena's eyes.

The pupil was normal. Then he checked the other eye, but the pupil was dilated.

"What is he doing?" Lucy asked.

"I think he's checking to see if she has a concussion," Vince said.

"Brother, how does she fare?" Thor asked worriedly.

"She seems fine. I'm going to take her back to the castle," Loki said when he waved his hand and a foam collar appeared around Serena's neck. He carefully lifted her up then stood and vanished in a puff of green smoke.

"We should return as well," Thor said. He looked at Moonlight as the mare gave him a sad look and he gently patted her head, "Fear not. She will be alright."

As they rode back to the castle, Thor sent out a prayer for his niece's well being and held the reins tightly in his hands.

 _At the castle..._

Rhiannon checked the supply cupboard when her mind drifted off to thoughts of Loki and she shook her head.

"Stop that," she whispered and went back to her duties.

"I need help!" startled her when she turned and saw Loki standing there with a child in his arms.

"What has happened?" Rhiannon asked as she ran to him and Loki looked at her.

"She fell off her horse and hit her head. She has no broken bones but I think she has a concussion."

"Is she yours?"

"Yes. She is my daughter, Serena," Loki said when a tall woman walked closer and glared at Rhiannon.

Loki noticed the woman was as tall as he was with a pinched face and small dark eyes and white hair pulled back into a bun.

"Get back to your duties!" Mythal said and Rhiannon nodded, walking away.

"Is she not a Healer?" Loki queried."Who are you?" Loki demanded.

"I am Mythal."

"Are you in charge here?"

"No, that would be Lord Malius," she said then looked at Serena. "What is wrong with this child?"

"As I told your assistant, she fell off her horse and hit her head."

"What is this thing?" she asked, pointing to the foam collar.

"I put it around her neck to support her head and spine."

"Remove it," she said with a wave of her hand.

"Do you know who I am?!" Loki asked as his anger and frustration grew.

"I know full well who you are, Trickster."

"Then, if you value your place here, I suggest you treat me and my daughter with care," he said and she swore his eyes flashed red.

"Loki," Odin said as he turned and saw his father walking closer. "Calm yourself."

"How did you know I was here?"

"Heimdall saw what happened and told me," he said then looked at Mythal. "Are you going to treat my granddaughter or are you just going to stand there?"

"I . . . no, sire," stammered the Head Nurse. "Bring her to a diagnostic bed."

Loki carefully placed Serena on the diagnostic bed while Rhiannon walked closer and Mythal looked at her. This wasn't the first time Rhiannon had treated one of Loki's children. She was the one who healed Fenris when he was hurt and she felt a certain connection to his children. An almost motherly connection.

"Well?!" Odin asked and Mythal looked at Serena.

Loki felt his nerves begin to fray. He longed to pace up and down like a crazy man but forced himself to remain still. He prayed this woman knew what in Hel she was doing because she clearly resented him and he feared for Serena under her care.

Mythal started examining Serena when she felt a large lump on the back of the girl's head and looked at them.

"She just has a bump on the back of her head. She'll be fine," Mythal said.

"No, if it was just a bump, she would be conscious!" Rhiannon said.

"Silence! I know what I am doing!"

"It appears that you don't," Loki said and looked at Rhiannon. "Help her."

"I am the head nurse here! She...," Mythal said then went silent when Odin glared at her.

Rhiannon had seen Mythal and the others use the diagnostic bed numerous times as she pushed the buttons and looked at the screen. She glanced at Loki then at Odin when she sighed and placed her hands in front of her.

"Your daughter's vitals are stable, but she does have a concussion as well as minor bruising to her back," Rhiannon said.

"There wasn't any damage to her neck or spinal cord?" Loki asked.

"No, she was very lucky in that regard."

"Thank the gods," Odin said with a sigh. Suddenly Serena moaned then slowly opened her eyes and looked up at Loki.

"Daddy?" Serena said in a soft voice and Loki took her hand.

"Hello," he said and Rhiannon saw the loving look in his eyes.

"What happened?"

"You fell off Moonlight."

"Is she alright?!"

"She's fine."

"It was bees. They were attacking us."

"I see,"

"Don't be mad at her."

"I'm not," he said and gently carded her hair.

"My head hurts," she said then looked at Rhiannon. "Who are you?"

"I'm Rhiannon," she said with a small bow.

"She's going to take care of you," Loki said and Mythal gasped.

"She can't do that!" Mythal said.

"Why not?!"

"She's just a commoner. Your daughter should be taken care of by a noble!"

Loki's temper flared. "She is compassionate and can diagnose correctly. I don't care what she is so long as she knows what she is doing. Are you a licensed Healer, lady?" He asked Rhiannon.

"I am, sir. I am a full Healer and my specialty is Trauma Surgery," she informed him quietly.

"She won a full scholarship to the Healer Academy and graduated at the top of her class," Odin told him.

"I see," Loki said, impressed. He then remembered Fenris when he pursed his lips and blinked. "Did you happen to treat a young warrior named Fenris?"

"Yes, sir," she said with a nod.

"He is my son," Loki said and her eyes widened.

"He was?!"

"Yes," he said and she felt her insides melting at his smile. "Then you are the one I want in charge of my daughter's case," Loki decided. "You saved Fen's life. I trust you with Serena."

"Thank you, My Prince," she said with a bow and Serena looked at Loki.

"Daddy, I can't move my neck," she said with a hint of panic.

"Oh," Loki said as he removed the foam collar. "I put this on your neck before I brought you back to the castle."

"Whew," Serena said and Rhiannon looked at the foam collar.

"What is this?" she asked and Loki handed her the foam collar.

"It is a collar people on Midgard use when someone has suffered neck or spinal trauma. It's to keep them from moving their heads," Loki said. "You can keep it if you like."

"Thank you!" she said and Mythal glared at her.

"Will I have to stay here?" Serena asked and Loki looked at Rhiannon.

"I'm afraid so, Moon pi, but just for the night. They need to make sure you're alright," Loki said.

"Oh. Ok," she said with a pout and he softly laughed. Suddenly the sound of footsteps made Loki turn to see Thor, Frigga and the children running into the room.

"Brother, is she alright?!" Thor asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Serena said.

"You're awake!" Aleta said as she climbed onto the bed and hugged her.

"She has a hard head like her uncle," Loki teased and lightly shoved Thor.

"Well that is a good thing," laughed his brother. "For once."

"What happened to Moonlight?" Serena asked.

"She is fine," Thor said. "Sleph said she wasn't stung too badly and is being treated for her injuries."

"Good. I want to ride her again as soon as I'm better."

"That's my girl," Loki said and kissed the top of her head.

"I am sorry, but I think she needs some rest now," Rhiannon said.

Mythal scowled. "Lord Malius will not be pleased to hear that Healer Lyr-" she sneered Rhiannon's last name."-is in charge of the princess."

"Malius?" Thor repeated. "Do you mean Lord Knut's son Malius? The little snot we used to call Malius the Magnificent Asshole?"

The children giggled as Loki smiled at the shocked look on Mythal's face and arched his eyebrows up.

"I believe so, brother," Loki said. "There aren't many with that name at court. If I remember correctly, Volstagg beat him up once because he was looking through a hole in the wall at the maids putting on their uniforms and making up lies about how he had slept with them."

"He did?!" Sam asked.

"Yes, and the maids found out and Sif beat him up because she was one of them," Thor said.

"I remember hearing about that," Frigga said.

"Did someone mention my name?" a high pitched voice asked and they watched Lord Malius walking in the room. He was a medium size man with a thin build, a long face with a hooked nose and thin lips and thin bony fingers.

He carried a short whip at his belt.

He wore the white robes of healing with a gold headband around his greasy blonde hair and a gold cape was around his shoulders.

"Lord Malius," Mythal said with a bow and he looked at Loki, Odin, Frigga, Thor and the children.

"What is all this?!" he asked.

"My daughter fell off her horse," Loki said and Malius glared at him.

He was another noble who did not like Loki or the idea of him bringing his mortal children to Asgard and a loud snort came from his nose.

"Then she shouldn't have been on one."

"She is my granddaughter and can do what she wants!" Odin said.

"Be careful, Knutson," Thor murmured. "Or else you might end up like the three others now in the king's dungeon."

"Sleazeball," Sam muttered under her breath to Lucy.

Malius swallowed hard as he nodded then walked closer.

"Who is taking care of her?" Malius asked.

"I... I am," Rhiannon said and his eyes widened.

"You!?"

"Yes, she seems to know more than this one," Loki said, pointing to Mythal. "And I like her."

"But..."

"She has also treated my son, Fenris, when he was injured."

"You mean the fr...,?" he said then stopped as Odin glared at him. "Well, of course, she can treat her."

"Good save," Vince said and Max giggled.

"Dad!" Hunter shouted as he, Sleph, Jorgy and Fenris ran into the room and Malius turned to look at them. "Is she alright?!"

"Yes, she's fine," Loki said.

"Just how many children does he have?" Malius whispered and Sleph walked to the bed and looked down at Serena.

"I am glad you are alright, Sister," Sleph said and leaned down to kiss the top of her head.

Mythal snorted and whispered, "It's the Trickster's menagerie. And I wouldn't be surprised if that one-" she pointed to Max."-is his bastard."

"He does look a lot like him," Malius whispered.

"Now, now," Frigga said with a clap of her hands. "I think we should go. Rhiannon is right and Serena needs rest."

"Can't we sleep here with her?" Aleta said, looking around. "There are a lot of beds and she'll get lonely if she has to stay here all by herself."

"Those are for people who are sick, Spark," Loki said as he picked her up. "Do you want to take medicine?"

"No! That's yucky!" she said then giggled as he tickled her.

 _He is such a good father,_ Rhiannon thought with a sigh and smiled.

"Loki will come and stay later," Odin said. "But for now we should all eat some supper."

They gave Serena hugs and kisses then walked out of the room and Rhiannon moved the blankets up. Serena had noticed how she was looking at her dad as she frowned and her eyebrows knitted together.

"Is there something wrong, Princess?" Rhiannon asked.

"You like my daddy, don't you?" she asked and Rhiannon's eyes widened.

"Oh! No! I have no feelings for him!"

"Why not? He's really nice," she said with a sly smile.

"It would be impossible. He is royalty and I'm just a common healer."

"You mean like Cinderella?"

"Who is that?"

"She's a lady in a story. Her father was rich, but he died and her step-mommy took all his money and used it on her and her daughters. His daughter, Cinderella, was made to clean, cook and other stuff, but she never said anything. One night, the prince was having a ball to find a wife and invited all the ladies to the castle. Cinderella wasn't allowed to go, but her fairy godmother came and made her look really pretty. She even had glass shoes and a magic coach. The fairy godmother said she had to come home at midnight or everything will go away. Cinderella went to the ball and left at midnight, but lost one of her shoes."

"What happened next?"

"The prince found the shoe and went around the kingdom, looking for the girl the shoe belonged to."

"Did he find her?"

"Yep. He put the shoe on Cinderella's foot and they got married. Her step-mommy and sisters were put into the kitchen to do laundry for being mean to her."

Rhiannon smiled when Serena yawned and Rhiannon frowned. She knew someone with a concussion should stay awake. She sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her.

"Do you know any other stories?" she asked.

"I know a lot of them," Serena said and they both smiled. "Dad read me all the fairy tales before bed."


	7. Somebody's Baby

**7**

 **Somebody's Baby**

 _Other kids bring home stray dogs, cats, or injured birds to show their dad. What do MY kids bring home? Somebody's baby. ~Loki_

Loki hurried through his supper, not wishing to be away from Serena for too long. He had already asked Halgran to please see to Max and Aleta tonight and explained to them he had to stay with Serena so she wasn't scared so he couldn't tuck them in bed. But he did give them a kiss and hug.

He brought his pillow, his pajamas, and his favorite throw which had a black wolf and a cub upon it.

When he entered the infirmary, he found the front desk empty and frowned. There should have always been someone there to deal with emergencies. He made his way to Serena's room and found the child asleep but Rhiannon was absent.

"Healer Rhiannon?" he called softly.

He looked around the room when he heard soft sobbing, but it wasn't Serena who was upset. He placed the pillow, pajamas and the throw on the bed next to Serena's bed when he kissed the top of her head and walked into the shadows. The sobbing grew louder when he stopped and saw Rhiannon curled up in a corner.

"Are you alright?" Loki whispered when she jumped from being startled then hissed.

"My Prince," she said as she tried to stand, but her legs failed.

"Easy," he said as he helped her to her feet then saw the bruises on her face. "By the Nine, what happened?"

"I... I tripped and hit the wall," she said.

"It is not wise to lie to me," he said with a stern look then his face softened. "Tell me what happened."

"It was... It was shortly after you left. I was checking on your daughter when Lord Malius and Healer Mythal told me to come with them. I didn't know what I had done wrong when Healer Mythal grabbed onto my arms and pulled them behind my back. I wanted to call out, but she said she would break my neck if I uttered one word. The next thing I knew, Lord Malius was beating me. I must have passed out at some point because I only recently woke up here."

"Does this happen often? Malius mistreating you or someone else?" Loki demanded. He had a feeling it did, because he knew Malius and knew that the laws allowed him such freedom to abuse people under him. It made him feel sick.

"Only when he is displeased," swallowed Rhiannon.

Loki seethed. He wanted to break Malius' fingers _. Damn bullying Nazi! And his little toady over there! I wonder how much extra she gets paid to play lady of the manor over the medics and nurses under her? Or what else he's paying her with?_ Loki thought with a sneer.

"Forgive me. Will you permit me to heal you? I'm not a full Healer Mage but I can heal things like bruises and cuts and lacerations."

Rhiannon shivered. "If you do this, My Prince, he will know . . ."

Loki heard the unspoken words- _and then he will do worse next time._

"I won't heal the bruises on your face. Even though I want to and then put some on _his_ face. But I can heal any other damage he did."

"This is the-" she stopped, recalling then the other rumors that floated about the second prince of Asgard. The ones which whispered that you could not lie to the God of Mischief. "All right."

Loki traced his hands just above her clothing, allowing his magic to flow over her and heal what could not be seen. All the while his mind was scheming to try and protect her. But he knew he could not be seen doing it so obviously. for Rhiannon was a single woman. and he did not want to tarnish her reputation by making it seem like she was some lightskirt who was sleeping with him to gain his favor. He sensed she was not that type, but rumor cared not for truth.

 _She's also scared of men in authority, Laufeyson. So she won't welcome your attentions that way now. Even if you wanted to court her._

She stirred something within him, he had to admit. Something he had thought dead and buried after Boda had crushed his pride and self-esteem before he divorced her. It was something he had not allowed himself to feel for a woman in centuries. Something that whispered through the lonely places in his soul, a tiny flicker of light, which he ignored. But it was there, a quiet glow in the shadows.

"Thank you, My Prince," Rhiannon said and he nodded.

"How is Serena doing?" he asked.

"She is doing quite well. And she told me the most interesting stories. She said you read them to her at night."

"Yes, we read a story every night."

"She is very lucky to have a father like you," she said and swore she saw a tint of pink on his cheeks.

 _I made him blush?!_ she thought.

"I'm lucky to have her...and her brothers and sisters," he said while they walked back into the ward and he walked to the bed.

"Well, I must be going back to my duties," she said and he nodded. He watched Rhiannon leave the room when he went to change into his pajamas and moved the bedding back.

"Daddy?" Serena's small voice asked as he walked to her bed and carefully sat down.

"Hello, Moon pi," he said and she smiled at him.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to sleep in here with you just in case you get lonely or scared."

"Oh," she said then went silent. I would have been scared if I had to be here alone."

"Why don't you go back to sleep? I'll be right over there," Loki said and pointed to the bed next to hers.

"Ok," she said then frowned. "Are you sure they won't hurt Moonlight?"

"Yes, they won't hurt her. I promise," he said as he got up, moved the bedding up, leaned over and kissed the top of her head. He got under the bedding when he rolled onto his left side and watched his daughter drifting to sleep. He closed his eyes, but didn't notice Rhiannon watching them as she smiled, turned and walked away.

 _In the nursery..._

Max sat at the table while he moved the crayon over the piece of paper and he looked at what he was drawing. A black fur cat with bright green eyes smiled at him and the black fur cat wore what looked like Loki's helmet. A green ribbon was around the black cat's neck and Max had surrounded the black cat with green lines.

"Oh, that is such a nice drawing, Dearie," Halgran said as he smiled and placed the crayon down.

"I was making it for Serena," Max said then yawned.

"That was really nice of you," she said as she picked him up and headed for the bed. "You know, your daddy had a toy kitty which looked like that when he was a baby."

"He did?" Max asked as she placed him under the bedding and moved the bedding up.

"Yes, he did. He never went anywhere without it."

"What happened to it?"

"I think he has it on the bookshelf in his den," she said then kissed the top of his head. "Now, go to sleep."

"Ok." Max said, closing his eyes. "Um, Leta has a stuffed kitty, too. Her name's Minx."

"I see," she said as he drifted off to sleep and she patted the top of his head then left the room.

Loki dozed off and on during the night, his battle-honed senses alert for anything or anyone entering Serena's room that did not belong there. To say he did not trust Malius was putting it mildly.

The soft sound of the wind blowing through the cracks in the stone walls was the only sound he heard when the sound of footsteps made his eyes snap open. He sat up as Rhiannon hushed him and she went over to check Serena. Nodding, she left the room as he went to rest his head against the pillows and he placed his hands on his chest. He thought back to Boda and how she would just let the nanny take care of their children and how she ignored them if one of them were ill. He would spend nights checking on them when they had fevers or were teething and would lay awake with worry when they had colds.

"Rhiannon wouldn't have done that," he thought as he pictured her taking care of them during the time all of them came down with the flu and a small smile moved across his lips.

He finally drifted off sometime before dawn and Rhiannon hushed Serena when she had woken her up for breakfast. Both of them smiled as she handed Serena a glass of freshly squeezed apple juice and giggled at the soft snoring noise coming from his bed.

"Should we wake him up?" Serena whispered. "He never sleeps late."

Rhiannon quietly walked to the bed when she shook Loki's shoulder and his eyes quickly opened.

"What's wrong?!" he asked, sitting up.

"Nothing is wrong, Daddy. It's just time to wake up," Serena said.

"Says the young lady who I nearly have to dump a bucket of ice water on order to wake her up," he teased and she giggled.

Rhiannon's cerulean eyes widened. "You really have done that?"

"Only if she won't get up for school after I've sang my wake up song and tried to wake her five times already." Loki admitted.

"He only needed to do that once," Serena said. "I hate mornings."

"She's my little vampire," Loki joked. "She likes sunsets."

"Sleep is my best friend," the girl laughed. "These eggs are pretty good, Dad. Kind of like the ones you make, only without the cheese."

"You cook, My Prince?" Rhiannon gaped at him.

"I cook a lot. I like to. It relaxes me. Didn't anyone ever tell you I grew up in the kitchens here, because my best friend was the Head Chef's daughter, Kara?"

'Your best friend was a commoner?"

"Yes. I've always seemed to like being with ordinary people," Loki admitted calmly, as if that were nothing unusual. He thought back to when he was nine and Thor twelve and Thor had begun hanging around all the noble sons who scorned Loki because he was smaller, younger, and smarter. He also preferred reading and learning magic to playing knights and frost giants.

 _"Lackland Loki with his nose stuck in a book! Bookworm, coward, can't fight worth spit! Weakling, wimpy, troublemaking piece of sh!t!" the old taunt echoed in his head, it had been over a millennia ago but he had never forgotten it. And he had turned his back on the so-called upper class and found he much preferred his common friends, who accepted him for what he was._

"I brought you breakfast also, My Prince," Rhiannon told him, setting another tray down in front of him.

"Thank you. You didn't have to, I could have gotten my own," he said. He noticed she had gotten him some coffee and he fixed it the way he usually did, with two sugars and some cream.

Then he began to eat his breakfast, agreeing with Serena that the eggs and sausage were quite good, as was the freshly baked bread with lingonberry jam.

As he ate he stole sidelong glances at Rhiannon. He sipped his coffee, then asked quietly, "Does that beast Malius ever allow you a day off?"

"One day a week and Sundays," Rhiannon answered. "I chose Saturday."

"Do you get any feast days off?"

"No," she said with a shake of her head.

"Not even Wintertide?"

"No."

"Then how can Father Christmas bring you presents?" Serena asked as she sipped on some fresh apple juice.

"It has been a long time since anyone has given me a present," she said with a sigh.

Loki frowned while he sipped on the coffee when the door opened and Mythal entered the room. He noticed the glares she was giving Rhiannon as Rhiannon quickly bowed and left the room.

"Has she been bothering you?" Mythal asked, looking down her nose at him.

"No. In fact, she was being very pleasant," Loki said.

"She shouldn't be in here."

"I'd rather have her in here then a cold fish like you," Serena said and Loki hide his smile behind the mug.

"I beg your pardon?! How dare you speak to your elders in such a way! I have a good mind to..."

"To what?!" Loki said as he got out of bed and walked to her. Mythal slowly backed away as she glanced around for something to use as a weapon and Loki stood straighter. "Maybe I should tell my father I came in here last night only to find my daughter alone. When I went to find Healer Rhiannon, I found her huddled in the corner and she was sobbing. I saw she had been beaten and she told me it was Lord Malius who had harmed her and you had held her while he did it."

"She's lying!"

"No one lies to me," Loki said with a growl. "Now, I will only say this once. You will never harm her or any of the other common healers again or I will go to my father!"

"Do you really think he cares what happened to those low lives?!"

"Yes, I do."

"Then you are fooling yourself," Mythal said then turned and left the room. Loki pushed the anger down as he sighed and walked to the bed where Serena was lying. He sat down as she scooted closer and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"She is evil, Dad. Like Matron Bluderhoden. She used to act sweet as pie in front of guests and the social workers but she would hurt the kids when they were gone. Mythal is like that."

"I know, moon pi. But don't be afraid. You are getting out of here as soon as I sign the release forms."

"What about Rhiannon?"

"I have warned that miserable Nazi once. She does anything again and I can have her dismissed and up on charges for disobeying a direct order from a prince of the realm."

"She seemed to think she was above the law."

'Trust me she's not. The laws gave nobles power over commoners. I'm her superior in rank so she has no power over me," Loki explained. "But I do over her, though because of the power trip she's on, she has forgotten that."

"Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards for they are subtle and quick to anger," Serena quoted, grinning.

"You got that right, darling." Loki approved. She's another Boda, he thought furiously. That harpy challenges me and she's going to find out just how quick I can kick her ass. And her big bad boss too.

Healer Rhiannon returned with the discharge papers for Loki to sign, her golden hair hanging over her left cheek to hide the scar upon it. "Here you are, My Prince."

"Thank you, Healer Rhiannon," Loki said, giving her a cordial smile and signing the sheet. "Any instructions I need to know of?"

"Serena should take it easy today then after that she can go back to her normal routine."

"You hear that, moon pi?"

"Yes, Dad," his daughter replied.

"Thank you for your care of my daughter," Loki told her, vowing to send her something as a further way to thank her.

"I was pleased to be of service, sir," Rhiannon murmured, coloring slightly beneath his emerald gaze.

"If Mythal or Malius tries to hurt you again, you come to me,' he whispered. "Don't hesitate to do so."

"I . . . very well," the Healer acquiesced, then she bowed and left the room.

"Dad, let's blow this popsicle stand," Serena declared.

Loki chuckled. "Get dressed, Rena and we are outta here."

Serena took the clothes he handed her and hurried into the bathroom to change. Once she was dressed in a pretty preiwinkle dress and matching slippers with her hair tied back with a lavender ribbon, Loki took her arm and teleported from the infirmary to the room Serena shared with Belle, as they did at home.

Belle looked up from her desk, as she wrote in her chronicle. "You're back!" she cried excitedly and went to hug her little sister.

"Yup. but I'm not allowed to do much except rest. Whatever that means," sighed the platinum-haired girl.

"It means you need to do quiet things for now,' Loki informed her. "Do some sudoku puzzles, draw, play some card games. Watch a movie on my tablet." He gave Serena his Kindle Fire Plus.

"Okay, Dad," his math whiz replied and went to take her sudoku book out of her backpack.

" I will see you for lunch," Loki said, then he left to see what his other kids were doing.

Sam, Hunter, Fenris, Lucy, and Volstagg's two sons, Harold and Gunnar, were playing a game similar to field hockey on the lawn behind the stables. Jorgy and Vince were surfing. Nate was fishing with Thor.

Where are Max and Aleta? he wondered, and went to ask Halgran.

"They were playing in the Queen's Garden, dearie," his old nanny laughed. "Something called Simon Says with Little Loki."

"Ah, thanks," Loki smiled, and went to go find them.

Max was in the middle of telling Aleta and Little Loki to hop on one foot when he heard something that sounded like a cat crying behind the hedge to the south of where they were playing.

"Do you hear that?" he asked the others. "It sounds like a cat in trouble."

"Where?" cried his sister. "Let's go find it!"

"It came from over here," Max told them and they folow him around the hedge.

Max looked around for the cat, trying to see if it had become stuck in a tree, but the only thing he saw was a wicker basket sitting beside the hedge. The cry came again and Max pointed. "I think the kitty is in there!"

The children ran over to the basket, and see that it has a round hood and a piece of netting over the top to keep out bugs. But inside it is not a distressed kitten.

"That's not a cat, Max!" Aleta gasped. "It's a little baby!"

"What's a baby doing out here by itself?" Max wondered. "Maybe somebody stole it!"

Little Loki frowned. "Let's see if there's a ransom note." He undid the netting and pushed it back to see inside.

"Didja find one?" Aleta asked as Little Loki searched through the basket.

"No," he answered. The baby began to fuss, wanting to be held.

'Why is it crying?" Max wanted to know.

"Maybe she is hungry or wet," Little Loki suggested.

"She? It's a girl?" Max queried.

"Uh huh. See?" Little Loki pulled back the blanket to show the baby had a pink sack-like piece of clothing on that was pulled closed with a drawstring on the bottom.

"We need to help her," Aleta said. 'Let's bring her to Daddy."

Little Loki grabbed one side of the basket by its handle and Max took the other side. Aleta picked up the front of it and all three children walked carefully around the hedge and towards the entrance to the gardens.

Loki was coming out of it when he spotted them. 'What by the Nine are you carrying?"

"Daddy!" His youngest yelled. "Look what we found!"

Loki approached thinking it was some kind of plant or an animal. He nearly fell over when he saw the baby inside. "You found a BABY?!"

"Uh huh. She was just laying there," his small son informed him. "We think she was stolen."

"Can we keep her?" Aleta pleaded.

"Can you what?!" Loki groaned. "I don't believe this!" _Only YOUR kids would end up finding a baby, Laufeyson!_

He peered in the basket at the tiny little infant. The baby began to wail hungrily.

"Daddy, do something!" Aleta ordered.

Loki knelt and picked up the baby, knowing from experience what that cry meant. "Okay, sweetheart," he crooned to the howling baby. He conjured a bottle of goat's milk and prayed the baby knew how to drink from a bottle.

After a brief period of puzzlement, the baby latched on and began to drink. Loki sighed in relief. Now that the baby was feeding, he could concentrate on what to do about the infant.

"Where exactly did you find her?" he asked the three children.

"Over here, sir," his godson led him around the hedge and pointed to the spot where the basket had been left.

Loki studied the spot, trying to ascertain why anyone would leave a baby there.

"Was there a note or anyone nearby when you found the baby?" he asked the three children.

"No, sir," Little Loki replied. "We checked the basket. And no one was around."

"Can we keep her, Daddy?" Aleta repeated her earlier question.

"Spark, this isn't like finding a stray dog or a kitten," Loki explained. "This baby belongs to someone."

"Who do you think it belongs to, Daddy?" Max asked.

Loki checked the spot where they had found the basket when he felt a tingle of magic and frowned. He closed his eyes as he focused his powers then opened them. A green magical trail moved from the spot to the left and he folded his arms over his chest.

"Whoever this baby belongs to came from this direction," Loki said.

"Let's go find them!" Aleta said.

"No, I will go find them. You three go back to the castle and wash up for dinner."

"But..."

"Go!" he said then placed the baby back in the basket, picked up the basket and walked away. He walked a few feet when he sighed, rolled his eyes and turned around. He just saw Max's head ducking down from behind a bush when Loki waved his hand and the bush vanished. "Come on."

Aleta, Max and Little Loki half-ran to him when Aleta took her daddy's hand and they followed the green trail.

"Why do you think they left the baby, Daddy?" Max asked, looking in the basket.

"I don't know. They could have gotten sick and went to get help. They were protecting the baby for some reason."

 _They were leaving it somewhere to die,_ a voice said in his head and Loki shook the thought from his mind.

They kept walking when Thor approached and he smiled at Loki.

"Ah, Brother, I was just coming to see you," Thor said.

"Is there something wrong?" Loki asked.

"No, I was just wondering how Serena was doing."

"She is doing fine. I was able to take her back to her room and the healer said she just needed to rest for a few days."

"That's good," Thor said then looked down. "What do you have there?"

"It's a baby!" Aleta said with a grin.

"We found it in the bushes!" Max said and Little Loki nodded.

"Why would someone just leave a baby?"

"That is what we're trying to find out," Loki said.

"I think the baby was stolen and the kidnapper left it when he heard us coming," Aleta declared.

"We would have seen them," Max said.

"Yeah," Little Loki said.

"They could have vanished," Aleta said, frowning and stuck her tongue out.

"What if they didn't want the baby cause it was a girl? Or they had too many kids like in the fairy tales?" Max wondered.

"Why wouldn't they want the baby because it was a girl?!"

"There are some countries where boys are more important than girls, Spark," Loki said.

"That's not fair! Girls are just as important as boys!" Aleta said.

"Yes, they are," Thor said when he thought of something and made a little cough.

"Are you alright, Brother?" Loki asked.

"I was just thinking of the time I... I wanted to sell you."

"You did?!" Max asked with wide eyes.

"It was shortly after your father was born. I was so jealous with how much attention he was getting from our parents, I talked your uncle Balder into taking your father to the market and we would sell him."

"That was mean!" Aleta said.

"What happened?" Little Loki asked.

"Our parents thought someone had kidnapped us and we nearly went to war with the Frost Giants," Loki said and Thor nodded.

"One of our mother's handmaids found us at the market and we were taken back to the palace," Thor said.

"What happened next?" Aleta asked.

"Uncle Balder and I were spanked."

"Did you tell Daddy you were sorry?" Max asked.

"In a way, yes, we did."

"And I tossed a rattle into his face," Loki said with a smile.

"That was the start of the whole "Blergh" thing."

"What?" Little Loki asked.

"Whenever I would changed into something and Thor picked me up, I would change back and go "Blergh, it's me!", Loki said and they giggled.

A short time later, they arrived at one of the large manor homes and they stood at the front gate.

"This is where my friend, Sorven, lives," Thor said when the front door opened and a tall, muscular man walked outside. He had bright red hair and full beard, green eyes and a handsome face. He wore a gold breastplate with his family badge on the front, brown leather trousers and brown leather boots. His hair was braided down his right side and was tied by a black cord.

"Thor!" Sorven said as he walked to the gate and smiled.

"Hello, Sorven," Thor said.

"Loki," Sorven said as he looked down his nose at Loki and Loki sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Hello," Loki said when he thought of something and blinked. "Is Solveig at home?"

"Why would you wish to see my sister?" Sorven asked.

"We found a baby!" Aleta said and he looked down at her.

"This is my daughter, Aleta," Loki said looked at the boys. "This is my son, Max, and this is my godson, Loki."

"Greetings," Sorven said.

"The reason I ask about your sister is my children and godson found the baby in the bushes and I found a magical trace which lead here. If I remember correctly, your sister was once my apprentice...," Loki said.

"She is here," Sorven said. "But she has never had a child."

"Are you sure?" Loki asked.

Sorven scowled at him. "Are you calling me a liar?!"

"No, but I would like to talk with her."

"Maybe she knows whose baby it is," Little Loki said.

"I think they had too many kids so they left her under a bush," Aleta declared.

"What's too many?" Asked Little Loki.

"Like fifty?" Max replied.

"That's crazy! Who has fifty kids?" Little Loki frowned.

"Pharoah did in ancient Egypt. Wait, he had fifty wives." Max recalled.

"Fifty wives?!" gasped Little Loki. "He was allowed to have that many?"

Max shrugged. "Back then yeah. It was like five thousand years ago. He was Pharoah like a living god so he could do whatever he wanted. Who was gonna tell him no?"

"This isn't Egypt, Max," Loki reminded him.

"May we please talk to her?" Thor asked. Nodding, Sorven opened the gate as they walked by him and they headed for the house. He opened the door while they walked inside and some of the servants stopped what they were doing to look at them.

"Get back to work!" Sorven snapped and they headed down the hallway. They walked into a solarium as Loki looked at the tall young woman with long red hair and green eyes. She was beautiful with a slim form and a egg shaped face and she wore a white silk gown and gold slippers. "Sister, it appears we have visitors."

"Hello, Solveig," Loki said with a small bow then noticed how she quickly glanced at the basket before looking at him.

"Hello, Teacher," she said with a small nod then frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"We are here to ask you something," Loki said as he walked closer and she looked at the basket. "Have you ever seen this basket before?"

"No, I have not," she said.

"Then you have no idea who this baby belongs to?" he asked and she looked at the baby."

"No, I don't."

"See, I told you she never had a child," Sorven said.

"She also knows better than to lie to me," Loki said and she lowered her head. She made a soft sniff as he placed the basket down on the floor and placed his hands on her shoulders. "She is yours, isn't she?"

"Yes," Solveig said in a small voice.

"What?!" Sorven demanded as stalked over and Loki placed Solveig behind him.

"I... I am sorry," she said and Loki turned to look at her.

"What happened?" Loki asked.

"I am in love with a young man named Johanni. He is the son of my father's head groom. We never meant to fall in love, but..."

"You fell in love with a commoner?! How could you?!" Sorven growled and Loki hushed him.

"When I told Father I wanted to marry Johanni, he refused! He said he would have him killed before he would allow our bloodline tainted."

"Of course he would!"

"Silence!" Loki said and Sorven glared at him.

"One night, Johanni and I ran away and were hand fasted..."

"What?!" Sorven gasped.

"We lived in secret for the last year, but, to celebrate our bonding, we..."

"You made a baby," Loki said as they looked at the children and she nodded.

"I was so afraid Father would force me to give her up..."

"Of course he would force you to give it up!" Sorven bellowed.

"Stop being mean!" Aleta said.

"Yeah! You're scaring her!" Max said.

"Be silent, you pests!" Sorven said and Loki's eyes flared red.

"You will not speak to my children like that!" Loki said.

Sorven glared at him, then looked away when Thor scowled at him. Solveig sniffed, knelt down and looked at the baby.

"Where is Johanni?" Loki asked.

"He was sold," Sorven said.

"Who was he sold to?" Thor asked.

"I have no idea."

"Where is your father?" Loki asked.

"He is away and won't be back for another two weeks."

"You are to send word to him that he needs to come home so he can meet his granddaughter."

"I will do no such thing! This child is not of our house! It is nothing, but a bastard!"

"No, she is not! Johanni and I are married!" Solveig said, picking up the baby and held her in her arms.

"You are no longer a member of this house as well!" Sorven said and her eyes widened. "You are nothing more than a common whore!"

"Oooooo! You said a naughty word!" Aleta said.

"Yep! You're going to have to eat some soap!" Max said.

"That sounds disgusting," Little Loki said.

"It is."

"What's a bastard?" Aleta wanted to know.

"Do not repeat that, Aleta," Thor ordered. "Watch your tongue around my niece, Sorven."

"Or Uncle Thor is gonna make you eat soap," Max told him.

"And do not use the other naughty word," Thor said.

"Teacher, please, help me," Solveig said.

"Of course I will help you," Loki said.

"I demand you get out of this house now!" Sorven shouted.

"With pleasure," Loki said while Thor and the children walked to him then they vanished in a puff of green smoke.

The green smoke appeared in the garden as Loki led Solveig to a bench and she sat down. Aleta , Max and Little Loki sat next to her as they looked at the baby and Solveig gently rocked her.

"What is her name?" Aleta asked.

"Her name is Reyka," Solveig told them. "It means a lady of distinction."

"How did you manage to hide that you were expecting?" Thor wanted to know.

"I am very skilled with illusion casting. I had the best teacher in the Nine," she said proudly.

"Thank you," Loki coughed, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Daddy taught us too," Max said. "Not magic but the alphabet and stuff."

"Did your brother really kick you out of the house?" Aleta asked artlessly. "That was nasty. My brothers would never do that."

"Nobody is allowed to kick anyone out of our family," Max told her. "Dad says so."

" _Ohana_ means family. And family means no one gets left behind or forgotten," Aleta and Max quoted.

"Not even if they call Daddy a little f-bag," Aleta said.

Solveig's mouth dropped open. "You called your father that?!"

"No. Uncle Thor did when he was two. Daddy made him eat bitters," Max told her.

"What?!" Solveig cried. "But Thor is older than your father."

"He was de-aged to two years old around a month ago. Amora did it," Loki explained. "I took care of him until I could restore him."

"He shoved marshmallows up his nose!" Aleta giggled.

"Aleta, please!" Thor protested, blushing.

Solveig snickered.

"And he made a flood with too much bubble bath." Max reported.

"Max!" Thor groaned.

"And he got put in time out cause he played with the stove," Aleta informed Loki's former student.

"By the Nine! It sounds like you were very naughty, My Prince," laughed Solveig. "I hope little Reyka is not like that."

"I was not in trouble all the time " Thor protested.

"True. You had your good days " Loki agreed.

"You shared your red crayon with me," reminded Aleta.

"And you liked when Daddy read _Green Eggs and Ham b_ efore we went to bed," Max said.

"I am not familiar with that story," Solveig admitted. "Is it one Midgardian mothers tell their children?"

"You never heard of ?!" Max gaped at her.

"I'm afraid not," Solveig said. "Does he write these tales?"

"Yes, and there's a lot of them," Aleta told her. "The Cat in the Hat, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, Are You My Mother?"

"The best one is Green Eggs and Ham," Thor stated.

"Hey, I love Dr. Seuss but I think we got a little sidetracked here." Loki said. He looked at Solveig. 'So what are you going to do now that your brother threw you out? You will need a place to live while I send someone to find where your husband is."

"I will take Reyka and stay with my friends. They know about her and will keep us safe," Solveig said and Loki nodded.

"I am sorry this happened."

"No, Teacher, you should not feel that way. From what I have seen, you are a good father and know what to do to insure the safety of your children. I am glad to have you as a teacher and a friend as well as my prince."

Thor wasn't sure, but he swore his little brother was blushing.

"Thank you for those kind words," Loki said and she nodded.

"We must be going now," she said and looked at Little Loki, Aleta and Max. "Thank you for looking after Reyka."

"You're welcome," Little Loki said.

"If we hadn't found you, I think Daddy would have kept her," Aleta said.

"I didn't say...," Loki said then sighed.

"Yeah, we wouldn't have minded," Max said and Loki rolled his eyes.

"Let me escort you to your friends' home," Loki said as they headed for the door then he turned to look at Thor. "You're in charge of these three until I get back."

"But...," Thor said as his brother and Solveig left the room and the three kids looked at him. "Uh-oh."

 **A/N: Hope you all liked! Thanks to ninewood for her help!**

 **If you would like to read about the time little Thor tried to sell baby Loki read Giving Away Loki on my story page!**

 **Who can name the book and movie that Serena quotes to Loki and that Max and Aleta quote to Solveig? You all get Loki cookies if you get them right!**

 **Next up: Loki looks for the missing book in the library, Belle makes a new friend, Sam spars with Balder, and Frigga plans a welcome home ball for Loki.**


	8. The Invitation

**8**

 **The Invitation**

 _When your mother throws a welcome home party and you're like who would want to come to that? ~Loki_

Loki escorted Solveig and Reyka to her friend Narissa's home. They arrived outside of the gate of House Rikkynwald and a porter opened it, bowing deeply. "My Prince, what a welcome surprise! I shall tell my mistress you are at the door!" he runs into the house to announce Loki's arrival.

Loki looked at Solveig, arching an eyebrow. "Did he somehow miss that you were next to me?"

"No. But Hans is a little . . . slow. I'm sure he will mention that I am here to Narissa. He just wasn't expecting you, Teacher."

"Not many nobles expect me at their residences," Loki chuckled ruefully. "Or if I arrive, they can't wait to be rid of me."

Solveig flushed. "Forgive my brother's poor manners. He is . . . err . . ."

"I know perfectly well what he is and what he thinks of me," sighed the Archmage. "It hasn't changed in over seven hundred years. You needn't apologize, Solveig. Family can be the greatest cross you bear, as the Midgardians would say."

His former apprentice nodded. She rocked Reyka a little in the basket.

"Just so you know, I did feed her after I found her. She was starving, so I conjured some goat's milk in a bottle and fed her," Loki told the red-haired lady.

"Thank you, Teacher."

Soon Hans came back and beckoned to them. "My mistress Lady Narissa welcomes you to her humble home, Prince Loki. And you too Lady Solveig."

They follow him into the tastefully appointed large house upon a hill. A slight woman with blonde hair done up on her head wearing a peach robe and white skirt with a peach bodice greeted them. She curtsied to Loki and then hugged Solveig. "My Prince, it is an honor! To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"I have come to escort Solveig and her daughter here," Loki replied.

Narissa gaped. "Oh Norns! What has happened?"

"My brother threw me out of the house when he found out about Johanni, Reyka and I," Solveig informed her. "My former teacher was there and he offered to help me. So I asked him to escort me to your home. I know that you and your parents would not turn me away."

"I should say not!" Narissa snorted. "You are legally wed, and to a good man. It is a shame your father sold Johanni like a thrall." She pursed her lips. "Oh I do hate these new laws! Forgive me, My Prince, but it is the truth. They are unfair and give too many nobles who are power hungry and arrogant or prejudiced a license to treat commoners like chattel. We did away with slavery in Asgard a century ago, yet now it has been brought back in a way."

"I totally agreed, Lady Narissa." Loki nodded. "Your father is Councilor Leif Rikkynwald, yes?"

"Yes, My Prince. He has served the king loyally for centuries. But in this he protested . . . and the king nearly threw him in prison," Narissa sighed.

"I am sorry to hear that," Loki sighed. "Will Solveig and Reyka be able to stay here for the time being? I plan on having some of my connections search for Johanni and bring him back to Solveig."

"Yes, they will. My mother will be delighted to have another woman around and she dotes upon babies. Papa too. And my little brother will be glad he has someone else to tease besides me," Narissa laughed.

"Good, that's settled then," Loki declared. He turned to Solveig. "If you need anything, or you need something for Reyka, send this to me." He gives her a gold coin with the image of a cat wearing his helmet upon it.

"Thank you, My Prince. You are too kind," Solveig blushed.

"You're welcome," Loki coughed. "I must take my leave of you now, ladies. There's no telling what mischief my younger two children have gotten up to with my brother."

Solveig giggled. "Thor is supposed to be responsible for them, not get into trouble with them."

"Uh . . . my two troublemakers have been known to talk him into doing things they shouldn't," Loki admitted with a laugh. He bowed and teleported back to the palace.

When Loki returned to the palace, he couldn't find Aleta, Max, Little Loki or Thor anywhere. He wasn't frightened as much as he was curious and placed his hands behind his back and walked down the garden path. He suddenly heard giggling coming from behind a tree when he walked closer and saw Aleta kneeling down behind the trunk.

"Well, it appears I have found a giggling bunny," Loki whispered as he knelt down and she hushed him.

"Daddy, you're going to give away my hiding place," she said, peeking out around the trunk of the tree.

"Are you playing Hide and Seek with Uncle Thor?"

"Yeah," she said and he peeked out and saw a blindfolded Thor walking around with his hands out in search for the children.

"Where is your brother and Loki?"

"Max is behind that statue and Loki is behind that bench," she whispered and Loki nodded. They watched Thor for a few minutes when Loki noticed Thor was about to walk into the fountain at the center of the garden and a part of him wanted to see his brother fall in.

"To your left, Brother," he called out and Thor reached out with hand and felt the edge of the fountain.

"Thank you, Brother," Thor called out and walked the other way.

"Why did you do that?" Aleta whispered.

"Did you want Uncle Thor to get hurt, spark?" Loki asked and she shook her head. "Though, I admit it would have been funny if he had fallen into the water."

"Yeah," Aleta said then giggled. Thor was heading to the bench when Max suddenly ran to the fountain and sat down.

"Free spot!" Max shouted and Thor placed his hands on his hips.

"Blast," Thor grumbled when he felt something run by him and spun around, nearly losing is balance.

"Free spot!" Little Loki said as he sat next to Max and Thor growled.

"Ah, so the fountain is home base," Loki said and Aleta nodded. He watched as Thor came closer to the tree and Loki took his little girl in his arms. He teleported to the statue just as Thor reached out for Aleta and she giggled. "Over here, Brother."

"Oh, that is cheating!" Thor grumbled as he turned around and tried to find where his little brother's voice came from. He knew Loki used his powers to cheat when they played the game and he walked toward the statue.

"It's only cheating if I was playing."

"You're not. So, let me find her on my own," he said as Loki teleported to the bench then sat Aleta on the bench.

"Of course," Loki said as he went to sit next to Max and placed his son on his lap. They watched Thor moving toward the bench when Aleta ran by him and went to sit next to Loki.

"Free spot!" she shouted and Thor sighed, removing the blindfold.

"Looks like you lost, Brother," Loki said with a grin.

"For the third time," Thor said as he walked to the fountain, picked up Aleta, sat down and placed her on his lap. "Is Solveig alright?"

"Yes, her friend, Narissa, assured me she and her daughter will have a home until we find her husband," Loki said.

"I'm glad," Thor said when one of the handmaids walked closer and made a small bow.

"I beg your pardons, My Princes, but the Queen wishes to speak with Prince Loki," she said and Loki and Thor looked at each other.

"What have you done this time?" Thor teased and Loki smiled.

"I have no idea," he said as he stood with Max in his arms, placed Max next to Thor and followed the handmaid. He noticed how she kept looking around nervously, but didn't say anything and they entered the palace. "Is everything alright?"

"Oh, yes," she said with a nod.

"Why don't I believe you?"

"It is just... It is just your father is in a mood and it is wise to be on our best behavior or something bad happens."

"I see," Loki said with a cold knot in his chest and they walked down the hallway.

The doors opened as the handmaid led Loki into the solarium and he saw Frigga and Lucy sitting on the white wicker chairs. Lucy was working on a small cross stitch sample Frigga had given her and Lucy smiled at him.

"Hi, Daddy," she said.

"Hello," he said with a nod then looked at Frigga. "You sent for me?"

"Ah, yes," Frigga said with a nod to the handmaid to leave and the handmaid left the room.

"Did you wish to speak to me about Father? I heard he was in one of his moods."

"No, it is not about him," she said then paused. "I just wanted you to know I was planning a welcome home ball for you."

"For me?" Loki looked startled. "That's very thoughtful of you but . . ."

"But what?"

"Mother, you know not everyone was pleased with my return."

His mother sighed. "I know, but they are just going to have to—what is that expression mortals use? Get over it?" She glanced at Lucy for confirmation.

Lucy nodded. "Yes, Bestemor."

Frigga humphed. "What you did is in the past . . . and you have more than paid for it. You died and were reborn. The Norns judged you and found you worthy of rebirth and you are not the same as you were. You have changed. Or rather, you are now who and what you were always meant to be. The nobles of Asgard must learn to accept that and to accept you. Yes, you made mistakes, but you are still a prince of the blood and our son and your father and I have welcomed you back home."

"The prodigal son returns," Loki said dryly.

"The what?" Frigga frowned, not understanding the reference.

"It's a story told in the religion of some Midgardians about a man who had two sons. The younger son asks for his share of his inheritance, and the father agrees and divides the estate between his two sons. The younger son is foolish and takes his share and runs off to the city where he wastes it in profligate living and gambling and falls in with a bad crowd of people. Immediately after that a famine strikes and the younger son becomes destitute and is forced to take a job as a swineherd. Pigs are considered the lowest of animals, so when he starts to envy them their food, he realizes it is time to go home and hopefully his father will show him mercy and let him work as a servant, for he was unworthy to be his son. But when he came into sight of the house, he was about to plead to his father when the old man ran to him and hugged him and said to his servants to bring his son new clothes and make a feast for him."

Frigga was intrigued, and asked, "What happened next?"

"The elder brother came in from the fields and saw and heard what his father had done for his brother and he tells the father angrily, "I have been your good son all these years and you never gave me a goat to celebrate with my friends, but here is this boy who is a dissolute gambler and fornicator and you kill the fatted calf for him! Why, Father? Why do you not cast him out?"

And his father replied that it was right to celebrate his brother's return because he had in way returned from the dead, for he had died there in the city and is now alive and has repented of his ways. He was lost and now is found. The Christian priests teach that all may find redemption with their God if you are truly repentant and that everything may be forgiven and you will be loved despite your misdeeds. That just because you follow all the laws does not make you better or more right in the sight of their God."

"Well, that is wise teaching, Loki," Frigga said approvingly. "To hold grudges and to dwell upon past misdeeds does no one any good. We spend too much time living in the past, my son, and reliving old quarrels and bloodshed. You can never have peace until you put away the old grievances and start anew. That is what I wish to do with this ball. To show that we welcome you and that we are willing to start anew with you, like the father with his son."

Loki dipped his head in acquiescence. "Then you may do so, Mother. I just hope that you are not disappointed when some people do not understand why you are doing this and criticize you."

"I have weathered the scorn of my peers before," Frigga declared proudly.

Loki winced for he knew some of that scorn she had weathered had been because of him. "You do not have to—" he began.

"I do," she cut him off. "I am Queen and if I am Queen I must stand as an example to my peers on how to act. Showing my formerly exiled son welcome and love is not difficult and should not be difficult for them to understand and accept."

"People accept what they wish to accept," Loki pointed out.

Frigga sighed. "True. Or they accept what is most beneficial to them. These new laws, Loki, they trouble me greatly. Some of the nobles, I'm sure I do not need to tell you who, have taken them to their limits and beyond. And your father . . . he does nothing to stop it. Even when I suggest he should. Loki, I . . . I fear for him and I fear for Asgard. These laws which he thought would erase thoughts of rebellion in the hearts of his subjects have instead begun to foment it."

Loki lowered his voice until he spoke in barely a whisper. "Because they are the acts of a tyrant, Mother. Much as I hate to speak of it, it is true. They are the acts of a warlord who fears letting control over those he rules slip. And they do not seem like laws Father would have passed. Unless there is something that you know that I do not."

"A long time ago, before your father was formally courting me, we met through my roommate at the Academy, who was your mother, Astra, your father swore to me he would never be like his father, Bors. Bors was a warlord king, much like the ones you had down on Midgard that ruled with an iron fist. Bors was a tyrant who treated both peasant and noble with disdain and it was that which Odin used against him to finally overthrow him when it became clear that Bors would not relinquish his throne any other way. He nearly destroyed Asgard."

Loki arched an eyebrow. "I knew none of this, Mother. Why was this never taught to us by our tutors?"

"Because it was never taught to anyone who did not grow up in the shadow of Bors and his rule. After your father took the throne, he forbade anyone, even his Lorekeeper, to write about that time. We were to forget it happened. And in so doing . . . we forgot the lessons it would have taught."

Loki shivered. "And now history repeats itself."

"I fear so, my son. Unless we can figure out why your father had become . . . this way."

"I am trying, Mother. He mentioned that he often has headaches. I gave him some migraine medicine to help it. Have you noticed if he is . . . moody after one of the headaches or does it come upon him suddenly?"

"Sometimes he becomes angry after he has suffered one of them. Other times . . . one has no way of knowing what will trigger it." Frigga wrung her hands. "When we came for Easter, I thought maybe the episodes had gone for good. He seemed like his old self . . . the one I fell in love with. Yes, he possesses a temper, but he is not in his heart a cruel man. I know you may not believe it because he . . . was so harsh with you but I swear by the Nine that the man you knew as the harsh disciplinarian and the one that I fell in love with are two different people."

Loki caught his mother's hands in his own. "I believe you, Mother. There is something wrong with him. And not something like dementia or some other disease that alters one's personality like the mortals are subject to. Nor is it a curse. I almost would think that it was . . .a shapeshifter in disguise but I have checked for that. But I will continue to try and solve this mystery."

He did not mention the missing magical text Belle had taken from the library. He was still convinced the book had returned itself to the library.

"In the meantime, Loki, I will compose a guest list and send out invitations. Of course, you may invite anyone else you wish," the Queen told him.

"Thank you. I shall think about it," Loki murmured. He glanced at Lucy, who looked troubled. "Valkyrie, would you like to come with me to see the field where the sacred horses used to be?"

"Yes, Dad!" Lucy cried eagerly, and ran to hold his hand.

Frigga gazed upon her granddaughter and son fondly. "She is such a sweet child, Loki. I have been showing her how to stitch a little. I know that such a thing is not something taught to young girls down on Midgard anymore, but I thought she would like to learn a hobby from her grandmother."

"I do, Bestemor!" Lucy assured her. "It is fun!"

"I'm glad you are enjoying it, dear," laughed Frigga. "I would hate to bore you."

"If you were, I'm sure she would say something," Loki teased.

"Da-a-d! I'm not Aleta!" Lucy objected.

He ruffled her golden hair. "I know. I was only teasing. Come on. We have enough time before supper for you to see the field."

With Lucy marching beside him, the prince of Asgard took his daughter over to what had once been the sacred field of the winged horses. It had long since been abandoned, as all the winged steeds had perished along with their riders defending Asgard from Hela's minions. But the field itself had been left as it was, in memory of their valor.

On the way there, they passed a small shrine with a weeping willow and beneath it a small headstone with two wings upon it. Lucy paused when she saw it. "Dad, what's that?"

"It's a memorial," he replied softly.

'But I thought Asgardians cremated their dead," his daughter began, puzzled.

"We do. Except in this case," Loki replied. He guided her over to the headstone.

Lucy read aloud, "Here lies E-Elayne Kirsten, beloved daughter of Odin and Frigga, sister to Balder, Thor, and Loki. Gone but always in our hearts."

She read the date of birth and death, gasping aloud.

"Dad! You never told us you had a baby sister! She was only three months old when she died!"

Loki smiled sadly. "I know. I was only two and a half when that happened. We were all terribly broken by it. Mother took to her bed for almost a month afterward and slept with her little blanket. Father was so upset he went into the OdinSleep. I think that was the first time he ever did so, and he did not wake until two months later. Of course, we did not realize that. We thought he had become ill. Mother had to come out of mourning to run the kingdom. Thor, Balder, and I were all very upset. I was so excited to have a baby sister. I promised Lanie—that was what we all called her—I would be a good elder brother and protect her always."

"How did she die?"

"It was a sudden fever that swept through the palace. No one knew how it started, but it struck her down. Lanie had never been a very hardy baby and well . . . nothing could be done. It was a terrible tragedy. Mother refused to allow them to burn her remains. Instead she had them placed in a golden casket and buried here beneath the willow. This shrine was built and Mother visits it often."

He indicated the lovely spray of flowers before the memorial stone.

Lucy sniffled. "That's so sad! I'm so sorry that happened, Dad." She threw her arms about his waist.

Loki knelt and hugged her. "So am I. Things would have been different if Lanie had lived." He sighed. "But she is in Valhalla now."

He did not say aloud but he believed that Frigga had never really recovered from losing her baby girl.

"Can I put some flowers on the memorial?" Lucy asked.

"Of course, darling." Loki assured her. "We can pick some in the field. Lots of wildflowers grow there."

He led her to the special field a few feet beyond the memorial under the willow tree. The field was very large and covered with a thick carpet of emerald grass dotted with wildflowers. A long fence surrounded the field, and Loki opened the gate and father and daughter entered it.

Lucy ran about gathering wildflowers and then tied them with a piece of thread she had in her pocket. "Look, Dad! Isn't this pretty?"

"It is, sunshine. Do you want to put it on Lanie's memorial?"

Lucy nodded. Then she looked around the field. "It seems sad here, Dad. Like . . . like it was waiting for them to come home."

Loki nodded, knowing what his intuitive daughter meant. "Yes, you're right. That's why we have never used this field again." He held out his arm for Lucy to come to him.

She allowed him to wrap his arm about her and lead her from the field, the wildflowers clutched in her hand. They returned to the memorial and Lucy put the flowers down beside the other ones and whispered, "I hope you like these and can see them from way up in Valhalla." Then she kissed the tips of her fingers and placed them on the headstone.

On their return to the palace, Loki's memories of his little sister filled his mind and he gently squeezed Lucy's fingers.

 _"Loki, come here and say hello to your sister," Frigga said from her bed and Loki tried to get up onto the bed. Odin helped him up when Loki crawled closer and looked at the small baby wrapped in the pink silk blanket. She had wisps of blonde hair and blue eyes and her eyes locked with his._

 _"What is her name, Mama?" Loki asked._

 _"Her name is Elayne Kirsten," Frigga said_

 _"Hi, Lanie," he said and she grabbed onto his finger. "Hey!"_

 _"She's just saying hello," Odin said and Loki wiggled his finger back and forth. The baby giggled as he laughed and Frigga reached up and carded the top of his head._

 _"I brought her a present," Loki said. Odin handed him his Lokitty as Loki smiled and held the toy cat to the baby._

 _"You want her to have Lokitty?" Frigga asked._

 _"Yeah!" he said with a nod._

 _"But that is your favorite toy."_

 _"Now it is hers," he said and placed the toy cat on top of the baby. Frigga softly smiled as she moved the toy cat and Loki leaned over to kissed the top of his sister's head._

"Dad, are you alright?" Lucy asked as she looked at him and he glanced at her.

"I was... I was just thinking about my sister," he said and swung her hand back and forth.

"Do you think she would have liked me?"

"Yes, she would have loved you."

They walked back the rest of the way in silence as he sighed and blinked his eyes a few times.

 _"Mama, why is Lanie in that box?" Loki asked, but Frigga wouldn't answer him. He knew his little sister had been ill, but now everyone was sad and black wreaths were hanging on the walls._

 _"Loki," Odin said as he walked to his father and Odin lifted him up._

 _"Loki, I am afraid Lanie has gone to Valhala."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"She was so ill that the Norns decided she would be better off with them."_

 _"Oh," he said when he looked down at his sister and frowned. "Where is Lokitty?"_

 _"We put it away."_

 _"But she needs it!"_

 _"Loki..."_

 _"Where is it?!"_

 _Odin carried him to the box of baby things when he picked up the toy cat and Loki held it in his arms. They walked to the golden coffin when he leaned Loki over enough to placed Lokitty in next to his sister and Loki sniffed._

 _"Now she won't be scared or lonely," Loki said and Odin hugged him._

"Dad, are you crying?" Lucy asked as he looked at her and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"I guess I am," he said with a nod and Lucy held her arms up. He picked her up when they hugged and she lightly kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Sunshine."

"Anytime." she said with a smile and he smiled back and carried her back to the palace.

After bringing Lucy to the room she shared with Aleta to get changed for supper, Loki went to wash up also, reflecting upon the loss of his sister and recalling that after he had come out of OdinSleep his father had changed. What in Hel happened to you, Father? As a child all I knew was fear of your wrath, but now that I think back, you didn't start with your rages until after Lanie died. Did you snap and start resenting me because she died when I did not? He shook his head. But Mother always insisted it was not that. Yet if it was not, then what was it? Was it because of something I did? He frowned, sensing he was going about in circles. He also sensed, with the odd sort knowing he had, that Odin's transformation had nothing to do with his mischievous self.

The book, he thought. I need to read that book.

He quickly transported himself to the library and then to the magical vault.

But the book was not there its place upon the shelf still empty. So the question remained, where had it gone and who had taken it? For even magical books did not wander away themselves.

Abruptly he looked at his watch and realized it was time for supper. He would need to wait to search for the book.

He arrived back at the palace to discover a war brewing in the hallway.

"Dad!" Serena cried upon seeing him. "Tell them to cut it out!"

"Who?"

"Vince and Hunter! They keep singing THAT song!"

Loki groaned. "Nine Hells! Not that again!"

As if on cue, her brothers popped up from behind a pillar chanting, "This is the song that never ends! Yes it goes on and on my friend!"

Serena clamped her hands to her ears. "Not listening!"

Loki wished he were deaf.

"Enough!" he snapped.

His sons snickered. "Aww, but Dad, we were singing it to welcome Serena home," they chorused.

"Sure you were!" He rolled his eyes. "Your singing is enough to put her back in the hospital. Whose idea was this?"

Both boys pointed at Fenris, who was lounging innocently against the wall. Loki wasn't fooled for an instant.

"Well, Master Sass, what do you have to say for yourself?" Loki demanded, his arms crossed.

"Norns Father! If I knew they sounded like cats being tortured I would have told them to play a tambourine!" The smirk he hid widened to a grin and all three boys cracked up laughing.

"So NOT funny!" Serena glared at them.

"I thought it was hilarious!" giggled Hunter.

Serena stuck her tongue out at them before stalking off to her room to enlist Belle's aid in retaliating against her smug brothers.

"Go get changed for dinner," Loki ordered with a sigh before continuing down the hall to his chambers.

Thor stuck his head out of his room. "Brother! I could swear I heard THAT song!"

"You did. Vince and Hunter were teasing Serena."

"Sweet Valhalla on a ski sled!" Thor moaned. "I thought I was having a nightmare standing up!"

Thor hated that song and the Laufeysons knew it and sometimes sang it to make him go nuts.

He once told Loki whoever invented it should get Mjolnir taken to his head.

"Relax, Thor. They stopped." Loki chuckled. "At least they didn't have the iPod on repeat this time."

Thor looked horrified. "I swear I would have spanked them, Loki!"

"When? After you uncurled from your ball on the couch?" His brother teased. Once Thor was babysitting and the kids decided to not go to bed when told. In order to keep their uncle from finding out they set Hunter's iPod on repeat to The Song That Never Ends. Loki came home to find the God of Thunder a whimpering wreck on the couch.

Loki turned off the iPod . . . after he picked himself up off the floor from an uncontrolled fit of laughter.

Thor grunted. "I hope you punished them properly."

"Yes, brother," Loki snorted. "I made them lick the toilets clean."

"Liar."

"Look who's talking," Loki rolled his eyes.

"All right. I would have thought about it," Thor amended.

"Thinking and doing are two different things. If they weren't we would all be in jail," Loki stated. "See you at dinner."

At dinner Frigga made her announcement about the welcome home ball for Loki.

"Are we gonna come to the party?" asked Aleta.

"No, spark. This is an adult party. Very boring for little kids," Loki told her.

"Yeah they don't do anything except dance, talk, and get drunk," Sam added.

"There's no games?" Max asked.

"Sometimes there's card games," Balder said.

"Like Go Fish?" was Aleta's next question.

"No, strip poker." Hunter replied.

Frigga's mouth dropped open.

"Hunter Laufeyson!" Loki reproved. "We are not playing that."

"What is it?" Max wanted to know.

"Never mind," Loki said.

"They're gonna play see who can drink Uncle Thor under the table," predicted Vince.

"Nobody," Lucy stated. "Even Uncle Tony can't do that."

"Volstagg might be able to," Balder disagreed.

"If he does, he better not throw up on Daddy," Aleta announced. "Remember when you did that, Uncle Thor?"

"Aleta!" Thor cried.

Balder burst out laughing. "Oh, Norns! Poor Loki!"

"And my poor Turkish carpet," Loki retorted.

"Thor Odinson!" scolded Frigga. "How could you do that in front of these impressionable children?"

"Mother, they were supposed to be sleeping!" her hammer-wielding son protested, coloring.

"We woke up when he tripped over the vacuum," Aleta informed her. "And he said a bunch of naughty words."

"Aleta!" Thor was now beet red. "Loki, can you muzzle her?"

Balder was laughing into his napkin, as were Jorgy, Sleph, and Fenris.

"Thor!" Frigga cried. "That poor child!"

"Please, brother, refrain from getting sloppy drunk this time. I don't want to have to haul you out of the fountain," Loki said.

"Do not worry, Loki," Frigga said. "I will tell the servers to make sure he does not drink to excess."

Thor gaped at her. "Mother!"

Frigga shot him an icy glare. "I will not have you embarrassing your brother at his party."

"But—but—Mother!" sputtered the Thunder God. "I'm a grown man! You can't tell me how much to drink."

"No, but I can and will assure you don't make an ass of yourself," she retorted.

"Sweet Valhalla! Bestemor's on the warpath," whispered Fenris and Hunter snickered.

"I never knew anybody could cut Uncle Thor off," his younger brother hissed.

"That's because you never saw Bestemor do it," Fenris grinned.

"I'm sneaking a flask in under my cloak," muttered Thor to Balder.

Balder just arched an eyebrow.

"And don't think you can sneak a flask in either!" Frigga remarked.

"I-I wasn't!" Thor cried, looking shellshocked.

Loki nearly choked on his frost wine. _Mother is in rare form tonight._

Sam hid a smirk in her napkin and then quickly ate some roast beef with gravy. Tonight's dinner was roast beef with mushroom gravy, green beans with garlic and olive oil, bread, and mashed turnips and potatoes.

She pondered something while she ate, then at last she asked, "Uncle Balder, could you teach me some pointers with a sword? Dad says you're really good."

Balder looked pleased by the compliment. "Why thank you, Loki. When would you like to spar, Samantha?"

"Just Sam is fine," she corrected. "Uh, how about tomorrow morning?"

Balder nodded. "That is agreeable. After breakfast we will go to the training arena. We will practice with wooden blades only."

"Okay," Sam nodded, happy that no one protested her learning how to fight. She knew that most Asgardian noblewomen did not fence as a rule. But Sif was a Shieldmaiden so she supposed it was not that farfetched for her to learn too.

"Guess what we found in the garden, Bestemor?" Max said.

Frigga looked at her youngest grandson. "What, dear?"

"A baby!" he announced.

Frigga dropped her fork with a clatter. "Norns! Loki, did you know about this?"

So Loki explained about little Reyka and Solveig and how they had helped her. Frigga seemed delighted over it and said she would knit a bib and some little socks for the baby.

Loki noted the sudden sadness in her eyes and suspected it was because she was thinking of Lanie.

The rest of the dinner was uneventful and afterwards Loki tucked his children into bed and read stories to Serena, Lucy, Max, and Aleta until their eyes shut.

Then he pondered where the book might be until he felt himself growing sleepy. He retired to his chambers and soon fell asleep, sleeping soundly until the dawn.

Frigga began making out the guest list early, choosing nobles with unmarried daughters that she hoped would catch her son's eye and who would not insult Loki. Sadly, she had to include Odin's Councilors, some of whom were openly disdainfully of her son. But she hoped that things would balance out.

Loki was, meanwhile, composing a simple invitation upon his stationary for a certain Healer. He wrote in his graceful and elegant hand, _Prince Loki Laufeyson requests the honor of your attendance at a Royal Ball to be held upon the 20th of June at 7 PM in the Great Hall._ _Formal dinner and dancing._ He stamped it with his signet in green wax and then slid it into the envelope, again putting his seal on it. Then he addressed it and sent it off with Huginn.

That done he rose and continued searching for the missing book, asking the chambermaids who cleaned Belle's room if they had seen it. When they assured him they hadn't, he then asked the Steward.

After breakfast, Belle took one of the other books she had gotten out of the library, the one about the Valkyries, and headed outside to find a shady spot to read in. She saw a large spreading tree with pretty pink blossoms, almost like a cherry tree, sitting in the middle of the lawn and headed for it.

When she got there, she sank to her knees in the thick grass and sat with her back against the trunk. She placed her satchel on the ground next to her which contained another book, a flask of water, and a warm apricot nut muffin she had gotten from Kara.

She had read about a chapter when she felt rather than heard a presence approach. She looked up to see a boy of about her own age, his shoulder length light brown hair held back by a hammered circlet wearing a silver tunic with a black wolf badge and a smaller one on the right breast with a silver serpent circling a flame, black trousers, and soft half-boots standing before her. The boy had hazel eyes and carried a satchel over his shoulder and was holding a rather large book in his hand.

"Hello. Am I in your spot?" Belle asked kindly, observing the boy was quite cute with a pixie face.

"Sometimes I sit here, my lady," the boy said softly, with a slight burr that reminded her of a Scottish accent. He bowed. "Wulf Blackthorne, at your service."

Belle stood and curtsied, then held out her hand. "I'm Belle Laufeyson. Pleased to meet you."

"Your Highness," the boy swallowed sharply, and bowed again. "I . . . I dinna mean to disturb ye."

"Oh, no, you didn't," she hastily reassured him. "You can sit here with your book if you like." She smiled awkwardly at him thinking, _Belle, you nitwit, is that all you can say?_ "I don't mind." Then she blurted, "You . . . if I didn't know better I'd say you came from Scotland."

She expected a blank look, but Wulf surprised her. "My gran did. She was a Scottish _ban-draoidh._ That's a Gaelic mage, Your Highness. My grandsire fell in love with her and brought her here to Asgard. He asked the Allfather permission to make her like them and he agreed for gran was a powerful magic worker. So 'tis where I get the accent from, ye ken?"

"Aye," Belle answered in Gaelic. "So ye are not noble?"

"On my papa's side, aye. Grandsire is Lord of Blackthorne. My mama's kin are mages, Runeworkers, so in a way they are like nobles among us mages."

"Ye are a mage too? I am a Lorekeeper," Belle grinned.

Wulf nodded. "I am an earth mage, Your Highness. I also am good with potions. My gran teaches me." He held up the thick book. "This is her potion grimoire. I am supposed to study a chapter on reagents that one can find in the woods nearby." He indicated his badge on the right -hand side. "That is what this means. The blue flame is a mage badge, the silver serpent is for earth, for the serpent has wisdom that mages lack. 'Tis also the symbol of your papa, the Archmage. This other here—" he indicated his house badge."—is the Blackthorne House crest, a black wolf."

Belle examined them curiously. "Those are very interesting. Did you sew them on yourself?"

Wulf shook his head. "I can sew a little, but Gran did them. May I sit, Your Highness?"

"Please, call me Belle. I'm only a princess in the throne room."

Wulf coughed. "Oh, I couldna do that, my lady! My Papa would thrash me if he heard I didna show proper respect to ye."

"Well . . . okay, if you insist. Though I think calling me Belle is respect enough." She argued.

"Ye are both a princess of the realm an' a princess o' magic," Wulf explained as he sat down next to her with the large book on his lap. "Or dinna your papa tell ye that the Archmage o' Asgard is like the Mage King?"

"It is?" Belle was astonished.

"Aye. When a mage passes the Tests o' the Seven an' becomes Archmage, he is the most powerful of us all, an' all us magic workers bend the knee to him. Or her, should a lady become Archmage like his mama Astra did long ago. The Archmage is the one who makes the laws all us mages must follow and he rules in judgment if we break them too. He can also speak to us mind to mind, an' he knows all of our mage auras, so he can see who casts what spells on things or places or people."

"I never knew all that. Dad never really spoke of it to me yet." Belle said. "Did you swear an oath to him?"

"No' yet, Your Highness. I am but an apprentice. But when I graduate my apprenticeship, then aye, I will oathbind myself to him. If ye do not, ye are a Rogue, and outcast and only those of the Dark refuse to swear fealty to the Archmage."

"Then I suppose I shall swear too when Dad finishes teaching me," Belle mused.

Wulf nodded. "A Lorekeeper serves the King as his conscience and the Archmage." He opened the herbal.

Belle peered at the spellbook curiously. "Do you mind if I read it too?"

"No, Your Highness. But surely your papa has grimoires that are much more . . . umm . . . comprehensive?"

"He does have some but I haven't been able to study as much as I'd like in them. Because I have school when I'm home in New York. That's where we live."

"I see." He moved the book so Belle could read it, putting half on her lap. "I am studying these herbs now." He shows her an illustration of a lady slipper and another of a blue plant. "This here is aersirvoda. Ye use it in potions for enchantment and also for potions to give sweet dreams."

"This plant can only be harvested at midday, with a silver athame," Belle read aloud. "Why?"

Wulf shrugged. "Probably because otherwise it will not be as potent." He patted the little silver knife at his belt. "That's why I have this."

They continue reading the herbal together, Belle absorbing all the information like a sponge, delighted with her new friend, who is charmingly quiet and at the same time endearingly sweet.

 _In the arena:_

Balder handed Sam the practice blade and showed her how to position her feet in the shifting sand of the arena. Sam was wearing leather trousers and a boy's green tunic, one of Fenris' old ones, though she had to cut the tunic down to fit her and roll the trousers up and stuff them into her boots. "We practice on sand because it is softer than dirt and it also teaches you how to balance because it shifts when you do." Her uncle explained.

He walked opposite her and stood in a ready stance, with his sword held in a classic parry. "Now, Sam, I want you to strike at me. Hard as you can."

"But-Uncle Balder . . ." Sam protested. "What if I hurt you?"

The older warrior chuckled. "Then I get whacked a little. It won't hurt that much."

Sam brought the sword around and tried to hit Balder but the more experienced warrior stepped back and their blades clashed.

The sudden snap of the blades meeting traveled up the girl's arm and she winced at the recoil.

"Ah, that was pitiful. Try again," Balder ordered. "This time put your shoulder into it, girl. I'm not a pansy, I won't break."

Sam swung again, harder, and again Balder countered. "Put your weight on the foot that's forward," he instructed. "Use your left foot to balance. Then when you step forward, lean into the stroke. That's how you get power behind your swing."

Balder made her practice the lunge over and over, until her sword arm ached from swinging the practice blade at him. Within fifteen minutes, she was drenched in sweat.

In contrast, Balder was not even slightly winded. The warrior grinned. "Not bad for your first spar, niece."

Sam smiled. "Really? I thought I was terrible. I didn't hit you once."

"Sam, I didn't expect you to. That wasn't the purpose of this exercise. It was to test how well you can endure and listen to my instructions. You passed, niece." He clapped her gently on the shoulder. "Go and bathe. And use some of those mineral salts I know your grandmother has put in your room. They will leech the soreness from your muscles. If you are still sore, tell your father. Loki has the best hands and gives the best massages in Asgard."

"Really?" Sam looked surprised.

"Really. Your father is a damn good medic." Balder said sincerely. "Now off with you."

After returning the practice sword to the rack along the wall, Sam did as she was told, feeling happy but aching at the same time.

Balder watched his niece leave, then exchanged his wooden sword for his real one and began a set of advanced warm up maneuvers, making his sword whistle through the air.

 _In the infirmary:_

Rhiannon was reorganizing the supply closet for the fifth time that morning, assigned to the boring task by Mythal, when Huginn flew into the open window casement holding an envelope in his feet. "Healer Rhiannon, greetings!" the raven cawed.

The golden-haired Healer jerked up, startled, nearly hitting her head on a shelf. "Norns, you startled me!" she gasped. "You are one of the king's ravens, are you not?"

Huginn bobbed his head yes. "I am Huginn," he replied. "I bear a letter for you from Prince Loki."

"A letter for me?" Rhiannon asked, her eyes widening. She came forward and took it from the raven. "Thank you for bringing it. Do you need to wait for me to reply?"

Huginn shook his black head. "No. You may reply with your presence, you will see once you read the letter."

Rhiannon nodded and wondered what this was. Perhaps Serena was not feeling well? She fished in her pocket and found a crust of bread left from her lunch. "Please forgive this poor offering, Huginn," she said and offered the bird the crust as payment for delivering the letter.

The raven daintily took it from her palm and gulped it down.

"My thanks, lovely one," the raven cooed. "Now I must be off!"

He spread his wings and soared out the casement.

Rhiannon thought about opening the letter immediately, but figured it was best to wait until she had completed her task. She tucked the letter stamped with the prince's personal seal in her skirt pocket. Then she went back to work.

She finished the task swiftly, then went to her dormitory, which she shared with two other girls who were medical assistants. It was empty and Rhiannon slipped the letter from her pocket and used her worn letter opener to unseal the envelope. Inside was a piece of creamy heavy paper with elegant writing.

She admired the fine hand even as her jaw hung open when she read what was written upon it.

 _Me—attend a Royal Ball? Sweet Valhalla! But I am just a common Healer! Why would he send me an invitation?_ She felt her heart skip a beat. But there could be no mistaking the invitation. _Oh Norns help me! I have nothing to wear! And the ball is barely a week away! I must start sewing immediately._ She clutched the precious missive to her breast, giddy with disbelief. She, Rhiannon Lyr, naught but a common Healer, was going to attend a Royal Ball! She felt like that girl in the fairy tale, the one Serena had called Cinderella.

She wondered who else had received an invitation. And how she was going to convince Malius to allow her the day off to get ready for the ball. Because it was on a Friday, which meant she was supposed to work.

She bit her lip, wondering how in Valhalla's name she was going to convince Malius to agree to give her the day off so she could attend this ball.

 **A/N: So who likes Wulf, Belle's new friend? And the addition of the lost baby sister? *cries***

 **And who do you think took the book?**

 **What can Rhee do to make Malius allow her to have the day off?**

 **Thanks again ninewood!**


	9. Dragon Wings

**9**

 **Dragon Wings**

 _Trouble comes upon Dragon Wings! ~ Loki_

The next morning Vince and Jorgy were up early, and asked Fenris to tell Loki they had already eaten breakfast, which they had, eating muffins and bacon in the kitchen before they went down to the shore to surf for the day. Jorgy made sure Vince had on his wetsuit and had put sunscreen on his face and neck so he didn't come back sunburnt. They had waxed their boards the night before, so all was ready for catching the waves.

Vince found he enjoyed surfing with his older brother. Jorgy was relaxed and easygoing, and though he insisted on Vince following certain safety procedures, he wasn't a worrywart like Loki. He allowed the boy to take some risks and showed him tricks on the board that Vince was sure would have caused their father to raise an eyebrow at the least.

"Ready, Bro?" Jorgy asked as they ran into the surf. The Asgardian ocean was similar to the Pacific, in that it was a clear azure blue and during the summer was nicely cool and pleasant. At this time there were no rip currents and high tide was not until the evening, so the two had plenty of time to enjoy surfing.

Vince feared nothing while he was with Jorgy. The other's sea serpent form kept any large marine predators away from them, and Jorgy could easily rescue him if he happened to get knocked off his board or bowled over by a wave.

The blonde Asgardian in turn took his duties as elder brother quite seriously, and enjoyed the company of the younger daredevil, who reminded him a lot of himself. Jorgy had even shown Vince his eyes, his true eyes, which were a snake's slit-pupiled green. Vince had declared them cool and was not bothered by them. Unlike Boda, who had called her firstborn a monster for possessing them.

They paddled out into the waves and then stood up on their boards. Jorgy's was a custom fiberglass, silver with a curling green and silver sea serpent upon it. Vince had a blue one with curling lightning bolts upon it.

A large swell formed and Jorgy pointed at it. "Here it comes, Bro!"

Vince whooped. "Let's ride it, Jorgy!"

They paddled swiftly over and then stood up and rode the large wave, screaming in delight.

They caught several more waves before Jorgy recalled a sea cave nearby and said, "Let's go and rest there for a bit, little bro."

He guided Vince towards the cave by the clifftop and they paddled inside, propping the boards beside the entrance and carefully climbing over the rocks and into the cavern.

The cavern was quite large, made of porous limestone and striated colored rocks. "Wow! This is neat!" Vince exclaimed, looking around.

"Once some smugglers used to use this cave to store their goods," Jorgy told him.

"Really? What's that?" Vince pointed to something lying in a far corner.

"Hold on," Jorgy grabbed a lantern and lit it with a simple snap of his fingers.

"You're a mage too?"

His brother shook his head. "Not even close. But I can do small magics. Every apprentice magic worker can light a candle. That's about all I can do."

"Oh," Vince said. "I still think that's cool. I can speak with ghosts, but I can't summon fire."

Jorgy shone the lantern towards the object in the far corner.

"Whoa!" Vince exclaimed. For there in the corner was what looked like a pair of dragon wings. They were blue, made of some kind of shiny material. "Look, Jorgy! Dragon wings!"

His brother comes over to examine what Vince found. "Holy Valhalla! That's a dragon glider! Those were used during the war when Svartalfheim invaded a century ago. Our mages used them to fly with so they could rain spells of destruction down on the enemy."

"It's that old? It looks almost new."

"Well, the gliders were built by mages, so they have spells on them to preserve them," Jorgy explained. "Let's take it outside and see if it still works."

He heaved the light glider over his shoulder and they leave the cave. He put it on his board and towed it onto the beach. Together the brothers spread it out on the sand and see that it appears to be in perfect condition.

"Looks like it works," Jorgy mused.

"Can we try it out?" Vince asked.

Jorgy hesitated. "Well . . . I suppose it can't hurt if I try it first."

Vince looked up to the cliff that overhung the ocean. "There looks like a good spot."

"My thoughts exactly, little Bro," Jorgy nodded approvingly. He and Vince carried the glider up to the cliff top.

Jorgy carefully strapped himself into the glider, making sure the straps were tight. He carefully moved the wings up and down using a bar and also a string. He practiced opening and shutting the wings before he decided to take off. "Wish me luck, little brother."

"Good luck, Jorgy! Fly!"

Jorgy took three running steps and jumped off the cliff.

For one heartstopping instant he seemed to be falling . . . but the he caught an updraft and the glider's wings opened fully and he was soaring.

"Whoo hoo!" Yelled Vince, waving. "You did it!"

Jorgy manipulated the glider and soared around in a large circle before coming in for a landing. He managed to land almost in the same spot he took off in.

"What a rush!" Jorgy enthused. "It works great!"

He slipped the glider off his shoulders.

"That looked so cool! Can I try?" Vince begged.

"Umm . . . you might be too small for it," Jorgy declared. "I think these were built for grown men."

Vince looked crestfallen. "Aww, Jorgy! Can I just try it and see?"

"I can't see why not," Jorgy said and helped him put the wings on. Nodding, Vince walked to the edge of the ledge when he took a deep breath and jumped. He thought he was going to crash when the wind caught the wings and he sailed into the air.

"Yes!" Vince said as he sailed upward and Jorgy laughed, pumping his arms in the air.

Vince was amazed with how far he could see as he soared through the air and the wind rushed in his ears.

A sudden updraft caught the wings as Vince yelped and Jorgy's eyes went wide.

"You're going too high!" Jorgy shouted.

"I know! How do I get down?!" Vince shouted.

"It's just like surfing. Ride the wave, Bro!"

Vince flapped the wings as the wind moved around him when he felt the draft moving down and he smiled.

On the beach, Loki was lounging on a blanket while reading the book Fenris had given him about Bors and he couldn't believe the things his grandfather had done.

"And they call me a monster?!" Loki said softly when he heard a loud noise and looked up, Vince soared by him as Loki's eyes went wide and he placed the book down on the blanket.

 _By the Nine! That's Vince! On a dragon glider!_

Standing, he watched Vincent soaring on the gilder when Loki growled and watched him sailing toward the cliffs. A green light shimmered around him as Loki changed into his gold and green dragon form and flew into the air.

"Yeah!" Vince shouted as he sailed through the air when he saw the dragon and his eyes widened. "Whoa!"

Loki's heart was nearly in his throat as he flew rapidly after his daredevil son.

"Jorgy! Where did this dragon come from?!" Vince shouted and Jorgy looked at the dragon.

"Oh crap! It's Father!" Jorgy shouted.

"Dad can turn into a dragon?!"

"Yeah!" he said and Loki turned his head to look at his oldest son.

"What do we do?!"

"I don't know about you, but I'm out of here!" Jorgy shouted then turned into his serpent form and dived into the sea.

Loki flew next to the gilder when he dipped his wings for Vince to land on the beach and Vince nodded. They headed for the beach when Loki landed then changed and Vince landed the glider a few feet away from him.

"Stay right there, young man!" ordered his irate father. "I'm going to find your brother!"

Loki shifted into his sea serpent form then dived under the water when he followed Jorgy into a cave. Jorgy was cornered by the large serpent and he hung his head.

"Just what do you think you were doing?" Loki said in serpent tongue.

Jorgy explained about finding the gilder as Loki sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Surface! Now!" Loki growled and Jorgy nodded. He followed Loki to the surface then walked to Vince and Vince frowned. Loki watched Jorgy walking out of the surf then Jorgy went to stand next to Vince and Loki glared at them.

"Dad...,," Vince said then went silent and looked at his feet.

"Are you TRYING to give me a heart attack, Vincent Laufeyson!" Loki demanded, his hands on his hips. "Because if not, that's a good start!"

"Sorry, Dad," Vince said.

"What would have happened if you had crashed into the side of the cliff?! You could have been killed!" he said and looked at Jorgy. "That goes for you as well."

"I would have changed forms and dived into the water before...," Jorgy said then became quiet. He knew his father wasn't in the mood for his snarky remarks and Loki sighed.

"What are you going to do with us?" Vince asked and Loki saw slight fear in his eyes.

"First, we are going to put this gilder back in that cave," Loki said.

"But..."

"It goes back!"

"Yes, sir."

"Second, we are going back to the palace. Finally, the two of you are going into the kitchen and scrub pots for the next few hours."

"That's it?" Jorgy asked.

"Yes. Now move!" Loki said as he pointed and the boys picked up the wings.

A short time later, Loki led Jorgy and Vince into the kitchen as the servants looked at them and Loki placed his hands on his sons' shoulders.

"Excuse me," he said as the head cook, Jorsie, walked closer and her white hair was pulled into a tight bun.

"What can we do for you, My Prince?" she asked, looking at the boys. Loki explained what the boys had done as her brown eyes turned into tight slits and she crossed her arms under her large breasts. "Well, I think we have some pots that need cleaning."

"Thank you, Jorsie, " Loki said as he left the room and the boys looked at her.

"Follow me," she said then walked off and they followed her into the next room.

"Oh wow!" Vince said while they looked at the large stack of pots and pans on the counters and the large table in the center of the room and Jorsie handed them dish towels.

"The sinks are over there and the soap is under the counter," she said then left the room and the boys exchanged glances.

"Do you want to wash or dry?" Jorgy asked.

"I'll dry," Vince said and they headed for the first pile of pots and pans.

Jorgy sighed. "Well, that did not end like I thought it would but . . ."

"It was so worth it!" Vince grinned.

Jorgy chuckled. "It was! But oh, the _look_ on Dad's face!"

"Was priceless!" Vince agreed.

"I was a little worried when you hit those updrafts."

"Me, too. Then you told me it was like surfing."

"I still don't get how he found out."

"I think it was when I flew over him."

"You what?!"

"I didn't think he saw me," Vince said with a shrug then gasped when Jorgy flicked bubbles at him. Both of them laughed then went back to work and Jorgy winked at him.

One of the under maids gaped at the sight of the two princes with aprons on washing and drying the pots and pans. "What are THEY doing here?" she sputtered to another cook's helper.

"Jorsie said their father wants them to clean the pots and pans as punishment," the cook's helper said.

"What did they do?"

"I'm not sure, but I am amazed this was their punishment. If it had happened to Prince Loki, his father would have beaten him."

"True."

"What are you two whispering about?" Jorsie demanded as the under maid and the cook's helper looked at her and she glared at them.

"We were just wondering why the young princes are washing pots and pans," the maid said,

"And how it is amazing that this is their punishment instead of a beating," the cook's helper said.

Vince froze in the midst of drying a dish when he heard what the other woman said. "Jorgy? What do they mean? Dad would never hit us."

"True, Father would never raise a hand to us. But, when he was our age, he was beaten," Jorgy said.

Vince looked sick. "I never . . . he never really talked about growing up here too much. Who would want to if . . . if he was punished like old Grimes used to punish us when he was in a mood?" He wrung the dishtowel in his hands. "But Bestefar seems so . . . nice . . .how could . . .?"

"Bestefar is nice and would be hurt if you started being afraid of him."

"I...guess."

"Let's get back to work," Jorgy said and Vince nodded, handing him a dish.

A few hours later, Loki returned to the kitchen when he looked at the boys and the stacks of clean pots and pans.

"Have you learned your lesson?" he asked as they nodded and Jorsie walked closer.

"Hello, My Prince," she said with a curtsy.

"Hello," Loki said. "Did they behave themselves?"

"Oh yes! I never seen the pots look so bright."

"Good," he said and she walked away. Loki looked at Vince and Jorgy's hands when he saw how red and raw they looked and his stomach tightened.

"Father . . .?" Jorgy asked.

"Excuse me," Loki said as a hand maid looked at him and she wiped her hands with a towel. "I need a bowl of warm water and some cloths."

"Yes, My Prince," she said then went to get the bowl of water and some clean cloths.

"Hold out your hands," Loki said as the boys held their hands out and the hand maid placed the bowl of warm water and the cloths on the counter. He nodded as she walked away and Loki used a clean washcloth to wash their hands. He dried their hands off when he removed the jar of his green salve and placed some of the salve on their hands. He wrapped the cloths around their hands then tied the cloths and placed the jar of the green salve away. "Let's go."

They followed him out of the kitchen when he noticed the look on Vince's face and Loki arched his eyebrows down.

"What's wrong, Daredevil?" he asked and Vince glanced at him.

"Is it true Bestefar would have beaten you if he caught you doing what we did?"

Loki stopped as he looked at his sons and lowered his head.

"Why would you think he would do something like that?" he asked, looking up at them.

"We heard some of the staff talking," Jorgy said.

"Would he have done that?!" Vince asked with an angry tone.

Loki knew he was cornered as he sighed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Come with me, please," he said, and took them down the hall to his chambers. He should have known that he could not hide what he had endured during his childhood from his children, much as he disliked speaking about it. Every servant in the palace knew what had gone on when the king went into one of his rages, for they had lived in fear as much as he had.

The boys sat on the dark wood couch with green cushions as Loki walked to the fireplace and looked at the fire. He collected himself when he turned and looked at the boys.

"To start, the servants shouldn't have been talking about Bestefar or what he might or might not have done," Loki said.

"I tried to explain to Vince that Bestefar is a good person," Jorgy said.

"He is," Loki said, looking at Vincent. "But even good people have a breaking point."

"But you would never beat us," Vince said.

"Yes, but Bestefar isn't me nor am I him."

"Then why did he do it?"

"I have asked that question many times. At first, I thought it was due do my being Jotun."

"What does being half Frost Giant have anything to do with it?" Jorgy asked.

"It might have to do with the guilt of not being able to save my mother, Astra, when the Frost Giants took her. She was a dear friend to him and Bestemor," Loki said then paused. "Or his violent behavior toward me might be due to what happened to my little sister."

"You had a little sister?" Vince asked.

"Yes. Her name was Elayne Kirsten. She was three months old when she died of a sudden fever which swept the palace."

"Did you get ill as well, Father?"

"Yes, but I survived. So did Uncle Thor and Uncle Balder."

"Then why would Bestefar blame you for that?" Vince asked Loki.

 _He's right,_ Loki thought when something clicked in his head and he frowned.

"Dad, are you ok?"

"Yes, I just need to check on something," he said then headed for the door. He opened the door when he turned and looked at them. "Go to your rooms and write "I promise not to do something which will give Father a heart attack again." one hundred times. I want to see it written down on the front and back of the paper."

"Yes, Father," Jorgy said.

"Ok, Dad," Vince said and Loki left the room. Vince remained quiet for a few minutes when he leaned against the cushion and blinked.

"What are you thinking about, Bro?" Jorgy asked.

"If Bestefar regrets hurting Dad, do you think he really did it?" Vince asked.

"I don't understand."

"What if someone made him hurt Dad? What if he was being controlled like when Dad had to control Uncle Clint and Aunt Tasha? He told us someone called "The Other" made him do it."

"If he is, who is controlling him?"

"Maybe that's what Dad's trying to figure out. I just hope he can get rid of whoever's doing it. I like Bestefar the way he is."

"So do I," Jorgy said as they got up and left the room.

Loki knew he was taking a chance with what he wanted to do as he walked down the hallway and stood in front of the doors to Odin's study. He waved his hands as the door opened and he walked inside. The room was barely lit by the torches on the wall as he slowly entered the room and went to the bookcase to the left. He knew where his father kept his journals as he quickly scanned the spines of the journals then removed the journal with the year when his sister was born and sat down at the desk. He opened the journal and flipped through the pages. He found the page he was looking for then he blinked and titled his head to one side.

 _The fever still rages through the palace._

 _We have lost many servants, but what causes pain to my heart is the loss of my little daughter._

 _She fared worse than her brothers and we lost her._

 _My sweet little flower._

 _I only take grace in the fact her brothers will not be joining her in death._

 _I could not live without my brave Balder or my bright Thor._

 _Most of all, I could not live without my sweet Loki._

 _It would mean I had failed his mother and that is a guilt I would never be able to bear._

 _I love all my children with my heart and soul._

 _We will be having a funeral for my little flower on the morrow and I feel this is something Frigga will not recover from._

 _Oh, Norns, I am afraid I will lose her._

Loki re-read the words again then he closed the cover, stood up and placed the journal back on the shelf. He kept his fingers on the spine of the journal while he blinked the tears out of his eyes.

"Oh, Father, what happened to you?" he whispered then left the room and closed the doors behind him.

He returned to the beach and fetched the history book, going back to his room and reading it until he had finished it. The truth written in those pages made an icy chill grip his heart as he compared what had gone on in the days when Bors ruled Asgard and the laws that had been passed during Odin's own reign. The similarities were eerily frightening.

 _Nine Hells! If I didn't know better, I would think that my grandsire was ruling Asgard now. But he has been dead and dust upon the wind for over fifteen hundred years, since before I was born. And he was no Dark Mage to possess power enough to put his soul into a receptacle and cheat death. Or to ensure he lingered as a phantasm. Was there some other way to make sure his spirit survived his body's death?_

 _Perhaps I need to look in the castle Archives below the palace. But that place is a wreck because ever since the last Lorekeeper died no one has kept up with it and it is full of dust and totally disorganized. It will take me a week possibly longer to find what I seek, even with magic. But it is my best bet, since I no longer traffic with those of the Lefthand Path._

Serena sat on the bed as she tried to figure out how to get even with Vince and Hunter when she sighed and leaned against the pillows.

"Rena?" Max said as he came in the room and she looked at him.

"Hey, Max," she said and he walked to the bed. He climbed onto the bed as he handed her the piece of paper and she looked at the black kitty with the gold helmet. "What is this?"

"It's a Lokitty," Max said with a grin. "Do you like it?"

"I love it!" she said and placed the piece of paper on the night table then hugged him.

"Ack! You're squishing me!" he said and she giggled. Lucy and Aleta walked in the room as they headed for the bed and she let go of Max. "Hi!"

"Hi," Lucy said as they sat on the bed and looked at her.

"Are you all better now?" Aleta asked.

"Yeah," Serena said.

"Then why do you look angry?"

"Hunter and Vince sang THE SONG!"

"Oh no!" Lucy said.

"Daddy said no one was supposed to sing it," Max said.

"Sing what?" Belle said as she came into the room and walked to the bed."

"Hunter and Vince sang THE SONG!" Aleta said and Belle gasped.

"And they wouldn't stop until Dad made them," Serena said with a sigh.

"We need to get even!" Belle said.

"How?" Lucy asked.

Belle smirked wickedly, reminding them of their father. "Remember the time Dad decided to get even with Uncle Thor for eating all his Funny Bones without asking?"

Max giggled. "He made some Oreos that had mayonnaise filling in them and put them on a plate and left them out on the table when Uncle Thor was coming over. And Uncle Thor went and took two of them and ate them . . . then he spit them out all over the carpet!"

Serena grinned. "And he was all like, Loki there's something the matter with these Oreos! They taste disgusting!"

"And Dad ate one that wasn't filled with mayonnaise and says I don't know what you're talking about, Thor. They taste fine to me." Lucy recalled.

"That was the funniest!" Aleta laughed. "Nobody does pranks like Daddy!"

"Well, he _is_ the God of Mischief!" Serena snickered.

"I think we need to follow his example." Belle told them.

"You mean make mayonnaise Oreos?" her sisters asked.

"No, that's been done. We need to do it with something else." She pulled the uneaten apricot muffin from her satchel. "I know! We can do it with cupcakes! Now what shall we put inside it?"

"I know!" Max said, raising his hand. "We can use toothpaste!"

"Toothpaste?" Serena cried. "Max, that is brilliant!"

"That sounds just like something Daddy would do!" Aleta said and high fived him.

"But we need something that doesn't smell minty or they'll know we tampered with them," Lucy said.

"Especially Fenris," Max reminded them. "He can smell everything."

"I have strawberry flavored toothpaste!" Aleta said.

"Yeah, we can use that!" Serena said.

"But where do we get the cupcakes?" Lucy asked.

"We can go to the kitchen and see if they have any," Max said.

"Yeah!" Aleta agreed. "Loki's mommy Kara is the Head Pastry Chef and she said we can always ask her for sweets."

"Let's go!" Serena said as the siblings left the room and headed for the kitchen.

Kara was placing a cherry cobbler in the oven when she saw Aleta, Lucy, Max, Belle and Serena. She smiled and dusted the flour off her hands.

"Hello, children," she said.

"Hello," Serena said.

"Is there something you need?"

"May we please have a cupcake?" Aleta asked.

"If you made any," Max added.

"Well, it is a little close to dinnertime," Kara said.

"We'll save them for afterwards," Belle said.

Kara gave them a puzzled look when she folded her arms over her chest and frowned.

"I know when I am being tricked, dearies. What is going on?" she asked and the siblings looked at each other.

"Well...," Serena said when she explained and Kara sighed, rolling her eyes.

"By the Nine. Brothers. They are all alike."

"Your brothers used to tease you?" Belle asked.

"Oh yes!" she said with a nod then went to get four cupcakes. She tucked them in napkins when she handed the napkins to them and smiled. "Just be careful. Sometimes tricks don't always work out the way you plan."

"We'll be careful!" Belle said.

Kara watched them leaving when she softly laughed, shook her head and went back to work. _Loki, those are your children, all right!_

Aleta had gone back to her room to get the Strawberry Shortcake toothpaste she had brought with her and Serena placed the cupcakes on the table. Belle had found a small plate from Serena's lunch one of the hand maids had left on the table as she wiped the plate off with a towel and they looked at the cupcakes and the toothpaste.

"We're going to have to load only two of them and use the other two as proof there is nothing wrong with them," Belle said.

"We want the one with the blue icing," Aleta said and Max nodded.

"We'll take the one with the white chocolate icing," Serena said.

"How are we going to get the toothpaste in there?" Max asked.

"Hold on," Belle said when she picked up the knife she had found and carefully removed the icing from the top of the other two cupcakes. She placed the icing on the napkin when they used their fingers to scoop out the vanilla custard filling then Serena squeezed large globs of toothpaste in the holes. Belle placed the icing back on top of the cupcakes then cleaned the knife off and they smiled.

"Let's go find Hunter and Vince," Aleta said and they left the room

Fenris was playing a game on Nate's tablet when Vince entered the room and went to the desk and started writing his lines. His brother raised an eyebrow and watched for a moment, then said knowingly, "You got in trouble with Father, didn't you?"

"How'd you guess?" Vince snorted.

"Because I've had to write more lines than you can count," laughed the older boy.

"You mean he's done this to you too?"

"Yes. Last time he made me write I will not call my tutor a snaggle faced troll a hundred and fifty times. But usually it's only a hundred. The fifty was because I sassed him." Fenris admitted.

"You called Master Utred that?" Vince asked, still writing. "Thought you liked him?"

"Not him. The idiot before him." Fenris replied.

"Whoa," Vince said then told him what he and Jorgy did.

"By the Moon," Fenris sighed.

"We got off lucky. One of the servants said we would have been beaten like Dad was when he was a kid."

"Ah," he said with a nod. "I heard those stories. Didn't believe a word. Bestefar may have been harsh at times..."

Fenris paused when he thought of the times Odin was cruel to him then sighed.

"But he has always been a loving person."

"I get it," Vince said and started writing.

A short time later, Serena walked in the room with the plate with the cupcakes on it as she smiled and Lucy, Belle, Aleta and Max peeked around the door.

"Hey," Serena said as she walked to the desk and Vince looked at her.

"Hey," he said.

"Hello, Serena," Fenris said and she nodded at him.

"What's that?" Vince said as he looked at the cupcakes.

"One of the servants made me cupcakes and I thought you'd like one," Serena said.

"Isn't it almost dinnertime?"

"You can take a little bite and save the rest for later," she said and Fenris made his eyes into slits.

 _What are you up to?_ he thought when Aleta saw Hunter coming down the hallway and pointed for them to hide. They hid behind two planters as he walked in Vince's room and Serena smiled at him.

"Hey, guys, what's going on?" he asked.

"I have to write lines because Jorgy and I did something dumb," Vince said.

"What did you do?"

Vince told him as Hunter laughed and shook his head.

"What a dunce," he said and Vince stuck his tongue at him.

"Would you like a cupcake?" Serena asked as she showed Hunter the cupcakes.

"Sure," he said when Fenris sniffed the air and looked at the doorway.

"Hold on," he said as he walked to the doorway and looked out into the hallway. He saw Belle, Aleta, Max and Lucy as he wiggled his fingers for them to come in the room and they followed him inside.

"What is going on?" Hunter asked, looking at Aleta, Lucy, Belle and Max and Serena sighed.

"Nothing is going on," Serena said.

"Oh yeah?! How do we know you didn't do anything to those cupcakes?" Vince asked.

"Why would I do that?!"

"To get even for us singing THE SONG!"

"Is this true?!" Fenris asked.

"No," Serena said with a shake of her head. "If you don't believe me, try one."

Fenris looked at the cupcakes when he picked up the cupcake with the blue icing. He sniffed the icing when he bit into the cupcake and Aleta and Max smiled at the icing on his nose. He wiped his nose with the back of his hand as he chewed and tasted the blueberry filling.

"See?!" Serena said with wide eyes and he nodded, finishing the cupcake.

"What about that one?" Vince asked, pointing to the one with chocolate icing. Smiling, Serena picked up the cupcake then took a bite and she showed them the vanilla custard filling.

"See? They're fine," Serena stated

"It's not like the time you spit in Anne Marie Norton's salad," Lucy recalled.

"I had to! She called Serena a Resource Room Reject!" Vince defended.

"It was still gross," Serena said.

Sighing, Vince picked up one cupcake while Hunter picked up the other cupcake and they took a bite.

"Hey, these are really good," Hunter said,

"Yeah. Tastes like strawberry cream," Vince said.

"Close," Belle said and Lucy giggled.

"Hunh?"

"It's strawberry toothpaste!" Max said.

"Oh yuck!" Hunter said, dropping the cupcake on the floor.

"Well, looks like you were right. They did do something," Fenris said as he started laughing.

"It's not funny," Vince said.

"Yeah," Hunter said then frowned. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I wasn't sure until I remembered Aleta telling me she uses strawberry flavored toothpaste to brush her teeth," he said then laughed harder.

"Do you promise to never sing that song again?!" Serena asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"Yeah!" Hunter said.

"We promise!" Vince said.

"Good," she said as she, Max, Aleta, Belle and Lucy left the room.

"I think I'm over eating cupcakes," Hunter said as he left the room and Fenris looked at Vince.

"This has not been a good day, has it?" Fenris asked.

"Nope," Vince said and went back to writing the lines. "But it was a good trick."

"Father would be proud," he said and Vince nodded.

 **A/N: Hope you all liked and thanks for all the wonderful reviews last chapter!**

 **TY, ninewood!**


	10. Conditions and Discoveries

**10**

 **Conditions and Discoveries**

 _Sometimes you can discover something that has been hidden away for a thousand years when you least expect it~ Loki_

Rhiannon twisted her hands in the folds of her skirt, trying to come up with a way to phrase her request that would not further irritate her volatile employer. Malius was abrupt, cold, and aloof to her on his best day. On his worst he was a tyrant. She had learned the best way to avoid his displeasure—and a beating—was to stay out of his sight. Yet now she must put herself in the path of the vicious noble in order to have any chance of attending the prince's welcome ball. She felt sweat trickle down the back of her neck. _Norns give me courage . . . and protect me from Malius' wrath._

She hated the fact that she had to beg and grovel for the least bit of time off. But that was how it was in the Royal Infirmary since Eir had retired and Malius had taken her place. Lord Malius was a noble and he never let any of the commoners—especially not a common female Healer—forget it.

She had made sure that her rounds were completed and the ward scrubbed as Mythal had instructed her to do before coming to his office. She also made sure that Mythal was nowhere around, because two of them were more than she could handle. Malius was, at present, having a drink and some lunch in his office, hopefully in a relaxed mood. It was the best she could hope for.

Sending up another prayer to the Norns, she turned the handle of the door and entered the office.

It was a posh office for someone who was a Healer, even the Head of the infirmary. It had the best furnishings and fine art on the walls and a soft rug imported from Alfheim on the stone floor. Plus expensive swirled glow lamps that would brighten and dim on command—lamps which cost a pretty penny for a mage to enchant. There was a bookshelf along the wall with the latest medical journals and treatises and anatomy books, but other than that, no one would have connected this office with that of Healer.

Malius was sitting in a plush armchair that looked like it had come out of a drawing room at the palace (it actually had), eating a thick steak, some parslied potatoes, carrots and a raspberry crumble along with a tall glass of ale.

Rhiannon felt her stomach rumble. She had only eaten stale bread and hard cheese for breakfast and no lunch and the smell from the tray was driving her insane. Her mouth watered and she swallowed sharply.

"Are you just going to stand there or are you going to tell me what you want!?" Malius demanded and she jumped from being startled.

Rhiannon: I was wondering... if I... if I could please have an early dismissal from my duties Friday.

"May I ask why?"

"I... I was invited to the Royal Ball."

Malus made a deep laugh and nearly choked on what he was eating and took a long sip of wine.

"Who, in their right minds, would invite someone like you to the ball?!"

"Forgive me, my lord," she stammered. "The prince himself invited me." She showed him the invitation.

Malius took the invitation from her as he read the information and his eyebrows lowered. He tried to see if it was a forgery, but he had seen Loki's handwriting before and it was a match. He knew Loki would be furious if he refused to let her go, but to make Loki look like a fool was too tempting.

"No, you are not going," he said, handing her the invitation/

Rhiannon paled. "But, my lord . . . the prince will be angry if I cannot attend."

Malius hissed in annoyance. "Damn Trickster! Very well. You may go-IF you finish all your duties before Friday night." He gave her a malicious smirk.

"Yes, my lord," she said with a nod and he waved his hand in dismissal. She bowed as she left the room and he smiled.

 _We shall see about that, little pet!_ he thought. Then he ate some more of his steak, his wicked mind coming up with a dozen ways to prevent the commoner wench from getting finished in time to attend that ball.

 _Loki's chambers:_

Loki woke to the sound of birdsong as he slowly opened his eyes and breathed in the cool air. Yawning, he moved the bedding back as he got up and stretched. His bones popped as he moved his head side to side and scratched the back of his head. He was surprised none of the kids had woke him, but he wasn't complaining and smiled. He then saw a piece of paper under the door when he walked to the door, knelt down and picked up the piece of paper. He walked to the window as he opened the piece of paper and smiled.

 _My Prince_

 _I have received your invitation and will be honored to accompany you to the ball._

 _Rhiannon_

Loki grinned, feeling strangely elated. He wasn't even sure why he felt that way. Yet he found the thought of Rhiannon being at his welcome ball very pleasing indeed. The Healer had been kind to Serena and Fenris. And he was happy he could get her away from that toad Malius for a night and let her enjoy herself.

He padded to his wardrobe and opened it, selecting the clothing he wished to wear for that day. He knew that normally a prince would have a valet to select his clothes and lay them out and assist—if necessary—in dressing. But he had always felt foolish relying on someone else to do what he could do himself. After all, he wasn't a five-year-old! So he had managed to get his valet a new post when he was thirteen and convince Frigga he did not need one.

He pulled out a set of soft trousers that laced up the side in a forest green shade. He matched it with a silk shirt in a creamy ivory and over it went a sleeveless tunic of gold with green trim. He picked out his favorite green and black jacket and a pair of knee high boots.

He had just finished dressing and combing his hair, using some gel he had brought to keep it from running wild, when a knock came at the door.

"Who is it?"

"My prince, it is Sorya, with breakfast," called a maid.

"Right on time," he greeted and opened the door for her.

She wheeled a cart into the room and placed a tray upon his sitting room table. Removing the cover, he saw a plate filled with bacon, crispy potatoes and scrambled eggs with chives and cheese. There was also a broiled tomato. And a pot of coffee.

"Thank you, Sorya," he smiled at the girl.

"You are welcome, sir," the maid bobbed a cutsey before leaving.

Loki sat down at the table. "This looks so good!" Then he picked up his fork and began to eat.

He had just finished when Max came into the room. "Morning, Dad!"

Loki held out his arms and the little boy ran into them. "Morning, imp! Did you sleep okay? No nightmares?" This was a question he always asked his son because sometimes the stress of being in a new place caused him to have bad dreams.

"No. I slept fine."

"Good. Do you have anything you wish to do today?"

"Fenris says there's a mommy setter in the kennels that had a litter of puppies six weeks ago and they're just walking and Aleta and I wanna go see them. Fen says the dog is called Featherfoot and she used to be your dog when you used to live here."

"He's right. Featherfoot was my dog. I hunted birds with her. She was the best bird dog. When I left Asgard I asked Fenris to take care of her," Loki recalled. The beautiful white and red spotted setter was sweet and gentle, and he hoped would be a companion for his youngest son while he was gone.

"Can we go see the puppies?" Max asked, picking up a bit of bacon then nibbled on it.

"Yes, we can," Loki said, taking a final sip of coffee then stood up with his son in his arms.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the kennels as Fenris smiled at them and placed his hands behind his back.

"Hello," Fenris said with a small bow.

"Hello," Loki said.

"Where are the puppies!?" Aleta asked and Loki rolled his eyes.

"They're right over here," Fenris said as they walked to the kennel and went inside. Featherfoot was in a large wooden pen with a large bowl for water and another large bowl for food and a soft green carpet covered the floor. A dog door was at the back of the pen so she could go outside and a bed made of soft lambs wool was to the right. She looked at them as the puppies slept next to her and Loki smiled.

"Hello, Friend," she said in dog speak.

"Hello, Little Mother," he said with smile. "Is this a good time for us to visit?"

"Of course," she said and Fenris opened the gate.

Loki led the toddlers closer as Featherfoot sniffed them then Loki knelt down to scratch her ears.

"May I ask who the father is?"

"It was Softpaw."

"Ah, yes. that is Tyr's dog. Has he come to see the puppies?"

"He saw them yesterday," she said and looked at the puppies.

There were six of them, curled inbetween her paws and beside her. Some were white with red spots while others were pure mahogany or a light reddish brown, like their father.

"Can we touch them?" Aleta asked and Featherfoot looked at her. One of the light reddish brown puppies was awake as he yawned and scooted toward Aleta. He sniffed her foot as she looked at Loki and he nodded.

Aleta carefully picked up the puppy. She held the puppy in her arms and the small setter looked at her.

"He's so cute!" Aleta said.

"We can't keep him or Odin will be jealous," Max said, wagging a finger at her.

"I know!" she said with an eye roll.

"Do they have names?" she asked Loki.

"I don't know," Loki said then looked at Featherfoot. "What are their names?"

"I haven't decided yet," Featherfoot said. "Would the little ones like to name them?"

"She hasn't decided yet," Loki said, looking at the toddlers. "Would you like to name them?"

"Yeah!" Max said.

"Yes!" Aleta said then looked at the puppy she was holding. "This one is Copper!"

"How many boys and girls are there?" Max asked.

"Is that one a boy or a girl?" Max asked, pointing to the mahogany one.

"She is female," Featherfoot said.

"She's a girl," Loki said and the puppy got up and walked to Max. Max hadn't heard her coming and thought.

"Her name is Shadowpaw," he said and the puppy barked, wagging her tail in approval. She settled down next to Max and Loki felt like a familiar feeling go through him.

 _That's what happened when I met Featherfoot_ , he thought then shook his head.

"There are three of each," Fenris said, answering Max' question.

The other mahogany, a boy, walked to Aleta as he whimpered to be picked up and she placed Copper down. She looked at him after picking him up and she saw a little white star shape on his chest and smiled.

"Your name is Star Jumper," Aleta said and he yelped in agreement.

A red and white puppy yawned and stretched, sitting up and looking around.

"That is my other son," Featherfoot told Loki.

The two white and red girl puppies walked closer then looked at the toddlers and sat. One of them had an almost red head and the other had red dots spread over her fur.

"This one is Red Hood," Max said, pointing to the puppy with the almost red head.

"This one is Freckles," Aleta said.

Max looked at her smallest son as the puppy lifted his head and howled.

"Why did he do that?"

"He always howls when he wakes up," Featherfoot said and Loki smiled.

"Then his name is Howler!" Max said and Howler's ears perked up. Howler ran to him when he sat down next to Shadowpaw and Max patted his head.

"Do you like your names?" Featherfoot asked.

"Yes!" the puppies said together.

"Would you like to play with us?" Shadowpaw asked, looking up at Max.

"She wants to play," Loki said.

"Is that alright?" Aleta asked.

"Of course," Featherfoot said. "Only do not play roughly with Loki's puppies," she told her offspring.

"We won't, Mama!" barked Shadowpaw. She trotted over to a corner of the pen and retrieved a soft rubber blue ball. Her tail wagging, she brought it to Max. "Play!"

"Yes, Mama," the puppies said. Fenris went to get some toys for them to play with as he placed the box on the floor and the toddlers smiled. Loki stood back as he watched them playing with the puppies then sat down next to Featherfoot.

"Your little boy reminds me of us when we first met," Featherfoot said and Loki nodded. Shadowfoot and Howler were trying to get the two pull rope toys Max was holding onto as they growled and wiggled their bottoms. Aleta laughed as Red Hood and Freckles fetched the balls she tossed and Copper and Star Jumper were fighting over a toy fox.

"No fighting! You have to share!" Aleta said with a stern look and they lowered their heads.

Max picked up the ball as he tossed it and Shadowpaw ran after the ball.

"You have a fine family," Loki told the setter, stroking her silky ears.

"Thank you," Featherfoot said modestly. "Are these your only pups?"

"No, I have seven more," he said and her eyes went wide.

"Then you know how tiring it is."

"Yes, I do," he said with a smile when Star Jumper ran to him with the toy fox in his mouth. He placed the toy fox at Loki's feet and Loki picked the toy fox up. "Very good."

He patted the puppy's head then tossed the toy fox and Star Jumper ran, hopped over Copper and caught the toy fox.

"He will be a great hunter," Featherfoot said.

"I agree," Loki said.

"Show off," Copper said when he jumped onto Star Jumper's back and Star Jumper yelped. They growled and started play fighting when Loki stood up and placed his hands on his hips.

"That will be enough," he said with a stern tone Aleta and Max knew well and the puppies whimpered.

"Sorry," Copper said, gently nudging his brother. They ran off to play with something else as Featherfoot panted and Loki smiled.

"You are very good at this," she said.

"I had a lot of practice," Loki said and patted her head.

Fenris chuckled. "All pups know to mind the Alpha."

"Even you, Master Sass?" Loki asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, Father. Only sometimes I have memory lapses."

Loki softly laughed as he ruffled the back of Fenris' head and Fenris shrugged.

"And you knew what happens when you do lapse."

"Yes, I do," he said with a nod

"Do you get Time Out too?" Aleta asked, throwing the ball for Copper.

"Sort of," Fenris said, not knowing if they would like the idea of Loki pinning him down until he acknowledged him as Alpha.

Copper and Star Jumper walked back to their mother when they curled up next to her, yawned and drifted off to sleep. Red Hood and Freckles were next as they settled next to their brothers, but Shadowfoot and Howler wanted to keep playing.

"Aren't you two tired?" Featherfoot asked.

"Nope," Shadowpaw said.

"Not tired," Howler said, catching the ball and returned the ball to Max.

"Your mother says it's time to sleep," Loki said as he gave the puppies a stern look and the puppies walked to their mother. They curled up next to each other near her when they placed their chins on their paws, closed their eyes and Featherfoot looked at Loki.

"Thank you. I usually have a hard time getting those two to sleep," she said.

"Glad I could help," he said as he stood up and looked at the toddlers. "I guess we have to go now."

"Ok, Daddy," Aleta said.

"May we come back and play with them tomorrow?" Max asked.

Featherfoot wagged her tail. "Yes, you may. I have enjoyed your company." She licked their fingers when they petted her.

"That was fun, Daddy," Aleta said.

"Yeah," Max said. "I really like Shadowpaw and Howler."

"They really like you, too," Loki said.

"I hope Odin won't mind we were playing with them," Aleta said.

"No, he won't mind," he said and they headed for the palace.

They saw a tall man wearing a blue tunic and brown leather pants with an ornate breastplate coming towards them. He had reddish brown hair and sharp blue eyes. He looked to be about forty, which meant he was probably over two thousand. He had a sword at his belt and a brace of daggers.

"Hello, Loki," he greeted the magician prince. "I take it you've seen Featherfoot's litter?"

Loki looked up. "Hello, Tyr," he greeted the general. "Aleta, Max, this is General Tyr, the head of the Asgardian army."

"Why is your beard so long? Did too many people pull it?" Aleta asked.

"Aleta!" Loki groaned. "Forgive my youngest, Tyr. She . . . uh . . . has a habit of asking awkward questions."

"That is alright," Tyr said with a laugh.

"What happened to your right hand?" Max asked.

"I lost it in battle."

"Does it hurt?" Aleta asked frankly.

"No, it doesn't hurt."

"So, where are you headed?" Tyr asked.

"We went to see Featherfoot's puppies," Aleta said.

"We got to name them," Max said.

"We already have a dog though," Aleta told him.

"His name is Odin," Max said and Tyr's eyes widened.

"I bet the AllFather was pleased to hear about that," Tyr said.

"He was," Loki said. He knew Tyr had been at the end of one of Odin's violent outbursts over nothing and wondered if he could help shed light on what was going on with his father.

"Why don't you two see if Kara has some cookies for you to eat as a snack?" Loki suggested. "I need to talk for a bit with Tyr."

"Ok, Daddy!" Aleta and and she and Max headed for the kitchen. The God of War looked at Loki then folded his arms over his chest and frowned.

"What do you wish to talk to me about?" Tyr asked.

"Tyr, how long has my father been . . . behaving oddly? You've known him since he first took the throne from Bors." Loki began.

"I...,," Tyr said then paused. He knew the punishment for talking ill about Odin, but he saw real concern in Loki's eyes. "It was shortly after your sister's death."

"My mother agrees. But do you know when it first began? I was too young to recall it. Was it when he woke from the Sleep?"

"I would say yes. I understand his grief over losing her, but he was so cold at times after he woke up. We marked it down to his pain and accepted his moods."

"Anything else?"

"He would behave very rudely toward your mother. He never hit her, but he would insult her and yell at her for no reason."

Loki frowned. "That is so . . .unlike him. I remember the way he was before Lanie was born. He was always so . . . kind to her."

"Yes, he was."

"Why do you look so sad?" Loki asked after seeing pain in the God of War's eyes.

"There are rumors of his blaming your mother for your sister's death."

"That's . . ." Loki shook his head. "Mother wasn't responsible for a sickness that nearly killed all of us. You know how these plagues usually work. The very old and sick and the very young usually die first because they can't fight off the infection."

"I do know, but that is what some were saying. I told them it was rubbish and to stop spreading lies immediately."

Loki lowered his eyelids slightly as he pursed his lips and Tyr wondered what he was thinking.

"My prince?"

"I want to thank you, Tyr. You've been a big help."

"With what?"

"Do I have your word you will not repeat what I am about to tell you?"

"If it is the truth, yes."

Loki sighed over the mistrust Tyr had, but forgot about it and sighed.

"I believe Odin is being controlled."

"He is being controlled?"

"Yes, or it is some sort of possession."

The general gaped at him. "How would you tell?"

"His mood swings, for one. He has been known for his temper, but his being cruel one minute then kind the next doesn't seem right. He also has headaches when he wakes up."

"Is that normal?"

"No, it's not."

Tyr lowered his voice. "Once he said . . . he couldn't remember saying something after he flew into one of his rages. And he wasn't drunk."

"I see," Loki said with a nod.

"What should we do?"

"You are to do nothing. I, on the other hand, have a few ideas. I just need time to find out if I am right or not."

"I will keep silent," Tyr said with a nod.

"Thank you."

"You know about these things, Archmage. I am a warrior. Show me a town, I can defend it. Give me an army, I can fight with it. I know strategy and tactics and the best way to win a war. But this . . . mysticism is your domain, Loki."

Loki watched Tyr walk away as he sighed and wondered how he was going to prove Odin was either being controlled by someone or if he was truly possessed. He did, however, had a clue. Odin's mood and mind changed after Lanie's death.

Sighing, Loki walked toward the palace when he headed for the Archives and pushed the doors open.

The room was in the lower level of the palace and used to be a place where many scribes and archivists gathered to catalogue and record all the history of Asgard, as well as stories and poetry. But that was when Kennet, the last Lorekeeper, was alive and before that. But after he passed without an heir to his position, the Archives fell into disarray as the scribes left or were reassigned. Now it was a sorry sight.

"Where to start?" Loki sighed as he walked to the first stack of books, scrolls and papers. His hands were soon covered in dirt, dust and grim as he puffed out a breath of air and balled his hands into fists. He moved by large lines of shelves as the torchlight flickered from the torches in iron holders and a mouse or rat scurried over the top of the shelves. He checked a few books, but they were no help and he leaned against the wall. He was about to give up when his eyes caught a small book with a leather cover sitting alone on the corner of a shelf a few feet above him and he used his telekinetic powers to lift him off the floor. He reached for the small book when he looked at the gold lettering and an emerald was encased in a gold coiled snake on the cover.

He lowered himself to the floor as he looked at the book and the emerald seemed to be glowing in its own light. He carefully opened the cover as he looked at the ancient writing and he slowly blinked his eyes.

The writing was in the Old Tongue and Loki walked to one of the chairs, sitting down.

The parchment was so old it almost cracked under his fingers. He muttered a spell to preserve the paper so he could read without fear of tearing a page.

He snapped his fingers and a ball of witchlight came to hover over him so he could read easily.

He checked the list of chapters on the third page when he saw a section about possession and he gently flipped the pages. He found the chapter as he started reading and his eyes widened.

Many of the signs matched those his father exhibited. The book also mentioned that there were different types of possession, depending upon whether the spirit was a lesser or greater one. The lesser ones could be banished by a ritual and water from the holy temple. But a greater spirit would not be cast out by such means. Those needed a powerful worker of magic able to travel into the Astral to fight the spirit in its own domain and to bring a Lorekeeper with them to perform the Spell of Unbeing. The spell was something only a Lorekeeper could cast because it was part of their mastery.

"There are specters known as revenants, they are the unquiet spirits of vengeful people who were filled with anger and hatred in life. Those are the most deadly, for they can hide within a host for untold years and slowly twist the host's mind."

Loki paled and continued reading.

"The revenant's possession is the hardest to detect, for it is not like that of the lesser ghosts. The signs are not obvious-like tremors or rolling of eyes or passing out and speaking in a different voice. No, the revenant is clever and can influence the host so subtly he would not even know it."

"Oh, Father," Loki thought and kept reading.

"The longer a revenant remains within the host, the harder it is to remove without harming the host permanently. The host may also fight removal if he or she is awake to do so. So this must be done while the host sleeps, to avoid fighting a battle on two fronts."

"Does this mean we would have to wait for Father to go into OdinSleep?" Loki thought.

Loki read the rest of the pages then carefully closed the book and stood up. He held the book in his hand as he headed for the stairs and left the Archives. Now he knew what was wrong with his father, but what he didn't know is who or what the revenant was.

"Whoever you are, whatever you are, you will not win. I _will_ free my father of your stench! This, I swear!" he vowed and continued down the hallway.

 _The Infirmary:_

Rhiannon stood with her hands folded in front of her as Mythal lectured her and another younger Healer's aide about performing their duties adequately.

"Now, here are the lists of what Lord Malius expects from you for the next three days." Mythal said crisply. She handed each of them a sheet of parchment.

Rhiannon glanced down at hers in dismay.

The list was almost the full length of the paper. It had her normal duties upon it and then added ones like gathering soporific seed pods, which took forever because a plant only had four pods and one must be left to allow more to be produced. Then there was recataloging all the medical records, emptying the bed pans, and being on duty for both the graveyard shift and the morning one. Plus stripping all the beds, rolling bandages, and other chores that normally were given to the orderlies that assisted in the infirmary.

Rhiannon opened her mouth to ask why she was given tasks that any orderly would be assigned.

Mythal glanced at her sharply. "You have a question, Healer Lyr?"

Rhiannon closed her mouth. She knew if she questioned the orders Mythal would probably give her more out of spite.

"No Madam, I will get to my tasks immediately."

Mythal smiled coldly. "See that you do. Dismissed." She waved them away.

Rhiannon went, determining to start gathering the seed pods first. She went to the closet and pulled down a gathering basket and gloves.

 _So much to do and so little time. How will I ever be able to complete all this by Friday night? And I still need to sew a dress for the ball._

 ** _Several hours later:_**

Rhiannon cut out a pattern by the light of two candles, keeping the design simple yet elegant. She had not the time nor the funds to do something more fancy and she had been lucky that she had gotten this bolt of emerald silk at a discounted price because half of it had gotten damaged by mice. And the dressmaker had been nice enough to throw in the beautiful lace for free along with some gold buttons and satin ribbon.

She hummed an old song her mother used to sing as she worked, thanking the Norns that she had kept her mother's old book of dress patterns. The dresses were old but they were not outdated, and she hoped that this dress would be something Loki would approve of.

 _A/N: **Hope you all liked this update! As you can see, Rhiannon is up against a lot of nastiness but hopefully she can prevail-perhaps with the aid of a certain Archmage? *winks***_

 ** _As always, all your reviews and follows are greatly appreciated!_**

 ** _This story takes longer to update because of it's complexity. So while you are waiting please feel free to read my new one-shot in this verse Loki Where's My Snickers? and also a story with Kid Loki from Journey into Mystery comics called The Gift of Friendship. It features an all new perspective of Loki and his BFF Brenna, who is herself more than what she seems._**

 ** _Thank you! -SGKMF_**


	11. The Impossible List

**11**

 **An Impossible List**

 _The most impossible task can be made possible with the help of a friend~ Loki_

Rhiannon looked at the partially finished dress and sighed, there was still so much for her to do and she trembled with exhaustion. The list was still very long, and there was only one day left. She had not even finished cutting the pieces to pin them together. She sighed, closing the door and walked back to the infirmary, so tired that her eyelids keep drooping.

She began scrubbing the floor, kneeling and leaned against a pillar, her eyes closing and she fell asleep. A loud crack followed by a stinging on her back woke her and she cried out in pain. Malius stands over her, his strap in his hand.

"Lazy girl! I should beat you worse! Falling asleep at your duties!" Malius shouted at her, waving the strap inches from her nose. She ducked, holding her hands over her head and shook.

"I am sorry Sir, it will not happen again." She whimpered and went back to scrubbing the floor.

"Fall asleep again, and you will be very sorry, you lazy wretch." Malius warned, Rhee trembling as she scrubbed at the floor. Every inch was soon gleaming and she moved on to the next task, her sad lunch of stale bread and a cut of cheese arriving. She wrapped them both in a handkerchief, tucking them into her pocket and sighing. The list was no shorter, and she feared that she will have to write a letter rejecting Loki's invitation to the ball.

She began the next task, wanting nothing more than to finish her list magically and be back working on her dress. But there was still so much to be done, and so little time left.

Lunch came, and she was starving. She left the infirmary and walked to a quiet place in the garden, she sat alone and ate the cheese. She remembered the date suddenly, the day her mother died protecting her from a vrekat attack and wept into her hands.

 _Loki's bedchamber_

Loki stood stone still while the tailor adjusted the waistcoat and Loki looked into the full length mirror. The waistcoat was a soft velvet with gold buttons on the cuffs and down the front and gold trim around the cuffs and the bottom of the waistcoat.

"You look amazing, My Prince," the tailor said.

"I guess," Loki said. He hated the idea of wearing something which costs more than the tailor made in a year and would have just worn one of his dark suits.

"Is there something wrong with it?" he asked with fear in his voice. He knew disobeying a royal or a noble could be the end of his career, or his life, and Loki saw the fear in his eyes.

"No, there's nothing wrong," he said in an reassuring voice and the tailor nodded.

He looked out the window, hearing a small sound from the garden and looked at himself in the mirror again.

"It is very fitting, I will change and ensure you are paid well for these clothes."

"Thank you, My Prince," the tailor said with a smile. "I wager you will need guards at the ball.

The ladies of the court will be flocking all over you."

"Or they will run away once they learn I have so many children," Loki said with a smile.

"There is nothing wrong with having a large family. I, myself, come from a family of ten."

"You are quite wealthy then." The small noise comes in again and the Tailor checked to see what it was.

"A girl is crying out there, I will have the guards remove her." The tailor offerd, opening his hands for the coat.

"Really?!"

"Yes," he said with a nod. "My family have served the palace for generations."

"For...generations," Loki thought.

"Do you have any memories of my grandfather?"

"Uh... Yes, I do, but it is not something we talk of."

"Why?"

"He was a...difficult man. My grandfather often spoke in whispers about how he ruled with an iron fist. Once your father became the AllFather, things were different."

Loki removed the waistcoat with a nod when he handed the waistcoat to the tailor then ran to the door. He opened the door when he saw Rhiannon sitting on the floor and ran to her.

She looked up, fear crossing her face and backed away. The last of her meal tumbling off her lap to the floor. "I am so sorry, sir. I will not disturb you, please don't have me beaten."

Loki knelt down when he picked up the remains of her last meal and sat next to her.

"You should know by now that I would never raise a hand against anyone," Loki said.

"I am sorry again then. I meant not to insult you. May I have my lunch back?"

Loki handed the food to her when she placed the food in her pocket and he looked at her.

"Now, tell me. Why were you crying?"

Rhiannon looked deeply into his green eyes when she sighed and lowered her head.

She sniffed, curling a frayed edge of her apron around her finger. "I do not know where to start, sir."

"Take your time," he said with soft eyes.

"Today... Today is the day my mother died," she said.

"How did she die?"

"She was protecting me from the beast. I was playing as we enjoyed a picnic together, and it stalked me. She saw it and fought the beast, but I was still hurt... and she died." She hid her face in her hands, crying again.

Loki placed his hand on her shoulder and waited for her to stop crying.

"Is...? Is that where the scar on your cheek came from?" he asked and she nodded.

"I was always called a freak or a monster. That no man would ever want me," she said, wiping her cheeks with her hand. He made a white handkerchief appear when he handed it to her and she nodded.

She wiped her eyes then blew her nose and was surprised when he slid his arm around her shoulders.

"What else?" Loki asked.

She took the list out of her pocket, handing it to him.

"I cannot accept your invitation to the ball. I am very sorry, but my chores are not done, and all I have is this dress."

He looked at the list and the poor sketch of the dress as anger and rage moved through him and she backed away.

"I am sorry," she said, getting up. He stood when he took her hand and she noticed how his hand fit perfectly over hers.

"No, you are still going to the ball," Loki said with a small growl.

"How?!"

She shook in fear, recognizing the look and her fingers gripped at the stone of the castle. She knew when a noble was mad, she would be getting a lash.

"Sir. I have no gown or clothes save what is on my back. And I have much left to do."

She pulled away from him, as much as her heart pounded to feel his embrace, she had to get back to her work.

"I should get back Sir. I should not have disturbed you."

"Wait!" he said, but she ran off.

She ran back toward the infirmary, her worn shoe heel breaking and making her tumble over, she rolled down a small hill and came to rest near a fountain. Her backside aching from the fall and she laid in the grass crying again.

"Spite!" She cursed, taking the broken shoe off her foot and throwing it. "Why does fate hate me so?"

She rested her head against the fountain, lifting her skirts to her knee and seeing it oozing blood slowly. Her dress is torn at the elbow, and some boning has snapped in her corset. She hung her head, trying not to cry more, but it does no good. She looked back up the hill and saw birds eating her lunch.

"No! That is all I get for the rest of the day! Shoo!"

She chased away the birds as they squawked and she picked up the remains.

 _Loki's chambers_

Loki turned on his heels when he headed back into his chambers and the tailor looked at him. Loki stormed over to him as the tailor backed away and Loki frowned.

"How quickly can you make a gown!?" he asked.

"Is this for one of your daughters?" the tailor asked.

"No! It is for my escort," he said as he looked at the list and sketch. "It needs to look like this."

The tailor took the sketch as he looked at the dress and saw the measurements.

"I can do it immediately," he said with a nod.

"Then you better get going," he said and the tailor nodded. "Bring the gown here once it is done."

"Yes, My Prince," he said with a bow and the tailor left the room.

Sighing, Rhee reached into her pocket when she realized she had forgotten the list and the sketch and more tears rolled down her cheeks.

Getting up, she headed down the path, her knee throbbing.

She limped along the path searching for it and worried, the list on her mind. Picking up her ruined shoe and not finding it, she sat next to the fountain using some of the water to wash her knee. She poured the water over it, peeling back her wool stocking and hissing at the pain.

"I will need medicine for this later." She sighed, tearing a bit of her petticoat to bind the wound.

Her tears fell freely now, because she knew that she will be beaten for losing the list and she turned the old shoe over in her hands. Shoes cost money, as do dresses, and she now had neither.

She did not see Loki walking toward the infirmary, her head low and she bruised from her fall. He saw her however, crying and alone near the fountain.

He saw the broken shoe in her hand and she took the remains of her food out of her pocket, she saw how badly the birds have pecked at it and she cast it aside, the hard and stale bread clattering loudly. "Nothing for me again. Am I truly this cursed?"

"Healer Lyr!" She heard her name shouted at her and she sees Malius rounding a hedge and walking toward her. She stood in fear, bowing her head and shaking as he waved his strap at her. "Get back to your duties, girl!"

He brought the strap across her back twice and she yelped with the pain, he raised it again and this time it wrapped around her waist and she nearly screamed.

"Please Sir! No more, I lost my list of duties and need a new one." She cried out, and he raged at her.

"A lost duty list earns you thirty lashes! You know this rule." Malius shouted at her and he brought the lash painfully across her back again. She screamed, fighting the urge to run and took the next blow that came.

Malius reached back to strike her again, her breath becoming shaky when a hand closed around his wrist and another tore the lash from his hand.

"I am sorry, sir. Please no more." She begged and the blow never came, she looked up to see Loki glaring at the man in anger and she grabbed her fallen shoe and backed away from the two men. She clutched the shoe to her chest, praying that she would not earn any more lashes.

Loki picked up the other man by the collar and lifted him off the ground. "I thought I made it very clear last time we spoke that you were to stop beating your Healers!" Loki spat. "Perhaps you weren't listening?"

Malius' eyes almost bugged out from his head. "I . . . I . . . P-Prince Loki . . .!"

Loki shook the other man like a terrier shakes a rat. "If . . . you . . . ever . . .hit . . . Rhiannon . . . or . . . any .. . other . . .. common . . . Healer again . . ." He punctuated each word with a shake. "I will take this damn whip and I will use it on YOU and then I will shove it up your ass! AM I CLEAR?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" Malius whimpered, practically wetting himself in terror.

Rhiannon watched them, cradling her shoe like a kitten. She shook and slid to the ground along the wall and tried to stay small and quiet. Malius glared at her when Loki let him go, telling her that she just breathed her last breath.

"One other thing. Nobody tells MY escort that she cannot attend MY welcome ball. She will be going, tomorrow night, I will have a carriage sent around, and the only thing you will be doing is watching her leave. Do anything to her, or have someone else do anything, and I will come back here and turn you into a goat! Understand?"

"Yes My Prince." He replied, bowing his head and glaring back at the wounded girl.

"Watch yourself, my Lord. Because I have a cell all picked out for you. And the rats would welcome your company. Remember what happened the last time a noble thought they could harm someone I care about? Yes? Good! Keep remembering it! Because I will know everything you do." Loki sneered. "I know what you eat for breakfast and when you go to sleep-and with whom! So don't cross me, Malius. Or you will regret it!"

He set the other man down. "Leave. Now. Before I change my mind and put you out to pasture!"

Malius left, hurrying away without his strap. Loki glared at the vile thing in his hand, Rhiannon shaking and trying to push through the wall behind her.

"I am sorry Sir, please no more." She dropped to her knees and hissed in pain from the scraped one.

Loki snapped the whip in half and then made it vanish. He sighed. Then he looked over at the scared Healer and said in a reassuring tone, "Sorry if I scared you. But I needed to put the fear of Hel into that bastard so he leaves you alone when I am gone and so does anyone who is under him."

She hugged her shoe tighter, not knowing what to say. "I lost my duty list, the punishment is thirty lashes."

Loki's eyebrows rose into his hair. "For losing a piece of PAPER? Forgive me, but that is utterly insane! Besides, you didn't lose it-I have it here." He pulled it from his pocket. "Please, let me heal you. It will take barely two minutes."

She fell forward into the grass, shaking and trying not to make a sound. She reached up for the page in his hand and he sees how much they have forced upon her, anger creeping into his thoughts. He smelled the blood on her knee and saw the tear in the thin woolen dress.

"I will be fine sir, I should go back to my duties."

He kneeled beside her. "Don't be afraid. I only want to help you." He used the same tone he did when he had first adopted Max, who hid under the bed whenever he was frightened for three months. Loki had spent hours sitting on the floor beside the bed just talking to the terrified boy and telling him no one would ever hit him for any reason.

"I told you before that I have no dress for the ball, I only have one shoe now. I cannot go, sir." She wept, showing him the well-worn shoe that may have been new at one time. The sole worn through and folded paper used to block the hole. The heel broken nearly through, and her tears flowing freely.

"I am so sorry, I cannot because it is not my place, sir." She backed away from him, shaking still.

"Don't go. I have my tailor making you dress for the ball. And look-" he gestured and her worn shoes are suddenly brand new. "New shoes!" He smiled at her, and the smile made her heart flutter and made her feel safe all at once.

He held out his hand. "Let me heal you. I . . .I know what being whipped feels like, and you did not deserve it."

She nodded, wanting to hug him but dares not. "If it pleases you, sir."

"It does," he murmured and took her hand in his. "This won't hurt." He lowered his head in concentration and a golden glow spread from his hand all through her, mending what was injured. It did not hurt, instead it felt soothing and filled her with light.

"Thank you, sir. I am much healed." She replied, smiling at him. She climbed to her feet and the dress tore worse, making her sigh in annoyance. "I will mend that later."

He waved a hand. "There! All fixed. I can't have you walking around like that. People might think I tore your clothes off or something."

"That would be rather bad, I suppose we cannot have that happening." She replied. Two noblewomen walked by, one of them shocked that a Commoner would be seen holding hands with a Prince. Rhiannon took her hand away, looking shy and scared again.

"What are you afraid of? I won't bite," he teased.

"The laws forbid me touching a noble, I am a commoner if you forget. Sir."

"I didn't forget. I am simply allowing you to hold my hand. And if anyone has a problem they can speak to me about it."

I have to get Father to change these stupid laws! he thought furiously. But first I need to figure out what revenant is possessing him. Though I believe I know. It is my grandfather.

"I don't want to cause you any troubles, Sir." She replied, her heart pounding at the fact she was talking to him.

"Don't you know? Trouble is my little brother." His eyes twinkled. Suddenly he had an idea to take her mind off her fear and sorrow. "Have you ever heard of the Caped Crusader?"

"No Sir." She said and laughed a bit.

"Let me introduce you," Loki pulled his hood over his head and made it have two pointed small ears on top. He caused the front to become a mask with eyeholes and then he grabbed his cape and ran and jumped on top of the ledge that went around the fountain. "I'm Batman!" he said in a rather deep voice.

Then he ran around the fountain with his cape fluttering like wings.

She laughed, the sound like music and covered her mouth.

Suddenly they heard a woman screaming. "Stop thief! Norns! I've been robbed!"

"We have to get the Guards!" Rhiannon shouted, starting to run.

Loki leaped off the fountain and ran after the small figure fleeing with the woman's purse. Being so tall, he quickly caught up to the fleeing thief, who he saw was only a child, a scrawny ragged child who obviously has taken the purse because he was starving.

He caught the boy by the collar and said, "I'll take that. You shouldn't be stealing, boy."

The youngster gasped. "Please, sir! Don't cut off my hand! I was just so hungry!"

"Hey. No one is going to cut off your hand," Loki soothed the tearful boy. "Just don't go snatching anymore purses."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Batman," Loki answered.

"Please. Don't hurt him. He is starving." Rhiannon begged, running up to Loki.

He reached into a pocket and gave the child ten silvers. "Take this, go get yourself a decent meal, then come back to the palace tomorrow and speak to the Steward. Tell him Prince Loki told you to come here and to give you work."

"Yes Sir." The boy replied, Rhiannon watching quietly.

"Go on, go get some dinner," Loki urged, ruffling the boy's hair.

The boy nodded and scampered off. Loki looked at Rhiannon. "Let me give this purse back to its owner." He found the woman at the edge of a crowd of people going in and out of the palace. "Here you go, my lady. I believe this is yours."

She smiled broadly, resting a hand on his arm. "Thank you My Prince, you are most kind."

"You are welcome. Might I suggest next time you go shopping you put your purse in a pocket inside your cloak or skirt? That way sticky fingers can't find it." Loki smiled.

"Thank you for your advice, My Prince," the woman said. "I shall do so right away." She gave him a curtsy and walked off.

Rhiannon watched from afar, smiling and blinking at him.

"You were good to that boy. Thank you."

Loki jogged back to her and jumped up on the fountain again, swirling his cape and grinning at her.

She laughed, sitting on the edge and smiling at him.

He landed in the water with a splash, thinking, Well, Laufeyson, now you look like the world's biggest idiot! See what happens when you try and impress a woman?

Rhiannon splashed into the fountain, worry on her face. "My Prince! Are you hurt?

She stood in the water up to her hips, worry on her face as she helped him up.

"No. I'm fine. Just wet. I make a career out of falling into fountains," he said, laughing at himself.

"Please don't, it would make an awful living."

"You're right. I'll leave that to the fish." He jumped out of the fountain and helped her out. "I must look like something my cat dragged in," he said ruefully.

"Somewhat. I must look worse." She wrings her skirts out, twisting the fabric.

"It's a good thing I know a little magic," he chuckled. Then he gestured and both of their clothes were dry.

"That is clever. Thank you." She smiled, clapping her hands.

Loki felt warmth rush through him. "Here. I couldn't help but notice that the birds ate your . . . lunch. So eat this instead." He pulled out a thick ham and cheese sandwich on soft white bread from his pocket. It was wrapped in waxed paper.

She looked at it in shock, amazed that he would be so kind.

"I will have to save some for my supper. That was my daily rations."

Loki was appalled. "You mean that is all you get to eat all DAY?"

"I am not given more unless I buy it, and food is expensive. Malius deemed so because I am..." She got quiet, keeping her secret.

"That is just . . . no one should be treated like this." He shook his head. Then he gestured and a paper sack appeared in his hand. 'Here is another sandwich, a piece of fruit, and some chips. Eat that for dinner."

Tears filled her eyes, and she reached into her pocket and removed two copper coins. "Let me pay you for this. It is not much, but all I have left."

He closed her hand over the money. "No. I insist. It is the least I can do because I was the one who made you drop your lunch."

"I will get another copper coin as my wages tomorrow. It is no worry."

"Is that all they pay you, an accredited Healer? That's . . . Norns I cannot believe what has gone on here in my absence. It's nothing like the Asgard I grew up in." Loki muttered.

"Have I upset you?" She asked him, her hand hovering over his in a practice that came from years of warnings.

"No. Not you. The way that certain people are treated here upsets me," he told her.

"I must take whatever wages I am offered, what I am keeps me from making more."

Loki frowned. "What you are? You mean a woman? Or a commoner? Or both?

She looked down, afraid to answer.

He sighed. "You don't need to answer. It's probably both. That's just wrong. Everyone deserves a fair wage. Especially a skilled professional like you."

"I am just what I am, I cannot argue for better." She replied, suddenly scared and repeating what she had heard over and over again.

"That's what they tell you to keep you from protesting. But if you cannot say anything, I certainly can," he said determinedly.

"Please don't. It will only make things worse for me." She begged him, another Healer approaching with a letter for Rhiannon. She handed it to her without a word and walked away. Rhiannon opened it, shaking and nearly crying.

"I must leave the castle." She nearly whispered.

"Who says?" Loki demanded.

"I have been dismissed from my position. My room and board is forefeit." She showed him the letter, citing her dereliction to her duties and she shivered.

Loki ground his teeth together. "I warned that little toad. I warned him! Now he pays the price!" He took the letter and stalked into the infirmary, ready to throw Malius out of the castle on his backside.

"No Sir! Please!" She follows him, begging him not to be cruel.

"After what that bastard has done to you, you wish me to show him mercy? He has none for you or anyone else he bullies. He deserves time in prison for what he has done."

"I am half Jotun! There is no mercy for someone like me." She said, nearly bursting into tears. She wanted to run, fearing reprisal for her outburst. "If I cause trouble, I face imprisonment."

"It was the terms of my being allowed to be free here. I cannot fight being dismissed now."

Loki swung about to face her. "You are a half-blood like me? Well, that is no matter. You did not cause trouble, he brought this on himself. For disobeying me. I out rank the little bastard and as he is so fond of reminding you, you don't disobey those above you."

"You don't think I am a monster?" She asked him, shaking still.

"No. I am like you. And I am no monster. My sons are a quarter Jotun. They are not monsters either. And it is unjust to treat you this way because of it. It will change. I will make it so," Loki told her softly. "As for Malius, he disobeyed me, his prince. And like the other nobles who harmed my son, that has consequences. I was nice before. I let him off with a warning. But he ignored me, believing he was above following my injunctions. I intend to remedy that."

"King Odin will have me imprisoned." She replied, looking at her feet.

"He will not. Because this order is going to disappear. And Malius is not going to be able to write anything else like that." Loki said grimly. "Because he will be spending two days in the dungeon for disobeying me."

She trembled in fear, looking back down at the floor. " I am sanctioned. My birth was ruled a crime after your mishap."

She blinked back tears, looking at him.

"After what? That is totally insane! I will speak with my father about this. In any case, like I said, YOU are not the problem here. I gave him instructions to leave you alone and he ignored them. That is punishable in various ways. I could do something very terrible to him. But I will only lock him up for now."

She stood quietly, looking at her feet.

"Stay here. I will be back in a moment."

"Yes, sir." She said and gave him a polite curtsey.

Loki stalked into Malius' office, Power shimmering about him. It seemed that the stupid noble needed to learn the lesson that once everyone in Asgard used to know-that you did not cross Loki Laufeyson.

 **A/N: So what do you think Loki will do? Or should he do?**

 **Thanks to certain friends who helped me write this chapter!**


	12. Daggers and Ribbons

**12**

 **Daggers and Ribbons**

 _Just for tonight, fairytales can come true and dreams take flight~ Loki_

Loki stormed into Malius' office, displeasure riding his features like a macabre mask.

Malius looked up from his pile of paperwork and went pale. "Prince Loki! To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Loki gave him the ghost of a smile. "The pleasure, Malius? I am here because it has come to my attention that you have dismissed Healer Lyr from her post."

"I had good reason," he defended. "That one is nearly useless. You can't civilize her kind."

"Her _kind_? "Loki leaned over the desk and glared at the other man. "Oh, are you referring to the fact that she is a half-blood? What an interesting observation. Does that opinion extend to me as well, Master Malius? For surely you recall that I too am a half-blood?"

"Yes, My Prince. I . .. mean . . .No. My Prince. I... I mean farm girls, they are a useless breed. I don't know how she qualified for this position to begin with." Malius stammered, sweat dripping from his temples.

"You don't? I believe that the king and his Noble council choose the best candidate upon an examination they give. Am I to assume you think they are stupid and picked someone unsuitable?" Loki made a tisking noise, like a mother reproving an unruly child. "I must inform my father of your learned opinion on this matter . . ."

"No!" the other yelped in terror. "Please, no, that is not necessary! I was just . . . oh please my Lord Prince I am just so frustrated and . . . and . . .all the stupid questions I have to deal with are making me suffer crippling headaches . . ." Malius floundered desperately trying to avoid putting his head on the chopping block.

"A mere question about where an item is causes you to suffer? My, maybe the pressure is getting to you. You look as if you about to suffer a stroke. And we can't have that, can we? Go call your replacement and take the day off. No, you need a long rest. Plainly the stress is too much for you." Loki shook his head and patted him on the shoulder, trying not to cringe. "Go take a vacation in the country. I am told Velusia is wonderful this time of year."

He named the town where the Royal Asylum was located.

Malius' eyed widened in alarm. "I beg your pardon My Prince, bit I cannot leave these girls behind. They need guidance. And really, I am fine now."

"Yes, but we cannot have you falling ill either. I am sure your undersupervisor can handle it. Or is he an idiot too since Odin chose him as well?" Loki drawled in a soft tone that bore steel beneath it. The temperature in the room suddenly plummeted.

"Trust me, my position will become easier when she leaves this castle." Malius began. "The girl is a disgrace to my profession. She always dresses in rags, never has shoes . . ."

"Norns, look at how excited you are getting over a mere article of clothing! You are quite overwrought. You are about to fall over and die. You are dismissed! Immediately! Do not concern yourself with what happens here. It will be taken care of."

"You are dismissing _me_?" Malius cried, his jaw dropping.

"Yes. Guards! Please escort Master Malius to Velusia Royal Sanitorium and see he stays there. He's on the verge of apoplexy and needs a good long rest counting butterflies and writing sonnets."

"What?" Malius cried, panicked. "No! I am not crazy!"

Guards come running into the room and salute Loki. "At once, my prince!"

"Take your hands off me, you cretins!" cried the Healer. "I am a noble! You cannot manhandle me!" He struggled in the guards' grip.

"Such a shame! I fear he has quite lost his mind. He called me uncivilized and the king an idiot who cannot pick good candidates for his own medical school!"

A guard frowned. "Sir, that is almost treasonous!"

Loki made a beckoning motion and the strap on Malius' belt slithered off and came to him. "Sorry, old fellow. Can't risk you strangling yourself in a fit of depression." He looked at the guards. "He may try and escape and come back here out of an overinflated sense of duty. If necessary, tie him to the bed. Tell the orderlies there to use restraints if necessary."

"Restraints! You Trickster bastard!" Malius screamed. "I will see you dead for this!"

"You see? He is raving!" Loki pointed out. He sighed. "Some people cannot handle the pressure."

"I will show you pressure, you mongrel son of a bitch!"

One of the guards cuffed Malius on the back of the head.

"Watch your tongue when you speak to your prince!"

Loki scowled as he got an idea. "Hold him, please."

The guards picked up Malius by his arms. The noble's feet dangled off the floor.

Loki snapped his fingers and a syringe appeared in his hand.

"What are you doing?" Malius sputtered. "What is that?"

"Oh, just something to calm you down, you poor bastard," Loki replied, moving around him with the syringe. "Now hold still . . ."

"Get away!" Malius yelled. "Oowww!" he screeched as Loki injected him in the backside.

"Sorry, did that hurt?" Loki queried, smirking. "I must be out of practice."

"What did you give me, half-breed?"

Loki replied with the name of a strong soporific. "That ought to calm you down. Oh and since you are unfit to retain your post, I am writing you a resignation of medical leave immediately. I will make certain your successor is not prone to these nervous anxiety attacks."

"You can't do this! I am—" Malius suddenly went limp.

"He's out cold, sir," a guard remarked.

"Works fast," Loki remarked, pleased. He wrote some orders upon a sheet of paper. "Give that to the director in charge of the asylum. Tell him that is to be followed to the letter by order of the Prince of Asgard. Any questions he is to contact me and only me. Understood?"

"Yes My Prince!" The guards took the sheet of paper and then saluted and left, hauling Malius between them like a sack of dung.

Rhiannon watched, disbelieving, as they carried Malius past, her hands covering her mouth in shock. She moved to the side of the hall, allowing the men to carry on and glanced at Loki.

"And what are you still doing out here? You have good food to eat." Loki asked her. She looked down like a scolded child, her eyes on the ground as she wrung her hands.

"You told me to stay here My Prince. I was afraid to disobey." She replied, her voice very small. "Is Lord Malius ill?"

"Yes, he is quite unwell. Had a nervous breakdown right there in front of me. Started accusing me of various things, stark raving mad as blue baboon. So he's going off to the institution. Which means you are going to have a new boss. Now go and eat before you collapse from starvation and exhaustion."

She gave him a polite curtsey, nodding and still wringing her hands. "Thank you, Sir. I will ask the Norns to help him."

She hurried past him, walking at a fast pace down the hall. Loki noticed people edging away from her as if she was contagious, her head low as she walked by them.

Loki shook his head in disgust at how she was treated, knowing that he will need to speak to Odin soon about everything he witnessed.

He made the syringe vanish then headed out of the room. He hoped Odin was in a good mood when he talked to him and walked faster.

He found Odin in the throne room, staring out a window in sadness as his eyes searched the sky for something. He turned, shaking his head and noticed his son. "Loki. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?

"It appears Lord Malius has suffered a nervous breakdown," Loki said,

"He has?!"

"Yes, I went to speak to him about dismissing Healer Lyr and he started spouting nonsense. He called me a half-blood..."

"He what?!"

Odin glanced at Loki, anger on his face. "The nerve! I will see him stripped of title and position myself!"

"He called me a half-blood and started accusing me of a variety of things. No, Father, it's all right. I had him sent to the asylum in Velusia."

Odin stared at his lunch, blinking his good eye and looked out the window again.

"He needs punishment. The girl is little matter now, poor thing will have to go home I suppose."

Odin waved a finger. "Or perhaps a new position. She could be a Maid to visiting dignitaries."

"I would like it if she became my family's private healer," Loki said.

"Is that what you truly want? She is a Commoner." Odin asked him, placing a piece of meat in the sill and watching the sky.

"Father, my mother was one. Did it mean you considered her less of a friend? You made her Archmage of Asgard." Loki said softly.

"I did not make Astra Archmage. She did that herself by passing the Tests of the Seven." Odin smiled reminiscently. "No one ever made Astra do anything, not me and not even Laufey." He shook his head. "I am amazed she did not drive him mad sometimes." He sighed and looked at Loki.

"I do want Healer Lyr under my employ, I shall also pay her fair wages." Loki replied, wondering if Odin had gone mad by his strange behavior.

"Alright. Tell her she is now your family's healer," Odin said with a nod. "Is there anything else?"

"Are you feeling well?" He inquired, looking at the piece of meat left in the window.

"I miss something terribly, and it has been a week since I saw it last." Odin replied.

"Father, what are you doing? You look like you are . . . trying to feed a wild animal." Loki observed.

Odin laughed at his son. "I am. A hawk to be exact, it is quite beautiful. I first saw it two years ago, and I have not seen it in a week."

"What did this hawk look like?"

"It is a golden hawk, a female from the size of the wingspan, with beautiful cobalt eyes."

"It also has a small heart in the tail feathers... There! It is back!" Odin shouted, pointing out the window at the beautiful hawk circling the castle.

Loki looked up at the hawk as the hawk flew down toward the window sill and landed.

The hawk started pecking at the meat when it looked at Loki, dropped the meat then flew away.

"That is odd," Odin said, picking up the meat. "She never did that before."

"I may have startled her. Hawks can be very shy," his son said.

"I shall put it back, did you see the heart in her tail?" Odin smiled. "Such a beautiful creature."

"I did. A most unusual marking," Loki said.

"I will pray the Norns do not allow harm to come to her. She is a good omen in my mind." Odin replied, noticing that Loki was staring at the circling hawk.

"Father, have you had any headaches of late? Or is my medicine helping?" he asked, watching the hawk flying.

"It is helping some. Take it, go on. No one here will harm you." Odin urged the bird.

"I wish I could keep her here, she must nest near the lake. That is where she flies to after her visit."

The golden hawk swooped down and snatched up the meat in her beak, swallowing it down. She gazed right at Loki, made a soft _kree-ar_ sound and flew off.

"Good girl. I wish I could trap her and keep her here with the Ravens." Odin said. "I fear a Hunter may make a trophy of her."

"Father, a fully grown hawk would die in captivity. You taught me that. Only the fledglings will take well to being tamed," Loki reminded him.

"True. I shall make an edict that she is under my protection." The king decreed, writing rapidly. "Any man found trying to hunt the hawk will be imprisoned and sanctioned."

"I may try and speak with her one of these days. When I am not so busy. You know one of my forms is an ebony goshawk."

"I hope she will speak to you. I would like very much to know what she is called." Odin replied

"She is a bold little thing," Loki remarked. "Most wild hawks would never come so near people."

"She came close the first day, she saw me eating and chirped the sweetest tune. I shared a bit of my lunch with her, and we have been friends since. I wish she gave us a little song."

"Perhaps when she grows used to me she will," Loki mused, thinking that was rather unusual behavior for any hawk.

Odin hummed a familiar tune, smiling to himself. The Old Norse Lullaby familiar to him.

"That is what she chirped to me, pretty isn't it?"

"Yes, it is."

"She is coming back, look at that."

"Perhaps she is not just a hawk. But a familiar. Familiars are much less wary of men than wild hawks. And they would know tunes like that."

"You mean like my ravens?"

"That would be interesting."

"Perhaps I should send them to speak with her. She might be more at ease speaking with her own kind."

"That should work, give it a try."

Odin made a special whistle when Huginn and Muninn flew into the room and landed on the window sill.

"You called, Sire?" Huginn asked.

"Do you have need of us?" Muninn asked.

"Do you see that hawk?" Odin said and they looked at it.

"Has it been bothering you?" Huginn asked.

"We shall chase it away!" Muninn said, ruffling it's feathers.

"No! I wish you to talk to her. She is a friend, but I don't know her name," Odin said and the ravens nodded.

The ravens took flight as they flew toward the hawk and she seemed startled as they drew near.

"No need to fear, Dear Lady Hawk," Huginn said.

"We are just here to talk," Muninn said.

"No! Please! Go away! You will ruin everything!" the hawk said then flew away and the ravens looked at each other.

"What was that all about?" Huginn pondered.

"I have no clue," Muninn said.

"Shall we follow her?"

"I think we should."

Loki and Odin watched the ravens flying after the hawk as Loki frowned and Odin blinked.

"Oh, I believe they scared her off," Odin said with a frown.

"I told you she might be shy," Loki said. "She might have thought they were going to attack her."

Huginn and Muninn flew after the hawk as she dived and dipped by the trees then appeared to vanish as the ravens hovered in the air and Muninn sighed.

"It appears we lost her," Muninn said.

"Yes, it appears so," Huginn agreed with a nod.

The ravens flew away as a shadowed figure watched them leave then sighed and walked away.

"I fear we lost her, Sire," Muninn said as he flew into the room and landed on Odin's shoulder.

"Very tricky, that hawk," Huginn declared. He eyed Loki. "Perhaps you could speak to her, Skytreader."

"I will try after the ball, old friend," he told the raven. Skytreader was the name he used in his goshawk form.

"She is a pretty little thing," Muninn said then made a strange laugh.

"Fancy her, do you?" Huginn teased and Muninn glared at him.

"Maybe."

Loki smiled as the ravens glared at each other then looked at Odin.

"Speaking of the ball. Are you well enough to attend, Father?"

"Yes. But I may not stay the whole night. I am not like you young bucks anymore, Loki!" the old king chuckled.

"Don't sell yourself short, Father," Loki teased and they laughed.

"Well, I have a few more things to attend to before the ball tomorrow," Loki told him. "I have a candidate in mind to replace Malius as Head Healer in the infirmary, if you will approve my selection.

"Do I get to know who this person is?"

"You remember Stefan Magnusson, Father? The Judge's youngest son? We were in the same year at the Academy. Except he studied medicine and I studied magic." Loki announced. "He is an accredited Healer with a specialty in poisons and antidotes and pharmacology. I think he would do well as an administrator. He is very good with people, Noble and Commoner. He is also well connected through his father."

"Hmmm...," Odin said then thought for a few seconds. "Yes, I agree. He will make an excellent Healer."

"Then I shall send for him immediately."

"Actually, I believe your mother invited him to the ball. I remember seeing his name on the guest list."

"Then I will speak to him at the ball."

Odin blinked and looked suddenly sleepy. "Loki, forgive me, but I feel suddenly rather fatigued. I think I shall go and lie down."

"Of course, Father," Loki said with a nod and watched his father leave the room. A part of him hoped his father would get some sleep and not wake in a foul mood.

In the nursery...

Max snuggled under his favorite blanket while he napped when his legs started thrashing and he moaned.

He could hear voices, but didn't know who they were.

"Daddy?" he called out, but his voice sounded muffled.

He could feel something warm around him, but, at the same time, he knew something was wrong.

"Daddy, where are you?"

He heard something like bubbles popping, but he didn't know where the bubbles were.

"Daddy! I'm scared!"

He opened his eyes, but everything was green and fuzzy and he couldn't see.

"Daddy!" Max shouted as he sat up and started crying.

"Max, what's wrong?" Sam said as she ran into the room and headed for the bed.

Max didn't answer as he sobbed then screamed.

"Sam, why is Max screaming?" Hunter asked as he ran in the room and Sam held onto Max.

"I don't know. Where's Dad?" Sam asked when Max started shaking. "Hey, Max, it's ok. It's ok."

"I'll go get him!"

Sam started rocking Max when green light shimmered around his hands and his fingers moved. Suddenly, several objects started sailing around the room as she ducked and bent her body over Max.

"What the hell is going on?!" she asked.

Hunter ran down the hallway as he tried to find Loki when he saw Fenris and smiled.

"Fen, am I glad to see you!" Hunter said.

"Is there something wrong, Little Brother?" Fenris asked.

"Max is having one of his nightmares, I think. We need to find Dad."

Nodding, Fenris changed into a larger version of his wolf form and Hunter got onto his back. Fenris knew he ran faster in his larger form as he ran down the hallway and Hunter held on. It didn't take long to find Loki in his den as he looked at them and frowned.

"Hunter? Fen? What are you doing here? What's wrong?" Loki asked.

"Dad, Max is having one of his nightmares," Hunter said as he climbed off of Fenris' back.

"Who's with him?"

"Sam. Dad, Max was screaming. He hasn't done that in a long time."

Nodding, Loki vanished in a puff of green smoke when he appeared in the nursery and was nearly clobbered with a book. He saw other objects sailing around the room in green light as he looked at the bed and Sam was rocking Max.

"Dad! You have to help me! I don't know what's going on!" Sam said and Max screamed louder.

The green light around Max' hands grew brighter as Loki looked at his own hands and saw the same green light shimmering around his fingers.

"He is using magic," Loki thought then carefully walked to the bed.

"Dad, what is going on?" Sam asked and Loki saw the worry in her eyes.

"Max is using magic," Loki said.

"But he doesn't know magic."

"It appears he does," Loki said then carefully lifted Max out of her arms. He gently rocked Max as the little boy sobbed and Loki kissed the top of Max's head. "Hey, Scamp, it's alright. Daddy's here."

"Daddy?" Max mumbled then shook his head. "Where are you?"

"I am right here."

"No! No, you're not!"

"Max, can you tell me where you are?"

"I don't know!" he yelled then sobbed. Hushing him, Loki rocked him and carded his hair.

"Easy," Loki whispered. "Just look around. Tell me what you see."

"It's green."

"Green?"

"Yeah. It's all green and blurry. Daddy, I'm scared!"

"No need to be scared. I'm right here."

"Nuh-unh! You're not here! Help me!"

"Max, I need you to calm down and listen. Just listen to me," Loki said then became quiet for a few seconds. Max held onto him as Loki carded his son's hair then Max seemed to calm down. "Can you hear me?"

"I hear... I hear your heart."

"Good. That's good. Now, follow the sound. Can you do that?"

"Yeah."

Loki rocked Max as Max sniffed then his eyes slowly opened. He looked at Sam then looked up at Loki and Loki smiled at him.

"Daddy?" Max said in a soft voice.

"Hello," Loki said, "Are you alright now?"

"Kind of. I was so scared."

"Well, it's over now."

"I'm really hot," Max said. He usually got a small fever after a nightmare and Loki placed his hand against Max' forehead. His skin was warm and Loki kissed the top of his head.

"Sam, go into my room and get some Children's Tylenol," Loki said and Sam nodded. She got off the bed then left the room and Loki looked at Max. "Max, have you ever done this?"

Max watched as some of the green light shimmered over Loki's fingers then he looked at his daddy.

"Uh. Yeah. Once," Max said, looking at his hand.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to get mad."

"You didn't want me to get mad over you being able to do magic?"

"Yeah," Max said, burying his face against Loki's chest. He didn't want to upset his youngest son again as he sighed and Sam came back with the medicine Loki wanted. She also brought something to lower Max' fever and Loki nodded.

"Max, you need to take medicine now," Loki said.

"But it will taste yucky," Max said.

"No, it's the cherry flavor medicine."

Nodding, Max let Loki give him the medicine then leaned Max against his chest and wrapped his arms around him.

"Are you mad that I can do magic, Daddy?" Max asked.

"Now that's a silly question," Loki said softly. "I can do magic. Why would I get mad because you can? Belle, Vince, and Aleta have magic too."

"My mommy... She used to beat me if I used magic."

"She knew you could do magic?" Sam asked and Max nodded.

"That's why I didn't want you to know. I know you wouldn't beat me, but..."

"Max, it's alright," Loki said when Max noticed the mess around the room and blinked.

"Did I do that, Daddy?"

"Yes, you did. You almost clobbered me with a book," Loki said with a smile. "Reminds me of the first time I used magic. I nearly clobbered Thor with a vase."

"You did?!"

"Yep," he said as he popped the "p".

"Was he mad?"

"Well, he pinned me to the floor and told me to never do it again."

"Then what?"

"Then he tickled me until I peed," he said and Max giggled.

Can I tell Leta I can do magic, too?!"

"Sure," he said and Max snuggled closer. "Now, I want you to just rest. I'll come back to see you later."

"Ok," he said then looked at Sam. "Will you stay with me?"

"Sure," Sam said as she moved closer and Max snuggled against her. Loki got off the bed when he headed for the door as he looked back at Max and he wondered how Max had the same magic he had.

 _All this time you had a fledgling mage in your house, and didn't know it, Laufeyson,_ he thought. _But then he suppressed his magic so much that it seems it's taken coming to Asgard to remove the blocks on it._

Max snuggled in with his sister, the both of them looking comfortable. The question of Max being related to him somehow on his mind.

"That is something for another day," Loki thought then headed down the hallway, but the thought lingered in the back of his mind.

"I heard the Healer Lyr was dismissed Father. Is that true?" Fenris asked him, cutting him off in the hall. "She is competent, and my friend."

"Yes, she was," Loki said with a nod. "But I have asked permission for her to be our family healer."

"That sounds like a great idea."

"I was about to send her this when you and Hunter came to tell me about Max," he said, showing Fenris the piece of paper in his hand.

"Allow me to give it to her."

"Fine," Loki said and handed him the piece of paper.

Fenris tucked the paper into his tunic pocket, then ran off to search for Rhiannon. His nose told him she was not in the vicinity of the royal apartments.

Fenris ran as fast as he could. Blurring into a wolf and finding her quickly by her scent, she was on her way back toward the servants dormitories to pack her things. She looked sad, smiling gently when she sees the wolf.

"Fenris! I am so glad you recovered from that injury!" She says and crouched down to hug the wolf around the neck.

She gently moved her fingers through his fur then she stood up and Fenris changed into his normal form.

I have a letter for you Healer Lyr. From my father." He gives her the letter.

"Thank you Prince Fenris, but I must pack and leave soon."

"I think you need to read it now," he said and she wondered why he was in such a hurry. She opened the piece of paper as she read what Loki wrote and her eyes widened.

"Is this real?!" she asked

"It is! You are to be our Family Healer." Fenris laughed.

"This is wonderful news. It says I must go to your father at once." She replied, checking that she was presentable.

Stop fussing. You look fine," he teased and she shyly laughed before walking away, He watched her for a few seconds then shook his head and smiled. "Father, if you don't make her more than the family healer, I will bite your ankles."

"What's going on?" Belle asked as she came into the palace with Wulf beside her.

"Father has made Rhiannon our family healer after she had been dismissed."

"Cool. With Vince, we will need her." Belle said, walking on past.

Rhiannon walked the halls quickly, making her way to Loki's chambers and nervously knocked on the door. He opened it suddenly, she jumping in shock and turning nervous. "I got your letter, Sir. I thank you for my new employment."

She wrung her hands again.

"You are welcome," Loki said.

"Are you sure you want me? I'm nothing, but a commoner."

"No, what you are is a friend and one of the best healers I know. You saved the lives of two of my children already and I would be a fool to pick anyone else."

"You honor me, sir," she stammered. "There has not been a female healer so highly placed since Eir retired over three hundred years ago. I will start tomorrow."

"Good. Now, I have something for you," Loki said and she gave him a confused look.

"I deserved something?"

"Yes," he said as he stood back and pointed with his hand for her to come into his chambers. She knew it was wrong for a commoner to enter a royal's room without being thought as a whore, but she was curious to see what he wanted to show her.

He led her to the large table at the center of the room when she saw several healers uniforms, soft shoes and aprons on the table and she turned to look at him.

"I had to guess on the sizes," Loki said and she swore he was blushing. She picked up one of the uniforms when she noticed they were made of the softest linen and she smiled.

"If they don't fit, I could fix them."

"Oh no, sir. I am very good at mending clothes. If I need to."

"Then you like them?" he asked and she nodded.

"Thank you."

"You have one more thing to thank me for," he said as he pointed to the dressing dummy and she looked at the ball gown.

Rhiannon stared at the beautiful gown and gasped. "Oh! That is the most beautiful gown I have ever seen!" She drew nearer to admire the gorgeous silk skirt with the soft ruching and the delicate champagne colored lace on the bodice along with the glittering diamond beading.

The gown was a soft ivory with gold accents, the pattern similar to the one she had been making.

"This looks like the one I was going to make, but..."

"But that idiot wouldn't allow you time to finish it," Loki growled and she nodded.

"How did you know what I was making?"

"You accidentally left the drawing of the dress when you showed me the list of chores you had to do."

"And you had someone make it?"

He nodded and she noticed he was suddenly looking shy.

"Will you wear it to the ball?"

"Yes," she said with a grin then noticed the slippers under the dress. They were made of a soft hide with crystal stitched into them and had a small heel.

"Cinderella wore glass slippers," Serena had told her and now she felt like the princess in the story.

"I felt bad that you were treated so unfairly and I want you to know that now that you are a member of my household, it will not happen again. I do not allow anyone in my employ to be mistreated that way by anyone. No will ever strike you or belittle you again. And if someone does try to, I want you to come and tell me immediately."

"Yes, My Prince," she said with a nod.

"And, if you like, my daughters can help you dress, do your hair... Though my youngest might insist in tying bows in it... And my oldest daughter can help you if you would like to use a little makeup. Not that you need too much," he said with a shy look.

 _He looks so cute when he's flustered,_ she thought then mentally kicked herself for thinking such things.

"I would like that," she said and he waved his hands. The uniforms and the gown were placed in white boxes as she walked to the table and lifted up the boxes.

"Thank you again," she said and he nodded. He watched her walk out of the room when he leaned against the table and sighed.

"By the Norns, why am I acting like a teenager who just asked out the head cheerleader to the prom?" he whispered with a shake of his head.

 _The night of the ball:_

"May I enter?" Loki asked as he knocked on the door to Sam's room and peeked around the door. Rhiannon was dressed in the gown as he looked at her and felt his heart slam in his chest.

"Doesn't she look pretty, Daddy?" Aleta asked.

"She looked like Cinderella," Serena said and Lucy nodded.

"Yes... She does," Loki said with a nod.

The gown accented her curves as Rhiannon sweetly smiled at Loki and made a little curtsy.

"Thank you, My Prince," Rhiannon said.

"We were just going to do her hair and makeup," Sam said.

"I don't think she needs that much," Belle said.

"Well, maybe just a little lipstick and eye shadow," Sam said as she walked to the vanity and Rhiannon followed her. She carefully sat down as they looked in the mirror and Sam saw the look in her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"It is just . . . I don't think you have enough makeup to cover this," she gestured to the scar that ran down her cheek.

"You won't need it," Loki said swiftly.

"Why?" Rhiannon asked, puzzled.

Loki walked closer when he placed his hands against her cheeks and she felt a warm tingling over her skin. She felt herself being pulled into his emerald eyes while he healed the scar and moved his hands back.

"What did you do?!" she gasped as she looked in the mirror and saw the scar was gone.

"I intended to do that earlier but better late than never. I did not mind it but I know it bothered you."

"Thank you," she said with a nod and Sam started helping her with the makeup.

"Shouldn't you be getting dressed, Dad?" Sam asked, glancing at him.

"Yeah, you need to get dressed!" Aleta said.

"You're making it sound like I am standing here in my underwear," Loki teased.

"Go!" Sam said, shooing him away with her hand. Sighing, Loki headed for the door as he rolled his eyes and left the room.

He went down the hallway to check on Max as he looked into the room and saw Max was playing with some of the toys Frigga had given him. Some of the toys were his as he watched Max wiggle his fingers and made the little wooden horse fly in the air.

"Well done, Sprout," he said and the wooden horse fell to the floor.

"Sorry, Daddy," he said with a frown.

"No need to be sorry," Loki said as he walked closer and knelt down.

"I... I just wanted to see if I could do it again."

"It's fine," he said, picking up the wooden horse.

"Where did my magic come from?" Max asked and Loki frowned.

"I... I'm not sure."

"Well, it's neat! I like using it!"

"Just don't use too much. You know Leta gets sleepy when she uses too much magic."

"Yeah, I know," Max said with a nod. "Daddy, can I go to the ball with you?"

"There aren't going to be any other kids there."

"Yeah, but there'll be food!"

"You and that bottomless stomach," he teased and gently ruffled Max' hair. "Tell you what. If you behave, I'll see if I can get you a big piece of cake for your lunch tomorrow."

"Yay!" Max said as he moved closer and hugged him.

"Now, I have to go get dressed," he said as he stood up and left the room. He wondered where Max' magic came from as he sighed and headed down the hallway.

Artos waited with a bowl of warmed water and soap and a towel.

"Hello, Artos," Loki greeted his squire.

"My Prince, I brought you fresh water to wash up with and have laid out your clothes for the ball." the boy said proudly. "Mama says I can serve you at table tonight too."

"I'm sure you will do a good job," Loki reassured him. He pulled off his old tunic and shirt and began to wash with the water and soap.

Artos took his old clothes and placed them in the laundry basket. One of the maids would come in while Loki was gone and take them to be washed.

While his master dressed, the boy went quietly about the room straightening up, fixing the pillows on the sofa and putting Loki's book back on the end table with its bookmark in place.

He threw the used towel in the basket, emptied the old wash water and refreshed the pitcher, wiped out the basin, and then set out Loki's pajamas and slippers for when he returned.

Once everything was done, he waited for Loki to come out of the bathroom so he could see if he needed anything else before going down to the dining hall.

Loki emerged from the bathroom ten minutes later dressed in his finery for the event. He wore black leather trousers with green piping and a soft light green tunic with gold embroidery. His coat was made of "serpent scale" fabric, which was velvet designed to look like shimmering scales and it had gold accents and gold serpent buttons. His new diadem was beaten gold with small gold horns curving over it and an emerald in the front of it.

His boots were soft kid leather with green diamond inserts along the sides.

He had styled his long hair with one braid in the back and left the rest loose and flowing, tamed slightly with hair gel. For a finishing touch he applied cologne of bergamot, mint, and a hint of apple.

"Well, what do you think?" he asked the boy.

"You look very dashing, sir," Artos said. "I'm sure all the ladies will fill your dance card." He frowned. "What do you do with a dance card?"

"It's just a custom where you sign your name to a lady's card and they do the same to yours claiming a dance for the evening. It helps cut down on arguments of who is supposed to dance with whom."

"Oh." Artos said. Privately he thought grown-ups were weird for fighting over dances.

"Come on, let's go down to the dining room. Everyone should be arriving soon and I need to be there to greet them."

"Yes, My Prince." Artos stood up.

Loki gently straightened the boy's tunic and wet his hand and ran it over the child's unruly wheat colored hair. "Okay, we're ready."

Once they reached the large dining hall, Artos bowed and scurried off to the kitchens to prepare to serve Loki.

Loki met Thor, Balder, Odin and Frigga who were gathered at the entrance to the hall to receive the guests. As the guest of honor, Loki was permitted to stand next to Frigga as third in line, which normally was Thor's place.

Thor was wearing a red tunic with gold lions on it, silver breeches, and tall black boots. His arms were bare, showing off his muscles, but had gold worked bracers on them with lightning bolts and hammers. He wore a gold torc with rubies around his neck and his short hair had a gold diadem with wings on it and a ruby in the center. He wore a short half-cape of storm blue.

"Greetings, brother," he said when he saw Loki and clasped arms with him. "Don't you look fetching."

"Funny, Thor," Loki rolled his eyes and gave his brother a friendly cuff on the shoulder.

"He will have all the maidens sighing and fainting," Balder teased. "The ones that haven't passed out at my feet first."

Balder had on a sapphire tunic with silver leopards on it, midnight blue trews, gray boots and a silver half cloak. His tunic had short sleeves and his bracers were worked silver with a leopard and sapphires on it. His dark blond hair was pulled back in a tail.

Loki snorted. "I'll make sure to watch where I step."

"Hey, I can't help it if I am irresistible," Balder laughed.

"And available," Thor added.

"That too," Balder clapped Loki on the shoulder. "But fear not, I will leave some maids for you."

"Thanks, but I have an escort," Loki told him.

"I cannot wait to meet her," Frigga said, kissing him on the cheek. "This mystery lady you have been so secretive about." She smiled at her son. "You look very handsome, Loki."

"Thank you, Mother," He hugged her carefully, so as not to wrinkle her gold and white gown. "You look lovely as always."

She chuckled. "Save that charm for the younger ladies, my son. I'm sure they will appreciate it more than old matron like me."

"I agree, Loki," Odin put in, smiling at his son. "I find that your mother gets more beautiful every time I see her."

"Your eyesight is failing, old fox!" his wife teased.

"Nonsense, dear. Like fine wine, we grow better with age," the king said, and put an arm about his wife. He was wearing a heavy velvet burgundy robe with gold facings and a jeweled collar. He had a matching gold eyepatch, soft white silk trousers and white tooled boots. His belt was encrusted with more gems and the buckle was a solid gold raven with a ruby eye.

Soon the guests began arriving, noble lords and ladies dressed to impress in their fine gowns and suits, dripping with jewels, all of them greeting the royal family.

Loki received them with customary politeness, but his mind raced as he wondered where Rhiannon was.

Suddenly, as if his thoughts had conjured her, there she was.

She stepped lightly into the dining hall, her glittering crystal shoes tapping lightly over the polished wood floor. The gown floated around her in gossamer folds, making her appear ethereal, a creature of mist and light. Her golden hair was piled high on her head, in a simple yet elegant style of braids and loops decorated with crystal barrettes and glittery hairspray. She wore simple pearl studs in her ears and upon a delicate gold chain was a diamond eternity symbol. Loki recognized the necklace as belonging to Sam, who must have allowed Rhee to borrow it.

Her cheeks bore a hint of color, her lashes dusted lightly with gold micah eyeshadow, her lashes darkened and her lips tinted shimmery rose gold. The makeup enhanced her already pert features and heads turned to see the newcomer and remained fixed upon her.

Loki had thought he was prepared to see her, after all he had healed her scar, but somehow the sight of her stole the breath from his body. He gazed at her and was unable to look away, a smile curving his mouth. Their eyes met and it was as if sparks flew between them from four feet away.

Rhiannon came towards the waiting royal family, her heart fluttering in her chest like a wounded bird's, and her eyes fixed unerringly upon Loki as if he were the only person in the room. She dipped into a curtsey before Odin and mumbled, "Greetings, My King and Queen."

"Who are you, child?" Odin asked, trying to place where he had seen her before and failing.

"I am . . ." she faltered for an instant.

"This is my escort, Father," Loki jumped in.

"A pleasure to meet you dear," the king said and took her hand and kissed it.

Rhiannon blushed. "The pleasure is mine, Sire."

Then she came to Loki and he took her hand and they just stared into each other's eyes for a long moment, enraptured.

"My Prince," Rhiannon managed to say.

Loki felt as if he had forgotten how to speak in any tongue known to man.

"You look... You look..."

Thor chuckled. "Lost your silver tongue, Brother?"

Loki cast him an irritated glance. "I am simply . . . surprised."

Frigga frowned. "Balder, is Loki feeling well?"

"He has been struck by a grace few know," Balder declared, grinning. "And I cannot blame him. It is as if a star has descended from the heavens."

At the top of the stairs, behind a potted palm, the servants and Loki's children peered down at the guests. Sam nudged her sister, winking. "Who is she?"

"Cinderella," Serena whispered, her eyes shining.

"Well, there's Prince Charming." Hunter indicated Loki.

"Is Daddy going to marry her?" Max asked.

Fenris replied, "I personally hope so."

"Me too," Aleta add

"Well, there is something I never thought I'd see. My son not being able to speak." Odin teased, smiling.

"She is a beautiful girl dear, let him have his moment." Frigga told him, placing her arm in his.

Loki finally regained his wits and said, "It would be my pleasure to escort you to dinner, my Lady Ráðgáta."

Rhiannon knelt, her skirts pooling around her and Loki stopped her, gently taking her hand in his. She looked up at him in awe and blushed, the expression causing Loki to nearly fall to his knees.

"There is no need Miss Lyr. For it is I who should kneel to you." Loki said, his voice calm.

"Then you would lower your status as a Prince, for I am no one in particular." She replied, smiling gently and Loki felt his heart skip.

Around them the other guests were murmuring to themselves, wondering who the mystery lady was that had so captured the prince's attention.

"She must be a lady who kept to her estates," murmured a lord. "For surely I would recognize such beauty."

"That dress-it is stunning!" whispered a lady to her friend. "I wonder who her modiste is?"

"For sure she has the prince's eye," pouted a younger lady.

"Which one?" laughed her mother. "There are three. And they are all looking at her."

"Probably some shut-in. Never talks to anyone. She stole him." One girl pouted.

"There are three princes," reminded an older matron. "And all of them are not matched."

"Well, Prince Thor has that mortal woman. Jane Foster," remarked a lady with red hair.

"I wanted Loki. He is so handsome." She replied.

"Balder is handsome too," her friend pointed out. "And lonely from what I hear. After that whole debacle with his daughter and former wife . . .they say he has not taken a serious partner."

"My heart wants Loki though."

"Then you must ask him to dance."

"I will. Mother hired the best tutors to teach me how to dance."

Loki offered his arm to Rhiannon as they processed into the hall to the table.

The royal family was set slightly apart from the other nobles at the far end of the table above a gigantic castle salt cellar.

"I feel so strange. I am unused to being stared at Sir." She whispered.

They are admiring you and wondering who you are," Loki murmured. "There is no need to be nervous. Tonight you are a princess."

Rhee looked around, overwhelmed somewhat by everything.

"And tomorrow, I return to being your loyal servant."

"Enjoy tonight and let tomorrow look after itself," he advised. Then he gave her one of his sweet smiles.

She felt her heart stutter and then begin to beat again. She wondered how it was that no other lady had snatched him up by now and suddenly she was very glad he was still unattached.

"Yes Sir." She replied, hoping her thoughts were not betrayed.

He escorted her to her seat next to him and held her chair like the gentleman he was.

She sat down, a part of her wondering if she was dreaming. She nearly asked Loki to pinch her.

The squires and pages came and held out bowls of rosewater and soft cloths for the diners to wash their hands.

Loki smiled at Artos and washed his hands.

The dinner seemed endless and at the same time to be over in a moment. Before she knew it, Loki was helping her up from her chair and they were processing into the ballroom by the connecting doors.

The ballroom glittered under the light of a thousand mage globes and crystal chandeliers. The oak floor was polished to a mirror bright finish, and there was a platform on which the musicians were seated with their instruments. There was a table with a punch bowl and cups with a servant by it and small trays of sweets were also upon it. Chairs and little tables were scattered throughout the room on one side and large doors leading out to the Queen's Garden stood open to catch the night air.

Loki took Rhee's dance card, which was tied on her wrist with a gold ribbon and removed a small pen from his pocket. He wrote Loki Laufeyson on the first line. Then he offered the pen to Rhiannon and held out his own card.

Rhiannon signed her name, wishing her penmanship was as elegant as his.

Many other girls flocked over, adding their names and giggling. Rhiannon smiles politely, Fandral putting his name on hers twice.

Loki frowned at that and added his name three times. Thor and Balder also claim a dance and then there was no more room on her card.

"You have hoarded the poor girl Loki! Give her a chance to choose other suitors!" Fandral shouted, laughing.

"Speak for yourself," Loki retorted. "Come, my lady. The first dance is about to start."

"Yes Sir." She replied, following him obediently

The first dance was a simple reel and after a few moments Rhiannon found she was enjoying partnering Loki. He was a good dancer, light and graceful and he did not attempt to grab her or paw her during the dance, only twirling her gracefully about him when the dance called for it.

"You dance very well," he complimented her as they skipped about.

"Thank you. I grew up learning these dances," she told him, smiling.

"Who taught you?" he queried.

"My mother did. She knew all the court dances. Her father was an Ambassador."

Loki smiled at her. "You are a mystery waiting to be uncovered." His hand touched her lightly on the waist as they turned and then the dance ended.

But they remained staring into each others eyes until Thor cleared his throat and said, 'Brother, the dance is over."

"Oh do leave him be, Thor," Frigga said

"I . . . I believe that Prince Thor has the next dance," she said, looking at her card. "But I enjoyed dancing with you. Thank you, My Prince."

"No, thank YOU."

"I beg your pardon? Are you ill?"

"No. It's Midgardian slang." Loki coughed. "Thank you for the dance."

"You are most welcome."

A noblewoman with red hair in a bright blue dress that put Loki in mind of a parrot came up and tapped him on the arm with her fan. "Excuse me, My Prince. But I believe it is my turn to dance with you."

Loki glanced at his card and sighed. "As you wish, Lady Dartmouth." He took her arm.

She giggled, making Loki wince, and Rhiannon allowed Thor to lead her away.

The music begins to play, it is another rather quick paced dance.

Loki's partner giggled again and said, "I am Aris and you look very handsome tonight, My Prince."

"Thank you," Loki said, perfectly correct.

They twirl and suddenly Aris misstepped and her foot landed on Loki's toe.

"Oh, I am so sorry!"

"That is fine. I can live with only nine toes," he said hiding a grimace.

"Oh Loki, you are so funny!" she tittered.

Loki fought to keep from rolling his eyes, his foot now throbbing _. Damn high heels!_ he thought.

Finally the dance ended and Loki bowed and allowed Aris to go mangle another partner's toes. "Thank the Norns!" he muttered.

A second lady arrived and curtsied to him. "May I have this dance, My Prince?"

"If you must," Loki agreed, taking her arm. He noticed that Rhee is now dancing with Fandral.

He began to dance, the lady simpering at him and batting her eyes until he longed to ask what she had gotten in them.

Her foot trod on his previously injured toe the second he turned her about.

He bit back a swear word.

"Oh I can't believe I did that! I'm usually much better at this!" she sputtered. "My father hired the best tutors."

"It's fine," he said, thinking, _really? You dance like a wounded elephant._

"You are so beautiful, My Prince," she said dreamily and again she stepped on his foot.

"Thank you," he said through gritted teeth. _For almost breaking my foot._

He prayed the dance would end soon before he needed a cane to walk.

"May I cut in?" Frigga said, appearing at his elbow.

"Of course, Your Majesty," the lady said, pouting a bit.

"Thank you, Mother," Loki smiled at her gratefully.

"Who was your lovely friend there?"

"I have no idea."

"How is your foot?"

"I can't feel it."

Frigga patted his arm sympathetically.

"I was referring to the lady that you can't seem to take your eyes off of that Balder is planning to dance with next."

"What!" he turned and saw Balder dancing with Rhiannon, picking her up off the floor and swinging her about.

Frigga eyed him knowingly. "Do I sense jealousy, dear?"

"Maybe a little." Loki answered, contemplating giving Balder a black eye.

The dance ended and Balder bowed to Rhee, kissing her hand.

Loki thought about putting his fist through his brother's perfect teeth.

Loki bowed to Frigga. "Excuse me, Mother. I believe the next dance is mine." He walked over to Rhiannon.

"May I have this dance?"

"If you wish, My Prince."

"I do wish." He took her hand and they return to the floor.

"Are you angry about something?" she asked worriedly.

"No, I just... I was..".

"Yes?"

"I guess I was just concerned that my brothers would step on your feet. Thor dances like an ill oxen."

Rhiannon laughed, making him smile.

"He was quite graceful when we danced," she admitted.

"As graceful as me?" Loki queried, twirling her about.

She giggled feeling giddy and he smelled the scent of lavender and honeysuckle coming from her. "I would say you are both equal. To be polite. But their kisses are very... scratchy."

Loki laughed and they waltzed across the floor, moving as one, light as thistledown upon the breeze.

"They make a lovely couple," Odin remarked to Frigga as he drank a cup of mead.

"They do indeed," Frigga agreed. "Look how happy he is. And she is not stepping all over his feet."

"Thank the Norns for small mercies," Odin murmured. "I swear, that is part of the reason why I use a staff now."

"May I cut in with the Lady?" Fandral asks Loki, Rhiannon looking down.

If you must. Just keep your hands to yourself," Loki warned and Fandral laughed.

"I will be a gentleman," Fandral said with a grin. Loki watched them walk to the dance floor when he went to sit with Odin and Frigga and sat down.

"Are you having fun?" Frigga asked.

"Yes," he said, watching Rhiannon dance with Fandral.

"Your escort is causing quite a stir with the other women," Odin said as he glanced at the women glaring at Rhiannon.

One nearly looked as if she were hissing, her eyes shooting daggers at Rhiannon.

"That's the one that almost caused me to go to infirmary," Loki remarked.

One of the noblewomen was whispering to the other as she pointed to Rhiannon and both gave her angry looks.

"If they start spreading gossip about her...," Loki thought when the music stopped and Fandral gave Rhiannon a bow and leaned over her hand for a kiss.

"Move aside," Volstagg said as he brushed him aside and bowed. "My Dear Lady, may I have this dance?"

"Does your wife approve of you dancing with charming young ladies?" Fandral asked.

""Yes, she said I can have one dance with her. If you don't mind?"," he said and Rhiannon blushed. She took his hand as Volstagg smiled and Fandral sighed, walking over to Hogun.

"Are you going to dance with her as well?" Fandral asked.

"I don't dance," the Grim One said and Fandral nodded.

Loki groaned to himself, wondering if she would be stolen away by another man.

 _I still have one more dance, he recalled. I had better leave an impression._

After the music ended, he watched her walking toward him as he stood and took her hand.

"That was fun," she said and he led her over to a couch.

"I am glad you are enjoying yourself," he said.

"I do enjoy dancing with some of them, but I would rather..."

"You would rather what?"

"I would rather spend time with you," she said and lowered her head.

"Then may I have one final dance?" he asked, standing up and held his hand out. She looked at his hand when she took his hand and he helped her to her feet. He knew which dance he wanted to do as he smiled and led her to the dance floor.

Loki signaled the musicians to play a specific tune, one that had its roots in old Asgard, back when a man danced not just for pleasure but to show his agility and ability to protect the woman he loved. The dance had no formal name but was simply called Daggers and Ribbons.

It required a degree of agility that few of the men there were capable of, and few of the women as well.

She looked nervous, standing still and not knowing what to do for a moment.

Loki nodded as Artos and another page brought over trays with two long blade daggers and a long roll of green silk ribbon.

Several of those watching gasped for they had not seen a prince dance the Daggers and Ribbons in a very long time.

She looked at him, and at the tray her mind a flurry of feelings as she shook slightly.

"Is he doing what I think he's doing?" Thor asked.

"I believe he is," Balder said

"By the Nine!" Fandral exclaimed. "Can he actually dance that?"

"I hope so or he is going to look very foolish," Volstagg said and Hogun nodded.

"I don't know this dance Sir." Rhiannon said, her voice hiding her nervousness.

"Have you ever heard of the valkyrilava?"

"Yes," she said with a nod then realized what he was about to do. "Oh!"

"Just don't get me killed Sir." She replied, standing still. One Noble Girl noticed her wording and giggled.

"I think he hired a girl for the evening to be his escort." The girl said, laughing behind her hand.

"If that is the case, we should remind her of her place," her friend said.

Loki heard and made a quick gesture as if he was smoothing his hair.

Suddenly the two jealous girls were screaming that a spider was in their hair and ran from the room in hysterics.

"I wonder how that happened," Loki said and Rhiannon softly giggled.

"Shall we dance?" she asked with a small curtsy and he nodded.

The music started swelling as Loki placed the long blade daggers on the floor and placed them in a "X".

"Don't murder the girl Loki! A nice set of hips like that would cost her Father a fortune in her dowry!" Thor shouted and Rhiannon blushed. She folded her hands and looks down.

Loki glanced at the tankard of ale next to Thor when he waved his hand and the tankard rose into the air and poured the ale over Thor's head.

"Guess he told you," Balder said and Thor laughed.

The music suddenly increased and Loki began to dance. The dance was a fast heel to toe two-step around the daggers and Rhee mirrored him around the circle, her heart pounding like crazy. A part of her was screaming she should not do this, it was not her place to dance this dance, and it begged her to run and hide. But another part, the part that was the hawk that soared through the sky, the secret part that no one knew, snarled at the fearful part and bid it to be still. _For once in my life, I shall do what I want! I shall be true to myself. I have loved him ever so long and just for tonight I can admit it. No one knows my name or who I am. I am free. Just for tonight._

She matched him step for step around the circle and as themusic reached a certain note, Loki moved forward, like a serpent, and sent a dagger spinning up into the air with the toe of his boot.

He watched the spinning dagger for a moment, judging precisely where it would be and held out his hand.

It slapped into his palm hilt first and even as it did so he was sending the other one up and catching it as well in a dazzling display of agility.

The spectators gasped in awe.

Loki smiled at Rhiannon across the circle as he crossed the daggers and tossed them from one hand to the other, his feet never stopping their dance. He spun the daggers about his head in a blinding flicker and then they were back in his hands and he backed away, using them to cut two lengths of ribbon from the roll and then he tossed the daggers back down in an X and held the ribbons in his hands.

This was the "invitation" part of the dance, where the woman opposite had the chance to either pick the ribbons up and accept his invitation, or not and the dance would end.

Rhiannon stared at the ribbons and wondered for an instant if she should refuse. Then she looked into his eyes, those pools of enchanting emeralds, and her heart gave a sudden leap. They smiled and beckoned and she knew without knowing how that she would be forever safe with him.

 _Forever safe . . . and forever adored. He is for me and I am for him._

In that moment she came all the way out of her cocoon of silence and darkness and spread her wings.

She picked up the ribbons, twining them about her wrists and then they danced as one, the ribbons winding about each other, forming a single rope.

She saw the astonishment in his eyes and she smiled at him.

 _He thought I would reject him. But I will not. I am not Boda. I am Rhiannon. And I will not hurt him like she did. I . . . love him._

She danced quickly around him, drawing him in with precise turns of her wrists.

Loki allowed himself to be reeled in, grinning like a fool.

Then she spun away, casting him back, and he pretended shock.

For three beats she remained indifferent, then she wound the rope lightly around him and tugged him back.

They danced three revolutions around the daggers and then he slid down to one knee and held out his hands and she looped the ribbons about him and held a hand out.

He took it and kissed it and the music stopped.

His lips were like fire and ice on her skin. They awakened something she had never known before, and with the icy kiss of desire, she knew she was lost.

Her heart beat in a staccato rhythm, whispering his name. _Loki. Loki. Loki._

Then he drew back and stood up, bowing to her, his emerald eyes sparkling.

She curtseyed to him, smiling back, still under the spell of the dance.

People around them muttered in awe and disbelief.

Fandral sighed. "Well, there goes my courtship."

"You have ten other girls lined up," Hogan snorted.

Balder shook his head wonderingly. "Sweet Valhalla! I never knew Loki could dance like THAT!"

"Me neither," Thor muttered. "And she danced as well as he did! That was amazing!"

"I wonder who she is?" Frigga asked Odin. "Do you know, I never caught her name?"

"I . . . don't believe I did either," the king realized.

Loki and Rhiannon began to walk off the dance floor, flushed and glowing.

They received several congratulatory remarks as they did so.

"Loki!" Frigga called, beckoning him over. "That dance was lovely, but I do believe you have forgotten one thing."

"What's that, Mother?" Loki asked, smiling.

"To tell us the name of the girl," she laughed.

Loki turned and said, " Lady Mystery, tell them your name."

But Rhiannon was gone.

"Why, where did she go?" Frigga asked.

Loki was flabbergasted. "I don't know. She was right here a minute ago."

Something sparkled upon the floor.

"Look!" Odin pointed. "There is her shoe! She must have lost it when she left."

Loki picked it up and stared at it, thoroughly puzzled. _Why did she leave? Was it something I said?_ At a loss, he clutched the shoe to him, feeling as if he had held something very precious in his hands for just a moment, and then it had vanished.

 **A/N: Thanks to ninewood who helped me with this! What did you think of Loki's solution with Malius? Just so you know, Odin will also add his own punishment. And how did you like the hawk? And the dance?**


	13. Truth and Consequences

**13**

 **Truth and Consequences**

 _Tori Amos once said "Heroines aren't born, they're made." ~ Loki_

Rhiannon ran through the halls, her bare foot slapping on the floor. Her heart pounding in her chest and fear lacing through her.

 _What were you thinking you fool? You are a Half-Breed Commoner._ She thought to herself. _What if you were recognized?_

She felt bad for leaving the ball without telling Loki but at the same time she also thought it was best she stopped this newfound attraction before it could blossom into something more.

 _He would never have you, foolish girl!_ she scolded herself, gasping at a stitch in her side. _He is a Prince of the blood, even if he is adopted, he is still royal by birth. And royal does not marry commoner, except in storybooks. Only children think such things come true and I am long past childhood._

And yet . . . and yet . . . her foolish heart would not quit leaping with joy every time she saw him.

The feel of his hands on her waist, his white teeth flashing in that smile that could stop a woman's heart . . .and the gentle mischief in his emerald eyes . . She sighed with remembrance. _I have danced with the Prince of Asgard! And it will never get any better than that._

She found her way to Sam's rooms, stripping off the dress and putting back on her uniform. She scrubbed her face clean of the makeup, sighing in remembrance of how she looked. Tears form in her eyes and she heard someone coming and runs toward the dormitories, leaving the gown behind.

It was then she realized that she had left a shoe behind in ballroom . . . and the other was still on her foot.

 _Spite! Now what do I do? How could I have been so careless?_ She shook her head. She paused and removed the crystal shoe and clutched it to her chest. She would keep this as a memento of her only ball and of the prince who had been so kind to her.

She snuck back into the dorm, hoping not to be noticed by the rest of the staff. She fell on her small bed, settling onto her hard, lumpy mattress and falling asleep.

Loki wandered the halls, searching for his missing lady, her crystal shoe cradled in one hand. He could not understand why she had run off like that and feared he had offended her somehow. But she had seemed to be enjoying herself up until the time he had wished to introduce her to his parents.

Could she have been afraid of Odin and Frigga?

After ten more minutes of futile searching, he decided to go back to his chambers and get some rest. He could ponder Rhiannon's disappearance in the He was tired and his left foot still ached from being stepped on by three clumsy noblewomen. All he wanted right then was a cup of tea, his pajamas, and his bed in that order. He could figure out where Rhiannon had gone in the morning. Surely she would show up then, to ask him about her duties.

He approached his chambers, giving the guards on duty a friendly hello. "All quiet here, Stavros, Medon?"

The guards nodded as he passed, muttering about all being well and they let him in.

He opened the door, freezing as he saw a woman lounging on his bed. She wore nothing but her corset and her underpants, her bare legs curled about his sheets. She giggled at him, licking her lips.

"My Prince. How may I serve you?"

Loki felt his jaw come unhinged. "Who the Hel are you?" he sputtered.

The girl sat up, giggling.

"I am Lady Vika, but tonight you may call me yours."

"I beg your pardon?" Loki began, wondering if he was hallucinating. He rubbed his eyes. "Okay. Did my brothers put you up to this? Because if so, it was a good prank. Now get dressed and get out before you start rumors."

Vika pouted. "Oh, you are so . . . funny, My Prince! I did not need your brothers' encouragement to do this . . . I have longed to get you alone since the welcome feast!"

Loki groaned. "Norns help me! What do you want? My title? My money? Or do you want to rip my clothes off?"

She laid back on the bed, giggling again and beckoned him over.

"How about I start by welcoming you properly?" She asked him and laughed again.

Loki wanted to cover his ears. _Nine Hells, she has a laugh like Ed the Hyena on the Lion King!_ He shook his head. "You must be really desperate to do this. Your father threaten to cut you off unless you ensnared a prince?"

"My father would be delighted if I told him you were betrothed to me!" Vika purred. She reached out and snagged his sleeve. "Now come here, Loki Madokey, and let me show you a good time! I heard your pretty little mystery maid ran away." She made a soft cooing noise. She sounded like a silly woman comforting a child. "Poor baby! But I can help you forget _all_ about her."

 _Not unless you hit me hard enough to have amnesia!_

She kissed him fully, her intentions evident. Loki's eyes went wide in shock. She pulled back, giggling and purring at him.

Her mouth tasted of mead and reminded him suddenly of his ex-wife and how she would get drunk before she would allow him to sleep with her. He fought the urge to gag.

"Madam, I do not know how you were raised, but from your actions I would say on Lantern Street!" He said coldly.

All he could think of was the way Boda used to chase after every man in pants at court, and had probably played this very trick upon many a man. Vika even resembled her somewhat, with her tumbledown pale blonde curls and wide smoky blue eyes.

"I am no strumpet! I am from a good and wealthy family! How dare you!" she shouted, pointing at the door. "Get out!"

"Excuse me?! You are in _my_ bed!" he growled. " _You_ get out!"

"Make me!" she pouted.

Loki gritted his teeth. "I have news for you, my lady! Good girls go to sleep in their _own_ bed. Bad girls sleep in someone else's!"

"You are most rude, you monster!" She spat back, slapping him across the face.

He caught her wrist in his hand. "I wouldn't do that again if I were you," he warned. He would not harm her, but neither would he be anyone's punching bag. "Now, you have two choices. You can leave here under your own power, or I can make you leave. Your choice."

Suddenly she changed her tactics, wrapping herself about him with a moan. "Ooh Loki! You are sooo masterful! Come here, my frosty prince!" She began licking his neck.

 _What am I, her lollipop?_ He thought, disgusted. "Your what? Did you just call me _a frosty prince?_ Good gods! My little daughter could think of a better name!"

"Tell me a name and I will call you it, my lord!"

She nibbled his neck, moaning, and Loki had to brace himself to keep from falling over. _Help! I'm being attacked by a vampiress!_

He jerked his head away. "It's time to go, Vika!" he began walking toward the door, the girl still wrapped about him like a hungry python.

"You wound me, My Prince!" she whined. "You are cold—cold as ice! No wonder your former wife looked for companionship elsewhere!"

She growled at him, scratching at his face with her nails. She dug and broke one, shouting in pain.

"I will tell everyone you took advantage of me!"

"Little witch!" Loki felt his temper skyrocket. "My ex-wife was hornier than a Texas toad! She would have done it with a lamp post if it had offered! Quit that!" He pulled her off him and then tossed her unceremoniously over his shoulder.

"As for being taken advantage of . . .it's the other way around!"

"I will have the maid flogged for this! Let go of me!" She shrieked, beating his back.

"You touch anyone and you will receive twice the stripes you give to them!" he threatened. It was pure bluff, but his reputation as a sorcerer would hold him in good stead.

"I will do it! Put me down now!" She shrieked at him and kicked him in the stomach. Then she yelped. "Oww! I hurt my toe!"

"I do what I want!" he shot back and opened the door. "Excuse me, gentlemen, but this little hussy decided to plant herself in my bed in hopes she would gain a proposal from me. But I don't propose to spoiled rich tarts!"

He set Vika down and summoned her clothes to him. "Your clothes, my lady!"

She snatched them her eyes stormy. "Beast! You unnatural cold icicle! I swear you love your magic more than you do people." She glared at him her breast heaving. "Oh and Fandral had wider shoulders and better biceps!"

"Why don't you go back to him?"

"Bastard Jotun! I will flog the bitch myself!" She shouted, glaring at Loki.

"Oh, and mind my words. You flog anyone and you will regret it." He made a little gesture towards her.

The Guards hid their glances at the exposed woman, one of them laughing to himself.

"I pray you never find a woman!" she shrieked at him, using a voice that could shatter glass.

"I pity the man who finds you!" Loki shot back. "The man is going to go deaf before he is two thousand!"

"You are the monster children hide in fear from! It is no wonder your wife slept with others! Your touch is cold and disgusting! Like a dead thing!"

Loki tisked at her. "My, my! If I'm so disgusting why were you in my room in my bed?" He turned to his guards. "When did she get here?"

"Two hours ago, My Prince." one Guard replied, leering at the girl.

"Two hours? What were you doing all that time? Drooling on my pillow? Going through my wardrobe? Dancing in your underwear?"

The guards snickered.

"To Hel with all of you!" She glared at Loki. "No woman would ever love you, not even your own mother who left you to die!"

She stormed away, hitching up her load. "She is afraid of you! Why do you think she ran?"

Loki waved at her. "Bye, Felicia!"

"Remind me never to anger that one." The guard behind him joked. Loki sighed, walking back into his chambers and thought about Rhiannon. Wondering if she did run because she was afraid.

 _I need a drink!_ he thought. Then he shook his head. _No, I need to sleep!_

He pulled off his clothes and waved a hand over his sheets, removing any trace of the woman who had lain there. Then he put on his pajamas and lay down, wincing as the pillow came into contact with his scratched cheek. He turned on his back, too tired to heal his cheek. Then he sank into sleep, the last thing his eyes saw was the crystal shoe upon his night stand.

"Daddy! Wake up! Lucy is sick!" Loki heard, someone shaking him and he could feel the impact of a child on the bed.

He woke sluggishly. "Huh? Aleta?"

"Lucy says her ear hurts and is crying! Daddy, wake up." Aleta said, her eyes going wide at his face. "You have an owie!"

"Okay, spark, I'm up!" he groaned.

"Daddy! You have lots of owies!"

"Yeah, a witch scratched me. Don't worry, I'm fine."

Sam ran into the room, out of breath and shaking.

"Dad! Lucy is getting worse!" she shouted, looking at Loki. "What happened to your face?"

"A witch scratched me," he said. "Give me two seconds and I'll be there." He teleported into the bathroom and summoned his clothes.

"She is crying and has a fever, Dad. I think it is an ear infection!" Sam shouted through the door.

"I'll be right out, butterfly. And it sure sounds like it. You know she gets them sometimes."

"Yeah, Dad! Should I get someone?" She shouted and knocks. "Oh! Your friend left her dress in our room last night."

"She did? I wonder why?" Then he recalled something. "Stupid dress codes!"

"What, Dad?" She asked through the door.

"Dress codes," he opened the door, fully dressed. "Apparently one of the laws that was passed four years ago involves dress codes for both nobles and commoners. And commoners can't wear anything made of silk or satin. Unless given permission by a noble."

"Great. But Lucy needs help! Should I get someone?" She asked him, waving her hands in front of his face.

Loki nodded. "I am going to get Healer Rhiannon. I believe she should be in the servants' dormitory."

"Maybe you should hurry?" Sam said, looking worried about her sister.

"Go back and sit with your sister." He ordered and then vanished in a puff of green smoke.

He reappeared in the section of the palace that the servants inhabited. Luckily that had not changed since he had been gone from Asgard.

Rhiannon dressed in one of her uniforms, tucking her hair under a cap and picking up her basket of supplies. She sighed in the mirror, the dress too big and her old corset cinched tightly.

"You are an employee, nothing more. Remember that." She told herself and left the dormitory. As soon as she opened the door, she was shocked to see Loki standing with a hand raised. She flinched and ducked.

"I am sorry for sleeping late Sir. It will not happen again!" She said quickly.

He lowered his hand. "Relax, Healer. I wasn't going to hurt you. I was about to knock on the door," he soothed.

"I am sorry for the mistake Sir. I was on my way for my list of duties from you." She replied, keeping her eyes low.

"I came here to tell you that my daughter Lucy has an ear infection and a fever. My youngest woke me up and told me."

"I will do my best to help her then, Sir." She replies with a curtsey.

She took her basket, hurrying down the hall and toward the girl's room. Her purpose guiding her to help the ailing child, she turned and nearly tripped walking up the stairs because of the too long skirts.

"Hold on." He called. "Let me fix those." He waved a hand and the skirt was now the proper length.

"Might I ask you something? Why did you leave so abruptly last night?"

"I had to rest, my duties to you as my employer would have suffered." She replied, keeping her head low.

"Then you weren't . . . afraid of me?" he queried softly.

She stopped, looking at him briefly in shock. "No sir, I... I am just your servant. I need to see to the Princess, before she gets worse."

"Of course." he said softly. He turned his head slightly and she noticed the scratches on his face.

"What happened to your face, sir? Those scratches look very sore and may get infected," she asked him, digging through her basket for a wash.

"I had an . . . unwelcome visitor last night." He coughed. "I'm sure you will hear rumors soon enough, but I want you to know that the witch who did this, Lady Vika, came into my chambers two hours before I entered and was lying in wait for me like a black widow spider. I found her on my bed in nothing but her undergarments."

"That is not my place to judge, sir. Your affairs are your own." She replied, finding the bottle and a clean cloth. She started opening the bottle, pouring some of the medicine onto the cloth and pressed it to his face.

"Hold this there, I will tend them after the child, sir."

She put the bottle back, walking on and trying to hurry to see Lucy.

Loki flushed. "I just wanted you to know that when I picked her up and threw her out she scratched me and swore at me."

"What did she say?"

He grimaced and then repeated verbatim what she had yelled at him in the corridor.

"Please talk as we walk, a child needs care. But that is awful, sir."

"Yes, but it is nothing I haven't heard before."

She nodded, shifting her basket. "It is still something you do not say to your better, sir. Could we hurry? I am terribly worried about the Princess, it pains me to see a child ill."

"Would you prefer me to teleport you?"

"If it pleases you sir, but I am forbidden from touching you."

"Doesn't mean I can't touch you," he said and she blushed.

"No. I suppose it does not mean that, sir." She offered him her elbow, holding her basket with both hands.

Loki gently took her elbow as he concentrated on Lucy and they vanished in a puff of green smoke.

She nearly stumbled over, disoriented and breathing hard. She caught herself, trying her best not to vomit.

"Are you alright?" he asked and she saw the worry in his eyes.

"Yes, sir," she said with a nod.

"It was just an odd feeling, sir. But still very clever. Where is the ailing child?"

"Over here," Loki said, and opened the door into Lucy's room.

"Lucy, I've brought Healer Rhiannon to take a look at your ear. She's just like Dr. Mickleson at home." Loki said as he came over to Lucy, who was in her bed, pale and flushed, her beautiful blue eyes wide with pai

"It hurts bad, Dad."

Loki sat on the bed and held her on his lap. "Will you be my brave Valkyrie and let her see it?" He stroked her golden hair.

"Okay." She leaned her head on Loki's chest.

Rhiannon set out everything she needed, carefully using her scope to check her ear. "This will be uncomfortable. If it hurts too much, I will stop and apply medicine."

She looked through it, Lucy cringing in pain. "It hurts!"

Loki rubbed his daughter's back. "It's okay, sweetie."

"Her ear is horribly swollen. It is a good thing I brought everything I could think of." Rhiannon reported.

"Are there drops you can give her for the pain and swelling?" He hugged his child.

"Yes. The Mullien Flower extract will fight the inflammation. The garlic oil will fight the infection. It is not in the lymph nodes in her neck, so three drops now, three drops before bed should fight it back. I need her to lay on her side."

Loki helped Lucy lie down. "Okay, just lie still, Valkyrie." Lucy gripped his hand tightly.

Rhiannon applied three drops to her ear.

"You should feel relief by afternoon. But don't remove the plug I am going to put in. It will keep the medicine in your ear."

"Okay."

Rhiannon put a bit of clean cotton to plug her ear. Lucy whimpered in pain, but tolerated it.

She gave Loki a bottle of the medicine, some clean squares of cotton, and unwrapped an apple tart, giving the last to Lucy. The petite Healer smoothing the little girl's hair back and soothed her.

"All over, you rest and you will feel better."

"Thank you, Healer Rhiannon." She bit into the tart "Mmm!"

"Thank you for being such a good patient." Rhiannon smiled at her.

"That's my brave Valkyrie," Loki said and Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Daddy!" Lucy sighed and Rhiannon chuckled.

"She will sleep soon. It is best we give her some quiet, sir. Would you like me to tend those scratches?"

"Yes, if you wouldn't mind." Loki answered. He could heal them himself, but he found himself strangely reluctant to do so.

She collected her things, cleaning her scope and returning it to her basket.

"I also need my duty list, and for you to tell me your expectations of me, sir."

"Uh...," Loki stuttered then realized she meant as their healer.

"Sir? Are you well?" She asked, picking up her basket and blinking at him.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Oh. Shall we go into the hall so I can treat your wounds?"

"Alright," he said and they headed out of the room. He went to sit on one of the high back chairs as she placed her basket on the table next to the chair and looked at his face.

"They are not deep, but they could get infected easily. I need to clean them Sir." She said, pouring more of the solution onto the cloth and cleaning the scratches gently.

He thought how gentle she was as he looked at her and saw she was blushing.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes," she said with a nod.

She continued cleaning the wound, taking a clean cloth and applying an ointment to it. She pressed her lips together as she worked.

"This will help them heal, sir. Would you explain your expectations of me, sir?"

Loki cleared his throat. _Get your head out of the clouds and back on the ground where it belongs, Laufeyson!_ He thought.

"Well, my children do tend to stay healthy, though, recently, they did come down with a flu virus."

"Did you have any assistance in taking care of them?"

"Yes," he said with a nod. "The one who does tend to get minor injuries is Vince. He isn't called my little daredevil for nothing."

She put her things back in her basket neatly. "I understand, sir. But my conduct, how do you expect me to act?"

"I expect you to act like you normally do."

"Yes, sir. The child who cannot walk, does he have needs that I should be aware of?" She asked him, folding her hands neatly.

"He does have to be careful if he gets a respiratory infection."

"Is he able to sit on the toilet on his own?"

"Yes, he can."

"Very good then. Do you have a list of duties you want me to perform?"

"Other than to take care of us when we're ill, I can't think of anything. Oh. You will be able to have three meals a day, you will be paid if you yourself get ill and you will be paid if you have to work over your normal shift."

"Sir, you are too generous!" she gasped. "That is far too generous in fact, I am content with what I had before."

She lowered her eyes politely, picking up her basket.

"All who work in my house receive the same as what I am offering you. My employees in New York have much the same terms. It is fair. You will also have weekends off unless there is someone sick. Five days a week, eight to ten hours a day."

 _He is so kind Rhiannon, stop being a fool and say something._

"Thank you, sir. May I be dismissed? I have to... run am errand." She said, holding her basket.

"Of course," he said with a nod. He watched her quickly rush off and he sighed.

 _Why does she keep running away from me_? he thought.

She pushed past the maid as she entered with his breakfast tray, the woman sighing. "Off to see her lover I bet."

Loki stared at her. "Excuse me?"

"No one has ever seen him, but she runs into the city to meet him every week. Good morning, My Prince."

The maid set the tray on the table, Loki nearly falling into the chair. _She has someone else?_ He wondered, and heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," he called.

The maid opened the door and Thor and Balder walked by her.

"Leave," Balder said and the maid bowed, walking out of the room. He checked to see if she was gone before closing the door and Loki gave his brothers an odd look.

"Is there something wrong?" Loki asked.

"Good to see you are not throwing another girl out in her undergarments!" Balder laughed, Thor joining him.

"Norns! Your face!" Thor exclaimed.

"She really worked you over. Was it your Mystery Lady?" Balder inquired, laughing.

"Ah!" Loki said when he realized the guards who had seen him tossing Vika out of his room said something and he sighed. "No, it was Lady Vika."

"She is amazing Brother! A real spitfire!" Balder laughed. "She would have made you forget the other girl."

"Her father has his hands full with her," Thor snorted. "She used to be with Fandral and he said she was like a firecracker!"

"You should have heard what she said about me!" Loki said with a growl.

"You did reject her, Brother." Balder laughed.

"Of course I did!"

"What did she say?" Thor asked his eyes glinting.

Loki told them as Thor and Balder looked at each other and Loki crossed his arms over his chest.

"Nine Hels. I cannot believe she would have that nerve." Thor said, and sighed

"I can. Her father spoils her," Balder said. "Just like-" he stopped.

"Yes," Loki said with a nod.

"I will tell the guards to stop talking about you or I will report them to Father," Thor said.

"Oh, that's all I need."

"I am sorry Brother, but you still have your Mystery Maiden." Thor offered, smiling hopefully.

Balder saw the look on his face, frowning. "You are very unlucky Brother. I am sorry."

"Yes. Well, I just hope Vika doesn't cause any trouble."

"Mother will put her in her place " Balder answered.

"We will see to it, Brother. Perhaps, fate has another meant for you." Thor replied, clapping his brother on the shoulder.

"I doubt it."

"Oh, don't sound so downhearted," Balder said.

"Yes. I found Jane. You will find yours." Thor offered.

"Perhaps I am not meant to find anyone. I mean who wants a man with twelve kids?"

"There were a few ladies who were interested. Come now, try them." Balder replied, Thor nodding.

Loki sighed and began to eat his breakfast.

"We will leave you. Brother. Come for a ride with us later." Balder said, taking Thor's arm and leading him out the door.

Loki watched the door closing as he thought about what they said and the image of Rhiannon's face moved across his mind.

Loki thought about riding his beloved mare again. Then he thought about trying to remove the revenant from Odin, many thoughts filling his mind, and swirling about. Somehow, always returning to Rhiannon and how she looked in her gown. Her soft smile, and her gentle voice. Even the musical laugh she had, all of her so very pure in his mind.

A pounding from the door startled him from his thoughts, and shouting from a woman and a man came from the hall.

"Sir! We have made an arrest of a man attacking one of your servants!" The Guard shouted. The female voice pleading with them to let someone go.

"Hold on," Loki said as he got off the chair and headed for the door.

He opened the door, finding Rhiannon standing with two guards, her uniform torn and her eye swelling. Her cut lip still bleeding and she still begging the guard to let a man go.

"He did not mean it, sir! I swear, I..." She said, dropping to her knees. "I beg you to show mercy."

Loki's mind reeled at the sight. She was fine just a short time ago and, now, she had been beaten.

"What...? What has happened?" Loki asked, helping her to her feet.

"She was meeting a man in a tavern, the barkeep reported that he became enraged with her and began beating her. It took the both of us to stop him." The guard replied, bowing.

"What was she doing in a tavern?" Loki thought then looked at the man. The man was older than she was, but the way she looked at him made Loki's chest hurt. "Is this...her lover?"

"Please, show mercy. It was my fault, sir. I beg you." She wept, her swollen eye growing more puffy.

"Damn right it's your fault!" the man said and Loki smelt the sour smell of beer on his breath. "Telling me you're no longer in the infirmary!"

"What does where she works have to do with you?" Loki asked.

"I don't have to explain myself to you, Half Blood!"

"I was dismissed, but my employment is much better now. I promise." She replied, panic lacing her voice. "I can explain sir, but not here."

Loki stepped to the side, gesturing her into his chambers and she walked past him with her head down. He closed the door, wanting an explanation more than anything. She paced wringing her hands and fighting tears.

He walked closer when he gently took her elbow and led her to a chair.

"I beg you again sir, please show him mercy and do not judge me unkindly." She said, sitting down and trying not to cry.

He knelt down next to the chair as he looked at her and waved his hand. A handkerchief appeared and he handed it to her and she took it.

"Thank you, sir." She replied, dabbling her lower lip and then her eyes. "Our relationship has always been... strained, but he never means to be cruel."

"How long have you been with him?"

"All my life."

She looked at her hands, a tear falling down her cheek. "You must think me a fool. But I do beg mercy for my father."

 _That man is...her father?_ Loki thought and felt the tightness in his chest lighten. "Your father?"

"Yes sir." She replied, wiping her eyes again. "I take him some of my wages to eat with, I did not have enough this time. Only two copper coins. He was angry..."

She sobbed, holding the handkerchief to her nose.

"He takes your wages?" he asked and she nodded.

"To eat, sir." She said, dabbling her bleeding lip again.

"No man has a right to beat any woman. No matter if it is his spouse, mother, sister or daughter."

"But he is a good man, believe me. And he is all that I have left, Mother being taken to Valhalla... please, sir. He is only an old man, and once served as a guard." She begged, leaving the chair to fall to her knees in front of him.

"Please get up," he said and helped her to her feet. "You are never to kneel before me."

 _But you wanted people to kneel before you,_ a voice said in his head and he gently shook his head to silence the voice. _When I was controlled._

"Yes, sir," she said with a nod.

"Your father was a member of the Einherjar?"

"Yes. He was one of the elite guard until his drinking got the best of him."

She swayed on her feet, her soft shoes feeling heavy. "Please, he does not mean to..."

She crumpled to the floor.

Loki quickly picked her up when he placed her on the couch and called for the guards. The guards ran in the room as they looked at her then at Loki and he glared at them.

"Fetch a healer!" he shouted then looked at her father standing in the doorway.

His anger raged at the man, feeling he deserved no mercy for what he had done to Rhiannon. He glared the smug man, remembering her pleas.

The guards ran out of the room as he walked to Rhiannon's father and locked eyes with him.

"I could have you taken to the dungeons and beaten, but your daughter thinks I should show you mercy," Loki said.

"Then show it. The little bitch is a failure." The man spat back, the stale ale on his breath. "I should have sold her to a brothel."

"Hold your tongue! And she is not a failure! She is a member of my house and will be treated with respect."

"She is?!" he asked and looked him up and down. "And just what does she do for you?!"

It took everything for Loki not to strike him as he snorted a breath of air out of his nose and her father smiled.

"I guess those rumors are true. You do like to bed trash!"

The man removed a flask from his pocket, draining the contents. Loki fought with himself, refusing to break her heart by beating the bastard himself.

"You want a go at her now? She will not complain." He snorted, putting the flask away. "One silver, and you can do whatever you want."

Loki imagined himself knocking the crude man's teeth down his throat. _He's baiting you, Laufeyson. Don't give him the satisfaction._

The guards returned with a healer as Loki looked at them then at Rhiannon's father and her father swore Loki's eyes flashed red for a second.

"Take him to the dungeons. I will deal with him later," Loki said.

"Yes, Sire," the guard said and the guards grabbed her father's arms. He swore as they led him away and Loki led the healer into his room.

"What happened to her sir?" The Healer asked, looking at Rhiannon's wounds.

"She has been beaten," Loki said and the healer looked at him. "Not by me!"

"Of course not, sir," the Healer said. "I assumed by the man who was just arrested."

"Loki!" Thor called out as he ran in the room and saw Rhiannon lying on the couch. "By the Nine, what is going on!?"

"It appears my healer has been beaten by her father," Loki said and Thor's eyes widened.

"Why would he do that?" Thor asked him, looking at the girl. "Put her on the bed at least."

Sighing, Loki explained what Rhiannon had told him while the healer examined Rhiannon and Thor frowned. Suddenly, Rhiannon moaned when she opened her eyes and looked at them.

"What happened? Where is he?" She asked, looking around.

"You are safe," Loki told her quietly.

"Please do not move," ordered the Healer, who Rhiannon recognized as another commoner named Martin. He finished his examination and turned to Loki. "Sir, she has a black eye, split lip, and bruising on her ribs, arms, and face. Her assailant was wickedly quick with his fist, My Prince. But other than that, no major damage has occurred. I recommend a period of rest and then light duties tomorrow, plus hot and cold arnica compresses."

Rhiannon listend, still feeling sick, but agreeing with the diagnosis. Martin is a good Healer, and another one who suffered under Malius and Mythal.

Loki nodded, the treatment one he had used many times for himself, Thor, and Hunter when Hunter had been beaten by the drug dealer back in New York.

"I will see that she rests." Loki replied, looking at Rhiannon and her sad state.

"Where is he, sir?" she asked again, still worried.

She sat up, trying to find the bastard who beat her, glancing around the room in her worry. Dizziness overcame her and she lay back down, shivering with pain.

"Lie down, please. You will hurt yourself worse," Loki said.

"Yes sir. I just need to know where he is." She replied.

"He will not harm you again, Lady," Thor put in. "Loki, go fetch those cloths, you're the medic, you know what she needs."

"All right. In the meantime, put this on your eye," Loki conjured some snow and wrapped it in a cloth and handed it to Rhiannon.

"Yes, sir." she replied, putting the pack on her eye. "Are you going to have him beat?"

"Would you like me to?" Thor asked. "I do not normally do such a thing but any man who harms a woman in such a fashion . . ." He frowned. "It is just wrong. These laws must be changed."

She sat up again in shock, her eyes wide. "Please no! I beg mercy!"

Her head swam again, and she fell back against the couch. She breathed through her mouth, trying to clear her head.

"Thor, you are getting her upset," Loki scolded, returning with the arnica and cloths.

"I only offered to have the bastard that did this beaten." Thor replied. "But she asks mercy. She is very confusing."

Loki sighed. "Why are you protecting him, Rhiannon? No one in my employ is ever treated so shamefully." He soaked a cloth in the arnica and applied it to her bruised cheek.

"I told you why, sir. He is a good man, but very lonely. Please, let him go." She looked at him, a tear falling down her cheek.

"I will not beat him," Loki conceded. "I will, however, hold him at least overnight for drunken and disorderly conduct. He accused me of some nasty things and his drunkeness does not excuse that." He bit his lip, trying to decide whether to tell her that this supposedly "good man" had threatened to sell her to him for a silver piece.

"Thank you, sir. He just gets so angry sometimes. I wanted to give him some food, but two copper coins was not enough. He is hungry as well, may I send him my lunch and supper?"

But he worried about upsetting her further and so decided against it for now. Then too, he knew that if Thor heard that he would go ballistic. "No, that will not be necessary. The prisoners are fed three times a day." To Loki's reckoning the man hardly looked like he was starving, and if he had been taking his daughter's food and money, no wonder she looked like a strong wind could blow her away.

His lip curled inwardly. Damn leech! Living off his child instead of finding work himself. He detested people like that.

"Thank you, sir." She said, her eyes closing. "I am so very tired now."

"If he needs work, we can always use a man to watch the royal horses in the pasture," Thor remarked. "Then you would not need to worry about him going hungry. Is there some reason he has no job?"

"He cannot work sir, he was injured as a guard after Mother died."

Thor had met many down on their luck veterans and helped them. But he had also known just as many drunken bums and malingerers. And something told him that this one was one of the latter kind.

"What sort of injury?" Thor frowned. "He has all his limbs, correct? And seems to have all his wits, yes, Loki?"

Loki nodded. "From what I could tell, yes."

"He never told me, sirs. He is a good man though, please don't be harsh with him." She replied, the couch hurting her ribs and making her shift. "I will go to my bed, sir. If I am dismissed."

"You can barely stand up. Allow me to assist you," Loki said quickly.

His suspicions were growing by the minute about Rhiannon's father. He and Thor exchanged glances and he knew his brother had drawn the same conclusion.

She let Loki help her stand, but her head swam again, her knees buckled under her and she moaned in pain.

"Catch her." Thor said, walking forward to help him with the limp girl.

Loki picked her up easily. "She weighs no more than thistledown," he told his brother.

"No wonder if she has been giving her food away."

"The food Malius gave her wasn't fit for pigs," Loki informed him.

"Where do we put her, Brother? Back on the couch?" Thor asked, putting her hand on her stomach. "We cannot have you carrying a beaten woman in a torn dress through the castle. People will talk and gossip."

"You're right. Even though I would never . . ." he broke off. "People are stupid." He waved a hand and the couch became soft as a goosedown mattress complete with pillows and a blanket. "You are staying here for the time being, Miss. Thor, fetch Halgran to watch her until she sleeps. No one would dare to gossip about her or anyone under her care."

Thor laughed. "She would take a switch to their backsides if they did. She hates gossips worse than the plague."

Loki placed Rhiannon down on the refurbished couch.

"I will return, and I do not guarantee the safety of the bastard in the dungeon." Thor replied, leaving the room and Loki with the sleeping girl. It pained him to see her beaten, her eye swelled shut. He closed his fists, forcing back his anger and sat in his chair. The breakfast tray nearby and forgotten.

Thor returned with Halgran, the older woman angry and her maternal self showing. "Who beat the poor girl? And why is she as thin as a reed?"

"Her father did this. Apparently he was angry and drunk when she went to give him some of her wages. And she has been giving him her food also." Loki said curtly.

"Someone should beat him for this." Halgran replied, sitting next to the bed and using a cloth to clean the blood off her chin. "Poor dear, this is the sweetest girl I have ever met. She was so good to Fenris when he was injured, holding his hand and reassuring him that he would recover. She coaxed him out of the woods Loki, no one knew how she did it, but she did. The boy will be so angry when he hears of this, he will abandon all of us again."

"I agree. Yet she has asked both of us repeatedly to spare him and insists he is a good man who is just hungry and drunk," Thor shook his head. "No man is good who does this to someone. And I get the feeling this is not the first time this has happened."

"No, it's probably not," Loki declared. "She has most likely suffered abuse like this her whole life. I know the signs, nobody knows them better than I do. I will speak with Fenris."

"He will listen to you, Loki," Halgran said approvingly.

"Loki, why would she insist that he is good?" Thor asked, puzzled.

"She is a kind heart. And sees the good in everyone that others do not." Halgran said, covering the girl and removing her shoes.

"Because you tell yourself lies in order to survive something like this," Loki replied. "And because you are conditioned to believe it is your fault when your abuser hurts you. I've gone through this with Max. And myself. But no one deserves what their abuser does to them. _No one_."

Halgran looked at him. "Let her sleep, she feels a bit feverish."

"Does she need some medicine? I have some in my backpack," Loki asked, thanking the Norns he had brought Motrin and Advil with him on this vacation.

The old woman sat in another chair, groaning with age. "Let us see if it passes. Am I incorrect in thinking that you fancy the girl, Loki?"

The God of Mischief flushed red as a sunset. "I . . . like her. But I am afraid that nothing can come of it unless I get Father to change the laws regarding nobles and commoners."

"Or you could take her away from Asgard. Let her live in Midgard." Thor suggested.

"Then we would have a Prince accused of kidnapping, Thor. Use sense, boy." Halgran scolded.

"I was only suggesting, madam. It is good to finally see... this was the girl from last night. Wasn't it?" Thor asked, looking shocked.

Loki nodded. "Yes. Halgran's right. I can't just take a lady away from her home. No, I am trying to help Father and I believe I know what is wrong with him. Once I fix it, he will revoke half these outdated restrictive laws. I just need time." He studied Rhiannon again. "The thing we both should be considering is what we ought to do with her father. I am all for keeping him locked up so he cannot hurt her again. Perhaps when he is sober again he will sing a different tune than he did when I spoke with him."

"What did he say?" Thor asked, keeping his voice low.

Loki heaved a sigh. "I really shouldn't tell you. Because you will have a canary. As it was I almost lost _my_ temper."

"Very well, but this man will not leave the dungeon until he is sober." Thor warned, sighing at his brother.

"Agreed. And if he says anything to make me believe he will keep on blackmailing her he won't be leaving his cell."

"I should change her clothes. Sleeping in a corset is torture, Loki." Halgran said, sighing.

"I hate those cages," Loki muttered. "Very well. Thor, let's go and find Fenris. Before he does something to the bastard that is permanent. I don't want my sixteen-year-old up on murder charges."

"Yes, brother. Fenris is very friendly with her."

"I want to talk to you Loki, you hurry back.!" Halgran said, starting to walk to the servants quarters to get Rhiannon's shift.

"Yes, ma'am," Loki replied, responding automatically to the authoritative tone in her voice. Then he shook his head. "It's been over fourteen hundred years since she was in charge of me and she can still make me jump with that tone."

"Me too," Thor admitted. "But do not ever tell anyone I said that."

The woman turned the corner, when Loki saw Fenris coming towards them.

"Oh Hel. He knows." Thor said.

"Fenris," Loki began.

"I will kill him myself! She is my friend!" He snarled at Loki. "Where is he?"

Loki put his hands on his son's shoulders. "He is locked up and awaiting judgment," he soothed. "Calm down. You aren't killing anyone. Even if he deserves it."

"How badly was she beaten, Father?" Fenris asked, searching his father's face.

"Nothing was broken. It's mostly bruises, a black eye, and a cut lip," he told the angry teen. "The guards stopped him before he did worse."

"He is still a bastard! I swear I will see him flogged!" Fenris shouted, clenching his fists.

"The Healer assured us she will be fine in a day or so," Thor added. "And we have Halgran looking after her. She could not be in better hands than the old hearth witch's."

"You're lucky she isn't around to hear you say that, Thor." Loki chuckled.

"That's why I said it when she wasn't," the Thunder God smirked.

"Fenris, relax," Loki said quietly. "Before you wake Rhiannon. Come, let's go to Thor's room and talk."

"How can you be so calm?" his son demanded. "I want to tear that scum's throat out!" he hissed, his amber eyes glinting.

"I am calm because it will do me no good, and Rhiannon no good, if I am in jail for murder," Loki returned. He put his arm around his son. "Come on. Believe me, your uncle and I wanted to beat him too."

"I still want to kill him! I told her to never go near him again!" Fenris shouted.

"Hush!' Loki ordered, hurrying into Thor's room. He cast privacy wards as soon as they were inside and Thor locked the door. "Sit down. Now tell me what you meant by that last statement."

"I know the bastard! He is her father and was once a guard! He takes her money and beats her, she blames the drink but the truth is that he hates her." Fenris raged.

"Loki, you were right," Thor murmured.

"He treats her poorly, trying to sell her to a Madam until I threatened him."

"I knew it. I have seen it before. On Midgard," his brother said softly.

"He WHAT?" Thor looked like he was going to start breaking things. "Is that what you wouldn't tell me, Loki?!"

"Yes. Because I know how you would react. And we cannot kill the bastard! Not like this. We need to abide by the law. Besides, Rhiannon would hate all of us if we committed murder, no matter how justified we think it is."

"What do you plan then, Father?" Fenris said, crossing his arms.

"I think the best action is to keep him in the dungeon." Thor said, scratching his beard.

"The problem here is that the laws as they stand now permit him to beat her with impunity. As written, they state that a father may use force to correct behavior in their child. We all know that is wrong. But the law permits it.

However, right now we have him in custody for being drunk, disorderly, and for insulting a prince of the realm. The law does not state that we must release him anytime soon. We can keep him there indefinitely, pending a trial for his repeat offenses."

"But when you let him go, he will keep hurting her," Fenris objected.

"Let your father speak Fenris, he is clever." Thor said, raising a finger in warning.

"Go ahead Father."

"I am aware of that," Loki responded. "It would give me great pleasure to turn him into a slug and squash him." He coughed. "What we need is for the laws regarding the treatment of parents and children to be changed. Which means convincing your grandfather to alter them. Something I know I can do if given time. "

"He made them, why would he change them?" Fenris asked.

"Because, Beta, he did NOT make them. The revenant controlling him did." Loki revealed the secret he had discovered.

"The what?" Thor asked in shock.

"The revenant. The term means an unquiet evil spirit. Father is possessed by it and has been for a very _long_ time now. I theorize since our sister Lanie died and he first sought OdinSleep to deal with his grief. This spirit is very old and powerful. It has hidden within his mind for centuries and it only reveals itself when it chooses to.

It is why Father has headaches sometimes. And why at times he acts totally counter to his true self. When the revenant is in charge, it influences him to do things like create laws that are harsh and cruel. Or do things that are harsh and cruel. Like what he did to me."

"Loki?" The commanding voice of Halgran shouts on the hall. "I need to see you at once."

"Coming!" he called back. "Let me go and see what she wants. We can continue this discussion as soon as I get back," he said, rising to his feet.

He walked into the hall, Halgran standing in it with a corset small enough to fit a child. "This is what she was wearing. It hardly fits her!"

Loki looked appalled. "Mimir's Beard, why? Surely even her Healer's pay allowed her to buy a garment that fit. No wonder she always seemed half out of breath and fainting."

"She said she was only given a copper coin every week for pay. This one was dug from the garbage! Her shift is no better! It is threadbare and patched. This is very unacceptable for the poor girl." The matronly woman said.

"Gods and hells! This gets worse the more I hear about it. I will have a seamstress come and measure her for new undergarments. That is just disgraceful. A dung sweeper is treated better."

"I will have it done. She wants to be taken back to that straw mattress she calls a bed as well."

"No. Not until she has rested a full night here. The Healer gave me specific orders." Loki refuted. "If need be I will bunk with Thor until tomorrow morning to avoid gossip. And you may stay with her, Halgran."

"It is shameful. All the other girls have soft beds but her!" The woman nearly shouts, waving the undergarments around.

"Halgran, people will see," Loki whispered. He gestured and it seemed as if his old nanny was waving a book around. "I will get it fixed. I shall see about finding her a room nearby."

"I will take her to my son's farm. He needs a kitchen maid, and she will be treated fairly there." She replied, looking at the heavily patched garment. "She tried to sew the boning into one piece after it broke. Nine Hels!"

"Halgran, she's my family physician. So I can provide for her without it being improper," Loki told her.

"Do so, or I offer her that position at the farm. I warn you, boy." She threatened, waving the corset inches from his nose. "This is very unacceptable for a lady to wear!"

"Yes, I understand. I just hired her yesterday, so I haven't had a chance to do everything I need to. But it will be done. You have my word. And you know that despite what people say, my word is good."

"I know that, boy. Sometimes I just need to light a fire under you."

She shoved the garment into his chest, storming off and leaving him holding the corset. A maid stared, unable to believe someone would talk to a Prince that way.

"What did you do to anger Halgran now, Loki?" Balder asked, walking past.

Loki chuckled ruefully and opened the door to Thor's room."It wasn't me, Balder. It was someone else." He beckoned his brother. "Come in here. I need to tell you something."

"What is going on?" Balder inquired looking at the very angry Fenris.

Loki quickly summed up what had happened, informing his eldest brother about the revenant as well.

"Nine Hels. It is never dull in this family is it?" Balder said, rubbing his face.

"You want dull you should have been born into a different family," Thor chuckled.

"Thor, can you summon your page for me?" Loki requested. "I need to send him on a few errands for me."

Thor went and pulled a velvet red tassel in the corner and soon there was a knock and a pre-teen in Thor's red livery appeared. "You rang, My Prince?"

"Yes. See Prince Loki, Errol. He needs your assistance," Thor told the gawky boy.

"How may I assist you, sir?" Errol asked, bowing before him.

Loki told him to send a seamstress to his chambers and speak with Halgran and also to make inquiries of the Steward about an available privarte room near the royal enclave.

"Do it quickly and I will give you a reward for your swiftness." Loki told him, fingering some candy in his pockets.

"Yes, sir. Is this about the nearly naked girl sneaking down the hall?" He asked, shifting uncomfortably.

Loki's mouth fell open. "I beg your pardon?"

"She is in a terrible state. Wearing a shift and limping toward the dormitories."

"By the Nine," Loki sighed.

Thor laughed. "Oh this is the first time I have heard of a girl sneaking away from our rooms."

Half-running, Loki found Rhiannon leaning against the wall and she gave him a slightly frightened look.

"There is no need to be afraid," Loki said with a smile.

"Sir..."

"Yes, I understand, but please go back to my room."

"I need to return to my bed, sir. It is not proper for me to be in your rooms, and dressed so." She replied, trying to move on."They will say that you had me, and that I am a whore." She whimpered, her fingers clutching the wall for balance.

"I am not in my rooms right now. You need a comfortable place to recover so I have arranged for my old nanny Halgran to stay with you until tomorrow. Now please, let's not debate this in the hallway." He waved a hand and it appeared as though Rhiannon was in her uniform. "Come, I will not have it said I do not treat those in my employ well. And anyone who knows me knows I do not sleep with my help."

She shook her head, nearly crying. "It is not proper."

"I am not going to stay in there while you are there. I will stay with my brother. There is nothing improper about what I propose."

She looked down at her feet, knowing she cannot disobey. "As you wish, sir."

Loki took her elbow as he led her back to his room and she went inside.

Halgran appeared a few moments later. "Rhee, my lamb what are you doing out of bed? You are still unwell, lie down before you fall and injure yourself worse!"

"I did not want to sully Prince Loki's name by the rumors of something improper happening." She replied, nearly crying.

"Oh," Halgran said, giving her a hug.

"Madam, I am still bleeding. I might dirty your dress." She said, her eyes closing.

"Not the first time someone's bled on me," she said as she glanced at Thor and Loki.

"Take her back, and see that she rests." Thor said, looking at the sad state of the girl.

"That's true," Loki agreed. "Halgran, please tell her no one will dare to gossip about us with you here."

"Prince Loki is right," Halgran said, looking Rhiannon in the eyes. "If anyone speaks ill of you or Prince Loki, they will feel the sharpness of my tongue."

Rhiannon heard the truth of her words and gave a small giggle.

"There! That's much better! Come along Little Flower. You need your rest." Halgran said, putting strong arms around the girl.

Nodding, Rhiannon followed her into Loki's room and Halgran closed the door behind them.

Behind them, Fenris growled deep in his throat. "I will kill him!"

"All right," Loki said to Thor. "Let us go back and finish our discussion. I know you are dying to find out what I plan to do. And there will be no killing," Loki said and Fenris sighed.

"I say we let that bastard rot in his cell then." Fenris growled. "Look at her face! She was in better shape after Thor and Balder were done with her. At least they did not beat her within an inch of dying!" The boy shouted, Thor and Balder looking ashamed suddenly.

"I'm not blind, young man," Loki snapped. "But that piece of crap is not worth us going to prison for." He stared at his brothers. "What in Yggdrasil's Name is he talking about?"

"After you fell, and were in prison... we found out about another Jotun hybrid... we arrested her and Father put sanctions on her. If she steps out of line, she will be executed." Thor said, looking shamed.

"You pulled her from her bed in the middle of the night. She was screaming!" Fenris shouted.

"Flaming Hells! Not here in the damn hallway," Loki snarled. "All of you get your asses in Thor's chambers. Move!" His tone was ice and steel, and all three men stiffened and obeyed as if he cast a spell on them.

"We had to take her in! She was hiding what she was and deemed a danger by Father!" Balder shouted back once they were inside Thor's chambers.

"Poor excuse!" Fenris growled. "Grandfather is now looking for any excuse to separate her head from her body!"

"That wasn't our father who made that decree," Loki interjected. "It was the spirit possessing him. The same one who thought it a fitting punishment to lock a shifter away in a windowless cell for life."

"We only followed his orders, Brother." Balder said, angry and shaking.

"Did your orders include throwing her into a garbage pile before you took her before Odin?" Fenris demanded.

"Balder! By the Nine!" Loki scowled.

"We were drunk when we went to get her." Balder admitted, hanging his head.

"And that excuses what you did?!"

"No! No, it doesn't!"

"No wonder she is so insecure."

"How were we to know you would end up wanting to bed the girl?" Thor spat back.

"I... I never said I want to do that," Loki said, getting flustered.

"She means that much to you, Father?" Fenris asked.

"Yes, she does," Loki said and Thor and Balder looked at each other.

"Norns Thor! Don't be crude." Balder said, groaning into his hands.

"And you of all people know better than to accuse me of sleeping around with anyone," Loki snapped. "After what Boda did . . ."

Thor and Balder nodded as Loki sighed and tried to calm down.

He recited runes silently until he felt his temper retreat back behind the steel walls of his mind.

"We have a bigger problem." Balder said, sighing.

"We do." Fenris agreed.

"Okay. I know what you want to ask me. How do we get rid of the revenant inside Odin? But the problem there is complicated. It's not as simple as just calling a priest and performing an exorcism."

"What do we do?" Thor asked.

"How then?" Balder asked, collapsing into a chair.

"Listen closely. The book I read said specifically that an ancient revenant can only be defeated by two things. One, a mage of sufficient strength to battle the fiend in the Astral. That would be me. And two, a Lorekeeper that knows the spell to banish it. That means Belle. But she is not a full Lorekeeper."

"How does she become a full Lorekeeper?" queried Balder.

"She has to pass a Test. And then summon the regalia to her." Loki explained. "Once the regalia accept her she will be a full Lorekeeper with access to all the knowledge in the Crown of Knowledge."

"Well, we now know why Father had all the Lorekeepers banished or killed." Balder sighed.

"That's exactly why. I also suspect that this revenant is our grandfather, Bors."

"He was a beast!" Balder exclaimed in shock.

"Yes. But all of that was covered up," Loki acknowledged. "And he had as his advisor a half-breed fire giant shaman called Vreykul. Vreykul is the one who enabled him to become a revenant after he died when Father ousted him from the throne. He was a necromancer."

"This shaman . . . is he still living?" Thor asked.

"No. He was killed in a Duel Arcane by my mother Astra after she became Archmage."

"Good." Fenris replied.

"There is another condition that must be met before Bors can be gotten rid of," Loki warned. "Father must be asleep and not be allowed to wake. If he does he will fight us because Bors will make him."

"Should we do this during his Odin Sleep?" Thor asked.

"We might not be able to afford to wait for that," Loki said. "I could spell him to sleep . . . if I had a good enough reason. Like he was injured and needed rest or something."

"What if . . . what if Healer Rhee were to tell him he needed to take a sleeping draught or something in order to help his headaches?" Fenris suggested. "The you could make up a potion, Father, to keep him asleep and he would take it without a problem."

"That could put her in danger." Balder said.

"Not if Father gets rid of the revenant." Fenris said.

"She is in danger now if Bors takes control," Loki reminded them.

"True," Thor said.

"Hels. This is a quandary." Balder groaned, hanging his head.

"But we have no choice," Fenris said.

Kathy

"All right. Here is what we need to do. I need about three days, maybe four at the most, to prepare Belle for the Lorekeeper Test. Rhiannon needs at least a day or two to recover. I have the Steward looking for a private room for her so she can move out of the dormitories. In the meantime, I suppose she can stay in the dormitory.

While I am doing that I need all three of you to watch over my kids, Rhiannon, and Father. Father is easy. You just need to observe him for any sign that Bors is back in his head.

I will speak to Rhee myself about his headaches and see if he will consent to let her examine him after Belle has passed her test and claimed the regalia.

"I'm sure my siblings will obey me, Father. I am the Beta after all," Fenris said and Loki softly laughed.

"You have only spent a short time with them, Fen. You are going to need all the help you can get," Loki said.

"Jorgy and Sleph could help me."

"Good idea."

"I can help also," Thor put in. "They listen to me . . .usually."

"When they aren't tricking you," Loki smirked.

"Yeah," Thor sighed and Balder lightly shoved him.

Loki's stomach growled.

"Sounds like someone is hungry," Balder said.

"I forgot to eat breakfast with everything that happened," the Archmage admitted. "And I need to go check on Lucy. She's sick with an ear infection."

"Did Rhiannon treat her?" Fenris asked, nodding.

"Yes. That was this morning. After that she went to the tavern and met her father. What is the man's name anyway?"

"Rurik Lyr," Fenris spat.

"Now that I know I can look up his name on the disability scrolls for the Einherjari," Loki said. "To see what the Hel sort of injury enables a man to not work and requires his daughter support him."

"Laziness," Fenris suppiled.

"I figured as much. But I want to have proof. So I can show Rhiannon how he lied to her all these years. She believes he's crippled or something. And uses that as an excuse as to why he can't get work and is always drunk and nasty."

Just then Errol returned. " I have done as you requested, sir," he told Loki, bowing.

"Wonderful." Loki reached into his pocket. "Here is a Midgardian candy bar for your promptness."

"Thank you, My Prince. I will share with my sister. Is there anything else you need?"

"Actually, yes. Bring me up a tray of food please."

Errol bowed and raced off.

"You know he will now believe you hung the moon," Thor laughed. "That boy is perpetually hungry."

"That is normal for boys his age. He looks to be the same age as Hunter."

"He may be. What room did he find?"

"The Steward will inform me when it is ready. I think it is right around the corner from ours." Loki answered.

"That's good. The jealous bitches in the dormitory treat her like a pariah," Fenris snapped.

"Language, young man!" Loki scolded.

"Sorry, sir," his son apologized."But they make her sleep on the floor on a poor straw mattress."

"We will get everything worked out," Loki soothed. "All we need is faith, trust, and pixie dust."

Thor rolled his eyes. "Norns, Loki! Now you are quoting Peter Pan?"

"He is." Fenris said, crossing his arms.

"Well, that's what happens when Aleta makes me read the story nearly every night," Loki said with a laugh.

"She told me she can't stand that Hook character," Thor said.

"She can't. I don't like him either." Loki replied.

They all heard a scream from Loki's chambers, a woman shouting after that.

"Now what?!" Loki sighed as they headed down the hallway.

 **A/N: Thanks for help from ninewood! Hope you all liked!**


	14. Bracelets and Flowers

**14**

 **Bracelets and Flowers**

 _The way to a woman's heart is often uncertain and puzzling. ~Loki_

Loki burst through the doors to his chambers, Finding Rhiannon cornered and trying to get away from the seamstresses. Halgran backed them off Rhiannon, but she still remained wary.

"Calm down Little Bird, they are just going to measure you. You need new corsets and at least two new shifts dearie." Halgran said, wrapping matronly arms around Rhiannon.

"But I have a corset, and a shift." Rhiannon replied, her eyes darting about.

She saw Loki, screaming again and covering herself with a blanket. Halgran rolled her eyes, and sighed. "Loki! Give the lady some privacy!"

"My apologies! I heard her scream and feared someone was attacking her," Loki said and backed out of the room.

"None of this is proper!" Rhiannon said, shaking.

"Just calm down dear, you have had a hard day." She looked at Loki. "I told you to get out!"

"I'm leaving! No need to get snippy! Holy Valhalla!" He teleports away.

He appeared in Thor's room again, everyone giving him a questioning look.

"What happened?" Thor asked, looking amused at the irritation on Loki.

"Rhiannon was screaming because the seamstress surprised her when she tried to measure her.

And all I did was see what the Hel was going on and Halgran orders me out of my own damn rooms like I was five! When I was leaving!"

"You did see a woman improperly dressed. Halgran does take propriety very highly." Balder laughed, grinning at Loki.

"I came in there to see if she was being assaulted," Loki growled. "And I said I was sorry and was going to leave. It wasn't like I was hiding behind the drapes, like you and Thor did when the maids were undressing that time."

"You hid behind the drapes to see ladies undressed?" Fenris asked, looking shocked at his uncles.

"I was eleven! I wanted to know why Balder kept kissing them." Thor admitted.

"It was a nice view, was it not?" Balder asked, laughing.

"It was glorious!" Thor replied, hiding laughter. "Until I was caught and had to face Mother for what I did."

"What did she do?" Fenris wanted to know.

"I was made to write letters of apology to each of the Maids for invading their privacy." Thor replied, chuckling.

"Where were you, Father?"

"Where he always was . . . reading in the library," Balder said.

"I was eight," Loki reminded them. "And studying magic."

"Your father was always boring." Thor said, grinning.

"I doubt that," Fenris said.

"Doubt away, lad. He was a boring boy." Balder replied.

"I bet he wasn't boring when he was pranking you," Fenris returned.

"Then he was just annoying." Thor said, crossing his arms.

Fenris shook his head. The picture that his uncles painted was not to his liking. He recalled following after Jorgy and Sleph as a little boy and they had always played with him and never made fun of him when he said he would rather run through the woods in his wolf form or read beneath a tree rather than go swimming or riding. They had never teased him or belittled him. Now the young shifter wondered if that had been because Loki had forbidden it given his own childhood.

"I was fun at times. Do not deny it." Loki said.

"Sometimes." Thor replied. "We need to focus on our problem now. Father is still under the control of Bors."

"I told you what I needed to do." Loki said quietly. "There really is nothing else for you two to do except to watch him and to watch my kids while I tutor Belle."

Errol returned with a tray on which there is a large bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, a fruit salad, and crispy potatoes along with a cup of coffee.

"Should you start soon?" Thor asked, crossing his arms.

"Norns, Thor! Will you let me eat first?" Loki snapped. "I haven't even told my daughter about this Test, much less that she has three days to learn what she needs to pass it." He picked up the sandwich and began eating.

"It takes time to tutor the girl." Balder said, rubbing his face in exasperation.

"He also needs to explain to Rhiannon what is expected of her." Fenris groaned, worried about his friend.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Loki snorted. 'I know exactly how much time I need. Let me worry about magic and you worry about making sure Vince doesn't jump off the roof or something."

"No need to snap at me, Father."

"I was talking to Balder, not you, Fen. And she will not be harmed. Once Odin is asleep, Belle and I can go into the Astral and defeat Bors. Rhee can watch over us as we sleep." Loki ate some potatoes.

"Is that all? Anyone can do that." Thor snorted.

"Thor, you are not a mage. None of you are. Therefore it falls to me and my daughter to get rid of this specter. And we need someone to watch us as we sleep because we are vulnerable when we leave our bodies and enter the Astral. I chose Rhiannon because she is a Healer and if something starts to happen to our bodies, she will see and bring us back." Loki explained.

"A beaten Healer. You saw her." Balder argued, pointing at the door.

"She is better than either of you!" Fenris shouted, daring them to say more.

"She will be healed by then," Loki said. "Perhaps you don't realize just what will happen to me or Belle if we are not woken up in time if something happens. We will either die or remain in a coma forever. And if that happens, Bors wins. Sometimes the signs are not always obvious if a mage is in distress. But Rhiannon will know if something is amiss by measuring our pulse and other things."

"Very well, brother. I hope she is as skilled as your son claims." Thor said, sighing.

"He is alive now because of her. That should answer your question." Loki said firmly. "Trust me to know what I'm doing. I'm taking no unnecessary risks, not with Belle's life or my own." He did not tell them, however, that if Bors looked like he was winning, he would send Belle's spirit back into her body and face the old spirit on his own, sacrificing himself if necessary.

"We will have to just hope for the best then." Balder said, leaning in his chair. "For the time being, what do you plan to do with the Healer?"

"Let her stay in my chambers tonight. Tomorrow if she is better she can go back to the dormitory until the Steward tells me her room is ready for her. Then she can move into it."

He ate some of his fruit. "Fenris, do you mind if I sleep in your room tonight?"

"No, Father. I have an extra bed." His son replied, nodding.

"I meant long term, brother." Balder snapped. She is in danger here.

"She is only in danger until we free Father. Once Father is freed from Bors he will revoke every law that devil passed. I will make sure of it."

"Then she will be free to leave the castle unburdened by sanctions." Thor said, nodding.

"Why would she wish to leave the castle then? She will have a good job here and all her meals and room and board paid for. Where would she go?" Loki queried.

"Anywhere she wants. She would be free." Thor replied, waving his hand. "She would also have nothing holding her here."

"She has friends here. She has no one out there. She hasn't said but I gather that her life with her father was one of loneliness and fear. I doubt he allowed her to go anywhere or have any friends like other children." Loki declared.

"A sad life if you ask me." Thor said, tossing aside a fruit pit. "She will just have to make some then."

"She already has," Loki returned. "Me and my children. Halgran."

"She is not exactly welcome... among the other Maids." Balder said, sighing.

"Because they are jealous and prejudiced. But if she helps save Father that attitude may change," Loki argued. "And if she does not wish to stay here, she can come with me to New York."

"And do what there, brother? Be a maid to your household?" Balder asked. "Think about what it would do to her."

'She wouldn't need to work in my house. She could do whatever she wanted over there. Because there are laws against discrimination. Why are you so concerned anyway?"

"No reason, brother." Balder said, picking at the arm of his chair.

Loki did not puzzle long over Balder's odd behavior. He had to see Lucy and then find Belle and tell her what they needed to do to save Odin. He just hoped that Belle could be ready in three days. He had never administered a Lorekeeper Test before, and would need to research exactly what the Test would comprise of. He hoped it was not too difficult.

"It has already been a long day, brother. Perhaps you should rest." Thor said, looking at Loki. A knock echoed from the door, making them all look over as Halgran entered.

"She is sleeping again. I convinced her to accept the garments, and they will be ready by tomorrow. She still has a bit of a fever however." The woman said.

"Do you need some of my medicine? I can leave it for you to give to her," Loki said.

"It may be a good idea. It was a battle to get her to accept anything from you however." She sighs. "Her eye is completely swollen shut."

"Damn! I will go and heal them while she sleeps," Loki said. "And I will leave you the bottle of medicine called Advil on the table. She can swallow two pills with water every 4-6 hours until her fever breaks."

"I will remember that." Halgran said, nodding and turned to leave. "I fear she may lose the use of the eye."

"Not if I can help it," Loki said determinedly. "I will be back." He blinked over to his chambers.

He saw Rhiannon, laying on the bed asleep. The blankets covering her, and she whimpered in fear and pain as she lay still.

He moved to his backpack and summoned the bottle of Advil and placed it on the table where Halgran would find it. Then he moved over to her and lightly touched her hair.

He lowered his head and concentrated, calling upon his healing magic. It flowed through him in a golden tide and then out through his hands, mending the bruised and battered flesh around her eyes.

The swelling reduced, leaving only bruising and the cut on her lip healed and vanished. She moaned in her sleep, shaking a bit and whimpering again.

He removed his hand, but not because he didn't wish to keep it there. He did, but he also did not want to be accused of touching her without her consent. He looked at her, relieved to see her face seemed much better. "Sleep, darling. Sleep and heal." He kissed her lightly on the forehead. Then he teleported back to Thor's room with a sigh.

"Did you help her?" Balder asked, sitting up.

"Yes. " Loki answered. "She looks ten times better now."

"Good." Balder nods, sitting back and looking at the table. "I would like to wish her a fast recovery when I can."

"Maybe you can when she wakes."

"I would like that Brother. For now, I am worn." he said, getting to his feet and moving to leave.

"As am I," Thor said as he got up and stretched.

"I will leave so you can rest. I need to check on Lucy," Loki said quietly.

"Don't pace a hole in the floor!" Thor called as Loki left.

He found Lucy still asleep and she seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

He carefully moved to the bed, tucking the blankets about her, leaned down and kissed the top of her head. She sighed, but didn't wake and a small smile appeared on her face.

"She is a very good Healer." Loki whispered, thankful for the bottle in his pocket. "I love you, Valkyrie."

The small couch in the corner by the desk looked very inviting, and he thought about taking a nap but decided he ought to find Belle first. He followed the link he shared with her, discovering she was outside gathering rosemary with Wulf the young Earth mage.

"Hello, children," Loki said.

"Hello, Daddy," Belle said.

"Hello, sir," Wulf said, rolling the "r". He immediately knelt. "My Prince, tis an honor!"

"There is no need to kneel," Loki said and Wulf nodded as he stood.

"We were gathering rosemary. It's good for bruises in a salve," Belle told her father. "Wulf knows all about herbs."

"Really?" Loki asked and Wulf nodded.

"I'm an Earth mage, ye ken, sir," the boy said. "My gran tells me we need to know the plants in all their seasons before we ask them to grow."

"Your gran is correct. Some plants can be very stubborn and will not grow if a mage doesn't know when to plant them."

"Aye, 'tis so." The boy nodded wiping his hand on his trousers. He pointed to the mint. ,"I need to prune that or else it will take over the bed. Belle says ye like mint tea, sir."

"Yes, I do," Loki said and saw Belle was blushing.

"Well, looks like someone has a crush," Loki thought as he smiled.

"Would ye like some?" The boy asked shyly. "Tis verra fine mint, sir."

"Thank you," Loki said and Wulf handed him some of the mint.

"Did you want something?" Belle asked. Through their bond, she felt Loki's worry and concern and he sighed.

"Yes, I need to speak with you," Loki said and Wulf looked from Belle to Loki and back.

"Then I will take my leave," Wulf said with a bow when he waved at Belle and walked away. Belle looked at her dad while Loki watched Wulf walk around the corner then looked at Belle.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Belle asked.

"I need you to just listen Belle, because many lives hang in balance and you may be able to help them."

Belle felt her stomach flip as she nodded and Loki led her to a bench. Sitting down, she looked at him as Loki placed his hands on his knees and tried to figure out how to tell her what was going on.

"I need to tutor you, give you guidance and discipline. You must be tested to become a full Lorekeeper Belle." He said, hoping that she would be strong enough to pass the tests.

"Now?" Belle looked uneasy. "What's happened? Is it because of Bestefar?"

Loki explained everything to Belle, staying calm. Her eyes grew wide with each word, fear filling her.

"Can you do this, Belle?" He asked finally.

Belle almost panicked then. She wanted to scream _No! I'm only ten years old and this is something a grown woman should do!_ But she knew that Loki would never ask her to do this if he had a choice. She bit her lip.

Finally, she nodded. "I can. I don't really have a choice."

"Are you sure, raven? Because I don't know what would happen if you fail this Test."

"You don't? But . . . haven't you given it before?"

"No. All the Lorekeepers were dead by the time I became Archmage. You are the last one."

"Okay. I will still do it, Dad." She said, looking at him.

"You can do this, Belle. This is what you were born to be. I will help you as much as I can to prepare for it." Loki promised.

"I know Dad." She frowns. "Everyone is talking about a lady you danced with."

"Oh? You mean at the ball last night?"

"Yeah. I'm just sorry she ran away." She replied. "You deserve someone."

"You wouldn't mind if I married again? I never really discussed that possibility with you because I thought it wasn't necessary," Loki said quietly.

"I think it is cool, Dad. Have a mom around and all, you can't do everything yourself. You so need an extra set of eyes for Vince alone."

Kathy

"Tell me about it. Well, I am going to tell you something. But don't tell the rest of your siblings yet. I found that lady I danced with at the ball. She's Healer Rhiannon, and I just hired her as our personal physician while we are here.

"You what! Really? That is awesome! Does she like you back? Do you want to marry her? What's her favorite color?" Belle asked, jumping up and down. "What's her favorite candy? Does she like cats? What about dogs? What flowers..."

"Hold it!" Loki held up a hand. "Don't get ahead of yourself. I think she does. And it hasn't gotten as far as a date yet much less marriage. I'm not sure what her favorite color is because we haven't gotten around to discussing that. There's a huge problem with us getting together, hon. And it has to do with the fact that I'm a prince and she's a commoner. Right now there are laws that forbid a relationship between us. Commoners aren't even allowed to touch a noble without permission. Unless it is in the course of their duties. Commoners can't even address a noble by their name unless it is prefaced with a title."

"That is so unfair! We gotta fix this, Dad!"

"I know, little raven. That's why it's so important for you to pass this Test. So we can get rid of all these awful rules that separate people from each other. Not only does it make a division between the social classes, it also divides everything else like equal pay and jobs and well, everything. It gives all the power to the nobles and that creates some really arrogant and abusive people. Like the lord who used to run the infirmary. And others like the lords Bestefar threw in prison over Nate.

That has to end and we are going to end it. By freeing your grandfather from the revenant."

"What do we do first?"

"I tutor you in certain areas of magic and history so you can pass this test I need to give you. Once do that and summon your regalia to you, you can access the spell you need to banish the revenant." Loki explained.

"Okay." She grinned. "Then you can date Rhiannon."

"If she wants to." He sighed. "She hasn't had an easy life, Belle. Her father . . .you might as well hear about this from me since it will be all over the palace before nightfall." He told his daughter about how Rurik beat his daughter and where Rhiannon was now and why.

"Dad. That... that freaking sucks!" She shouted, stomping her foot. "He needs to leave her alone... he's a big jerkface!"

"Yes. And he will if I have anything to do with it. But it also means that Rhee might not trust me at first because I'm a man. Worse, I'm a noble like Malius that abused her. So I don't know if this will work."

"I'm sorry, Dad. But, at least you tried to meet a nice lady." Belle said, giving him a hug.

He hugged her back. "If the Norns will it, then it will be."

 _Maybe we can help the Norns a little_ , his daughter thought. _By showing Rhiannon that Dad is not like those crummy nobles that treat people like dirt and beat them. And she's got a chance with him to be happy._

"Can I pick her some flowers, Dad? Maybe they will cheer her up and help her feel better."

"That's a great idea, Belle. She will accept them from you where she wouldn't from me," Loki told her.

"What if we put you name on the card, Dad? She could still take them. And maybe Wulf could send her some salve."

"You can try, darling. I think she's afraid if she accepts things from me people will think she's my mistress. But if you give them to her she can say it was a gift. And the rosemary salve would be a great thing to give her."

"I will. And I will just tell everyone she is your friend. They can kick rocks if they don't believe that." Belle replied, planting her hands on her hips.

"Once we change the laws back I can court her properly," Loki said. "Assuming she likes me that way."

"And if she doesn't? What are you going to do then?"

"Nothing. You can't force someone to like you."

"I know, Dad. I bet she will like you though, you are super nice, and you smell better than Uncle Thor."

Loki started laughing. "Thanks, raven. I. uh, wasn't aware that girls judged a guy by what he smelled like. But I do know that she liked it better when I kissed her hand. She said your uncle's kisses were scratchy."

"Yeah. She's right. They are kind of scratchy," Belle said then giggled.

"Speaking of liking someone, how do you feel about Wulf?"

"He's my friend."

"And...?!" he asked with and evil grin and she rolled her eyes.

"Dad!"

"Right. Backing off," he said as he held his hands up in surrender.

"I'm not bugging you about Rhiannon." She sassed, thinking still about how to convince the lady that her father was good. Many ideas floated through her head, but she would need her brothers and sisters to join her on this crusade.

"Is there more, Dad?" Belle asked, looking like she was planning something.

"Just to get a good night's sleep."

"Sure Dad. You know me, I am a sleeper." She replied, grinning.

"Just don't fall asleep with the book over your face," he teased.

"Dad. Jeez. I am a bookworm, you can't change that."

"Why would I want to? I'm one too. I just don't want you to ruin the spine doing that."

She rolled her eyes. "At least I didn't hit myself in the head with my tablet like you did when you fell asleep in your chair that time."

"That did hurt." He replied.

"Do you really think this will work?"

"I hope so, raven," he said with a sigh. "I really hope so."

"So do I, Dad. Should I get those flowers for her now?"

"Sure," he said and they headed for the garden.

"What kind of flowers should we pick, Dad?"

"Well, roses might be too much. How about some daisies?"

"Okay, Dad! There are lots of them over there." She said, running over to pick the flowers.

"How about those peonies?" He pointed to the lavender flower with the deep purple and yellow centers.

"Those are pretty Dad! Do you want to pick some while I get the daisies?"

"Yes, I can do that." Loki went and picked a handful of peonies.

 _I can tell her that he picked some. It will show her that he does care about her._ Belle thought, forming more plans to show that Loki would be a good husband for her.

She filled her arms with daisies, smiling at her work and picked some lavender to add to the bouquet. All the while, not realizing that she had enough for two.

Loki looked up and saw. "Belle, there's enough there for two bouquets. Why don't you give one to Rhee and one to your grandmother?"

I thought one could be from you" She replied. "Half from me, half from you."

Loki wondered if Rhiannon would accept the flowers from him. She had returned the dress and from what Halgran said, he was lucky she had agreed to him providing new undergarments, despite the fact that it was his duty to provide adequate clothing, food, and quarters for his servants and retainers.

"Don't you think she will like them?" Belle asked, frowning a bit.

"Yes. I think they will cheer her up. Shall we get some vases?" He just prayed this didn't backfire upon him.

"Sure, Dad. Will you help me arrange them?" Belle asked.

"Of course." He summoned two pretty yet plain blown glass vases, one blue and one lavender.

"Those are perfect! They will go great with the flowers." She sat in the grass, putting the flowers in the vases.

Loki knelt beside her. "Watch this. Your grandmother taught me this trick." He showed her how to group the flowers so they formed a four pointed star. "What do you think?"

"I like that, Dad. It looks really neat that way. She will like it too, her own star." Belle replied.

Loki smiled. "I hope so. I can do the other one a different way."

"How?" She asked, handing him the vase. "Can you make it a heart?"

"I can." He arranged the flowers in a heart shape, trimming the stems with one of his daggers. "There!"

"It looks great, Dad. Should we take them now?"

"Why not? We don't want them wilting." He picked up the vase with the heart bouquet.

"Is she in your room?" Belle asked, picking up the star.

"Yes. Put your hand on my arm. I can 'port us there."

She did as she was told, vanishing with Loki and appearing outside his room. She reached for the door handle, stopping.

"Should I go in first, or do you want to go together?"

Loki hesitated. "Maybe you better go first. In case she . . . uh . . . needs to put on a robe or something."

"Sure Dad." She opens the door. "I guess you don't want to look rude."

She walked into the room, seeing Rhiannon laying on the bed. The injured woman looked at Belle with shy eyes.

"Hello, who are you child?" Rhiannon asked.

"I'm Belle Laufeyson," the girl introduced herself.

"Princess Belle! Please forgive me if I do not get up, I am ordered to rest." The woman lowered her eyes, looking at her hands. "I think you are very pretty however."

"It's okay." Belle reassured her. "I heard you were sick so I brought you some flowers." She held out the vase of flowers. "I hope you like daisies, peonies, and lavender."

"You are very sweet. They are all my favorite flowers. Thank you, Princess." Rhiannon said and smiled.

"Just Belle, please. I don't have my crown on," she joked. "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going? Did I offend you, Lady?"

"Oh no! I just need to get something else for you," Belle called.

"Another gift? The flowers are more than enough. I am very grateful for them."

"You'll like this too," Belle said and ran from the room. "Dad! Come on!"

Rhiannon pulled the covers up higher, blushing. "I am not dressed."

Loki opened the door, Rhiannon trying to cover herself more. He walked in, nervous and holding the vase.

"Uh . . .forgive the intrusion but I brought you this," he said awkwardly.

"They are very pretty sir. Thank you." She replied, holding the blankets over herself. "You are very kind, sir."

"They are her favorite flowers Dad! You guessed right when you picked them out!" Belle said, grinning at him.

"I'll just set them over here," Loki said and placed the flowers on a table. "I guess I got lucky." He smiled.

"Dad arranged them himself," Belle interjected.

"They look very beautiful. Your father has great talent Lady." Rhiannon Smiled. "Thank you for the new shift and corsets sir."

Loki could see her relax a bit, her smile coming out despite the bruising around one eye.

"My mother taught me," Loki coughed, embarrassed. "You are welcome. It is the least I could do. I didn't mention this before but all my employees get a clothing allowance. Besides your uniforms, you get an allowance to buy clothing to wear when you are not working or if you prefer, material to make clothes."

"My mother told me once, that the true value of a person is in their kind acts. And some prove themselves to be gold." Rhiannon said, smiling at the flowers.

"I don't require much, sir. The other maids steal anything nice that I possess."

"Why?" Belle cried. "Dad, that's terrible!"

"I don't know why, Lady. They just always have." She said, Loki realizing the reason why she did not keep the gown.

"Dad, can't you do something?" Belle asked, frowning.

"I am not worth the fuss for your father, Princess. I am just a commoner." A tear fell down her cheek. "The guards would not even get Mother's bracelet back for me."

"What do you mean?" Loki asked gently. 'What happened to the bracelet?"

"It was made of silveron and was set with frost opals. It is all I had of my mother, and Lady Vika's maid stole it from my trunk. She claimed that I gave it to her when I reported the theft, and called me a liar. I was given thirty lashes for the accusation." Rhiannon said, wiping the tear away.

"They beat you for-for saying your bracelet was stolen?" Belle was horrified. "Dad! That's . . that's awful!"

Rhiannon nodded, looking down. "It is a small thing... really."

"That is terrible" Loki's jaw tightened. "I assure you, I can regain your property. " He would go and see Vika's maid as soon as he left here. The maid owed him for saving her from her mistress' temper.

"Sir, please don't cause strife for yourself." Rhiannon replied, looking up at him. He could still see hope in her eyes for getting the bracelet back.

"No, no, no, it's not a problem. Really." Loki reassured her. "It's a simple request."

"Dad hates thieves. He will do anything to get it back for you." Belle said, grinning.

"Thank you." Rhoannon smiled? Looking at Loki with a longing to hug him. "Your father is most kind, and honorable." Rhiannon said to Belle.

"Belle's right. I will get your bracelet back as soon as I can. It was wrong of her to take it. But there is something I don't understand. How could a maid order you beaten?"

"The maid did not order it. Lady Vika did." Rhiannon shivered suddenly. "She watched it happen as well, and laughed as it was done. Please don't be angry, I did not mean to speak ill of a noble."

"That is the same lady who invaded my chambers and tried to seduce me and failing that threatened to tell people that I took advantage of her," Loki declared angrily. "I had to pick her up and throw her out to get her to leave and before I did so she slapped me and gave me these." He indicated the scratches. "I could care less what you say about her as long as it is true. In fact, I will say that she is a spoiled nasty brat that needs a good dose of what she gave you."

Belle's mouth dropped open. "Holy Valhalla! You had a vamp in your bedroom, Dad?"

"I am sorry she did that, sir. It was quite rude." Rhiannon replied, his anger making her nervous.

Loki flushed. "Yes. She was waiting for me in a state of . . . well she barely had anything on. And she thought I would . . .but I don't have affairs. Not like my brothers. I just don't."

"That is honorable." Rhiannon said, thinking how good of a man he was.

"Whoa! Dad, she sounds like a stalker!" Belle gasped. "Creepy! And nasty! Your face looks like three cats scratched you."

"Yes, raven, I know I look pretty bad. But Healer Rhiannon fixed me and gave me some ointment to put on them," Loki told Belle, giving Rhiannon a respectful glance. "I am sure I will heal within a few days."

"You should sir, with little or no scarring. The ointment is very potent." Rhiannon said, her voice soft.

"She sounds really smart Dad." Belle said, Rhiannon blushing.

"Well, you need to be smart to go to the Academy of Healers and pass all the exams." Loki explained. "It's like going to medical school back home, honey."

"Cool. She earned her way as our healer then." Belle said.

"Dad likes smart ladies, he says that they have better conversations." Belle giggled, winking at Loki.

"That's true. " Loki agreed. "Do you need anything else? Some tea? Maybe a sandwich?"

"I was brought my bread and cheese Sir. I have enough, but thank you." She replied and smiled.

"Bread and cheese?" Belle asked, looking at her Father.

"You know you can eat more than that, my lady. A sandwich, some soup, whatever you want. No one in my household goes hungry. You can have tea and crumpets if you like. I will not get angry. "

"Dad, can we have strawberry tea and crumpets with butter and jam? I'm kind of hungry." Belle said suddenly.

"Sure we can." He rang for Artos.

The squire appeared and bowed to Loki. "How may I serve you, Prince Loki?"

She showed them the moldy bread and cheese. "I am truly fine with this. Honest."

"Please fetch a tray of strawberry tea and crumpets with butter and jam. And some tea sandwiches. Enough for all of us. How are you finding your duties, lad?"

"Oh I am fine with them, sir! And thank you again for the candy. Mother and I really enjoyed it. I will be right back with your tea." He bowed again and raced from the room.

Belle smiled. "Dad helped Artos too. The second day we were here he saw some noble beating him and he stopped it and told that guy to go whistle Dixie and then he made Artos his squire. It was great!"

"Going to beat him, I stopped him before he actually did it," Loki corrected.

"That is most kind of you sir. He is a nice boy." Rhiannon said, setting the wax paper rations aside.

"Dad. This food is rotten, that is gross!" Belle said, cringing at it.

"You should not eat that, lady. You will get ill," Loki said.

"It is what I was given for the day sir." She replied, looking ashamed.

"Now you are having tea with us!" Belle said, sitting on the bed next to her.

"By whom?" Loki asked, puzzled.

"What do you mean? I have always gotten this as rations." Rhiannon replied, looking nervous.

"Yes, when you were not a member of my household," Loki explained softly. "But as a member of my household you eat three full meals a day. You can have oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, or bacon and eggs or pancakes and sausages. And a sandwich and soup for lunch or anything else they have made up in the kitchens. It's the same with dinner. "

"Oh!" Rhiannon said.

"Just go and ask Kara, she is Head Pastry Chef, but she is also my best friend. She will see you get enough food for each meal. Fresh food not . . . spoiled."

Rhiannon couldn't believe what she was hearing. Fresh food instead of spoiled? Being treated with kindness instead of beatings?

"I will, sir," she said and Loki smiled.

He waved a hand and the stale bread and moldy cheese vanished. "Artos should be back with our tea shortly."

A short time later, Artos entered the room with a tea cart and he stopped the tea cart near Loki.

"Thank you, Artos. This looks wonderful." Loki praised, giving the child an approving look.

"I am glad you are pleased," Artos said with a bow then left the room.

Belle poured strawberry tea in all the cups. "How do you like your tea, Rhiannon?"

"I usually have it cold, Princess," Rhiannon said.

"Cold tea tastes gross."

"What do you like, sir?"

"I usually have my tea with a spoonful of honey in it and some milk if it is black. But my herbal teas I have with just honey."

"I would like some honey then," she said and Belle nodded, placing a teaspoon of honey in the tea.

"Try this and see if it is okay," the girl said, handing her the teacup.

Rhiannon breathed in the sweet scent of the tea when she took a sip and was surprised with how good the tea tasted.

"Oh! That is lovely!" Rhiannon said.

Loki fixed his tea and then fixed a plate with some tea sandwiches and crumpets and handed it to Rhiannon. "Here you go. I love strawberry tea. Next to peppermint it is one of my favorites."

"I have never had that tea." Rhiannon said, looking shy.

He inhaled the aroma of his tea, smiling, before he sipped it. "Well, now that you found out you like it, all you need to do is request it."

"Yes sir."

Belle made herself a plate of crumpets and sandwiches. "Hey, Dad. This deviled ham and cheese one is really good."

Rhiannon picked up the deviled ham and cheese sandwich when she bit into one corner and chewed. Loki noticed the pleased look in her eyes as she swallowed and she took a sip of tea.

"You are right, Princess. It is amazing," she said.

"Told you. You should try some candy." Belle said, grinning at Loki.

"What a good idea! Look! I have Snickers and Reese's." He takes the candy bars from his pocket and puts them on the tray.

"What are they?" Rhiannon asked, picking up the Snickers.

"They are candy from Earth. They taste so good!" Belle said, Rhiannon nodding and putting it down.

"The Reese's is Dad's favorite. The Snickers is Uncle Thor's."

"I cannot imagine Prince Thor eating such things," Rhiannon said.

"Dad, tell her what happened when Uncle Thor was turned into a toddler and had a fit when he couldn't have a Snickers," Belle said with a grin.

"He turned into a toddler? He has magic, sir?"

"No, but his enemy Amora the Enchantress regressed him to a two year old a few months ago." Loki explained.

"He looked so cute!" Belle said.

"He was also a brat," Loki said, pointing a finger at her.

"Oh my! That had to have been awful for him." Rhiannon said.

"Dad had to make a potion to fix him, but it took a week or so to do it and we watched him during that time. He didn't remember anything except Dad. And Dad was older than him so he had to listen to him."

"He listened to you and your brothers and sisters, too," Loki said.

"Yeah, but not all the time."

"What did he do when he couldn't have candy?" Rhiannon asked.

She poked the orange wrapped peanut butter cups with her finger, watching them carefully.

"We were by the park that day-me, Thor, Max and Aleta." Loki began. "I was getting hot dogs—that's a kind of meat sandwich- from a food cart and the kids wanted candy from a vending machine. I gave them money and next thing I know Thor is screaming Loki where's my Snickers?"

"Then what happened?" she asked, moving the Reese's toward her, "What is a vending machine also Sir?" She asked, blinking at him.

Loki unwrapped the Snickers. "He was beating up the machine and screaming loud enough to be heard in New Jersey. Because the candy was stuck inside it."

"New Jersey, sir?" Rhiannon asked, growing confused.

"It is a name of a place on Midgard," Loki said,

"A vending machine is something with food or drink and you put money in it to get them out," Belle explained.

"Oh, now I understand. Thank you both." She said, relaxing again and studying the unwrapped candy bar.

"I was able to get the Snickers out of the machine, but Thor was still upset," Loki said.

"What did he do?"

"He had a tantrum right there on the sidewalk. Everyone saw it."

"That is poor behavour." Rhiannon said, frowning at the story.

"After I calmed him down, he fell asleep and we went home. Max and Aleta were also tired so we went to take a nap in the living room. As I was about to fall asleep, he asked for his Snickers." **

"That is so sweet."

"He shared the one he got with Dad," Belle reminded him.

"Yes he did," Loki said.

She smiled at the ending, looking a bit sad. "I imagine he was very nice when his temper allowed." Rhiannon said, giggling a bit.

"Some days he was sweet as pie. Other days. . . He was a stubborn goat and he got in trouble. One day he was in time out three times!"

"What is Time Out Sir?" Rhiannon asked him, raising an eyebrow.

"He means Uncle Thor was placed in the corner and couldn't come out until he behaved and said he was sorry," Belle explained.

"That's what I do with all my younger children," Loki said.

"So you don't beat them?" Rhiannon asked.

"No! I would never do that!"

"They are not switched?" She asked, surprise in her voice.

"Dad would never do that," Belle said.

 _He is so kind to those children, and caring. How could anyone think him cruel?_ Rhiannon wondered, blushing and thinking how he was so very calm. His kindness to her putting butterflies in her stomach and her heart suddenly beating in a staccato rhythm.

"Never. I don't raise my hand to them. I don't even yell."

"What do you do instead?" Rhiannon asked.

"I usually give them extra chores to do."

"Dad doesn't need to hit us. He Looks at us and we feel bad. Or we write lines. Like I will not disrespect my dad fifty times."

"That is very kind for the children, sir. From your standing, they must trust you very much." She said, blushing.

"We trust Dad with our lives," Belle said and Rhiannon noticed Loki was blushing.

"I see," Rhiannon said. She thought back to the beatings and harsh words her father would give her if she misbehaved, or he was just in a mean mood, and she shivered.

"Are you alright?" Loki asked.

"Yes, sir. I was just thinking." She replied, sipping more of her tea.

Loki knew she was lying as he nodded and nibbled on the corner of a cheese sandwich.

"Bad memories, huh?" Belle said knowingly. "We all have them. From when we lived at the orphanage and some of us with our real parents before they died or gave us up. I know I do of my step dad."

"This is very good food, sir. Thank you very much." Rhiannon said, changing the subject. "I cannot think of anyone harming any of you, Princess Belle," she said.

"It was before Dad. No one messes with me now." Belle said, looking at Loki in pride.

"No. Nobody hurts my children."

"I do not doubt that." She murmured, reaching across the bed and closing her hand over his on impulse. Their eyes met in that moment, something passing between them. Something ancient and wild, and older than the parchments gathering dust in the Archives. Something that cared not for class or laws, something she had never felt before in her life for any man.

She took her hand back, shaking a bit and wringing her hands. "I am sorry sir, I did not ask your permission. Forgive me."

His emerald eyes widened as his heart quickened and stirred with a passion he thought buried beneath years of insecurity.

"No. There is no need to apologize," Loki said.

 _Boy, Dad has it bad,_ Belle thought as she smiled.

 _Her fingers are so warm and soft_. He thought to himself, wanting to touch that hand again. Promising himself that he would cut his own hand off before he let another person hurt Rhiannon Lyr ever again.

"Thank you, sir, I appreciate your kindness." She replied, looking shy again.

 _Why did I do that?_ Rhiannon wondered as she looked at her hand then at his. She remembered how soft his skin was, but there was also a coolness to it. _Like mine._

His hand was twice the size of hers, but with long fingers that were quick and agile. A sorcerer's hand, a soldier's hand, yet she was not frightened upon touching it.

Belle watched them for a long time, grinning to herself and eating her sandwich. She had to get her father to find that bracelet, she would be so happy that she might kiss him. And they would fall in love.

"Dad? Belle asked, getting his attention.

Loki turned. "Yes, little raven?"

"Maybe we should look for her bracelet after lunch?" Belle suggested, grinning at him.

"Oh! There is no need to do that," Rhiannon said.

"Yes, of course," Loki agreed. "It should be no trouble for me to do so."

He shook his head, smiling at her and wanted to reach for her hand desperately.

"I made you a promise, and I intend to keep it. I will find that bracelet and bring it back to you." He said, sealing the promise. He looked at the candy. "Try some."

Rhiannon took a piece of the Snickers as she placed the candy in her mouth and the rush of sugar made her feel a little lightheaded.

"It is very sweet." She said, taking a deep breath.

"But good, right?" Belle asked.

Loki opened the Reese's and broke one in half. He held a half out to her and their fingers brushed. Sparks flew.

"Try this. It's not as sweet as a Snickers," Loki said, trying hard to calm down his heart.

She bit into it and the taste exploded on her tongue. "Oh! This is delicious!"

"I am glad you like it," he said and she thought he was blushing. "It's peanut butter and chocolate." Loki sighed in bliss.

"How does one make butter from a nut?" she asked.

"You grind it in a machine and add some oil and sugar."

"Dad could tell you anything you want to know." Belle said.

She rested back against the pillows, her stomach full for the first time in a very long time. She admired the curve of his lips, and how they moved to smile. The soft glow in his eyes, and the way he raised an eyebrow when he was amused.

 _I shall dream of this, as I dream of the Ball._ She mused to herself, smiling softly.

"Are you finished?" Loki asked as he noticed her eyes were closing.

"I am ,sir. Forgive me, I am a bit worn." She replied, blushing.

"You are still recovering. Rest now." He said tenderly nearly calling her darling, his favorite endearment.

He helped Belle off the bed and Belle pushed the tea cart toward the door. Loki moved the bedding up as Rhiannon looked at him and he gave her a sweet look.

"Your servant, Lady," he said and her eyes widened.

"You are not..."

"I know. Go to sleep," he said and Rhiannon closed her eyes.

 _I would die to touch your hand again._ she thought, closing her eyes and drifting to sleep.

When he was sure she was asleep, he followed Belle out of the room and closed the door behind them.

"Let's get the bracelet!" Belle cried eagerly. "You can surprise her when she wakes up."

"Calm down, Raven," Loki said with a laugh. "We need to return the tea cart to the kitchens first." He waved a hand and the cart reappeared in the kitchen.

Loki looked at his daughter, catching on to her plan and smiling.

"Can you magic us there? That nasty maid stole it and who knows what she is going to do with it!" Belle groaned, waving her hands.

"Let's go."

Loki took her hand as they headed down the hallway and Belle swung their hands back and forth.

"Come on Dad! Imagine how happy she will be when we get it back to her!" Belle giggled! "You will be her hero!"

Loki led the way to the corridor where the nobles had their rooms.

"Which room is it?" Belle asked.

"Uh, I'm not sure." He frowned and cast a simple Locate spell.

"That one," Loki said as he pointed down the hallway.

"Good. We will really tell those nasty ladies off." Belle said, letting him lead the way.

Loki knocked on the door.

"Dwarven made! This is very finely made. And frost opals are extremely rare, I will pay you for this. Three silver." They heard a man saying to Vika, stopping to answer the door.

"Oh! Who is that?"

Suddenly, the doors flew open as she looked at Belle and Loki and Loki saw the man standing next to Vika.

"Hi," Loki said with a smug look.

"My door! How dare you!" Vika shrieked, glaring at him.

"Take a chill pill, lady!" Belle said.

"I am here for that," Loki said as he walked closer and pointed to the bracelet in her hand.

"This?!"

"Yes, I have been looking for it for a long time."

"This...? This belongs to you?" the man asked.

"It belongs to a friend," Loki told him.

"You are in so much trouble." Belle said, waving her finger at the man.

"You stole this from Prince Loki?!" the man asked. He was one of the best fences in Asgard and the thought of taking something which belonged to Loki made his blood freeze in his veins.

"Yes!" Belle snapped.

"It doesn't belong to him," Vika said. "It does not fit you Prince Loki, and I am selling it!" Vika argued, holding onto the filigree cuff. "You probably want to give it to some stupid wench anyways. I will give you three silver."

"I had no idea it was stolen!" the man said and Loki sighed.

"Calm yourself," Loki said then looked at Vika.

"You can't sell that! It was stolen and you know it, you brat!" Belle shouted.

"I did not steal it! How dare you accuse me! It came from my Maid, and she stole it from that half breed animal they disguise as a Healer!" Vika shouted!

"So busted." Belle whispered.

"Then you are guilty of receiving stolen goods," Loki said.

"I believe we no longer have a deal, Madam." The rat like man said, stepping away to leave.

"Wait!" Vika snapped. "No one will take her word over mine. She is less than the garbage I toss away."

Loki gave him a nod as the man quickly left and thanked the Fates Loki hadn't killed him on the spot.

"Now," Loki said as he walked to Vika and held his hand out. "Give it to me!"

"You bloody interfering mongrel! Go throw yourself off the Bifrost!"

"I already have," Loki growled. "And it was not a pleasant experience."

She threw the bracelet on the ground, crushing it under the heel of her shoe. "It is cheap junk anyways!"

"NO!" Belle shouted, looking at the bent bracelet and nearly started crying. She glared at the bratty noblewoman, wanting to punch her.

Her magic roused then, stirring the air about them.

 _Now Dad will never get his kiss, or fall in love._ Belle thought to herself, the woman backing away.

"What is going on? You can't do this!" Vika shouts.

Loki looked at the frost opal, now shattered into small pieces, then at Belle.

"YOU are a greedy pig!" Belle shouted pointing at Vika.

Belle locked eyes with Vika when a blast of green magic flew from her hands and hit Vika in the face.

Vika screamed as Loki watched her appearance change to that of a pig and a curled pig tail grew out of her bottom, causing a large bump at the back of her gown.

"What have you done? My Father will have you locked away!" She shrieked. Oinking noises came from her snout as she felt the back of her gown. "I have a tail!" she wailed.

"Go look in the mirror," Loki said with a laugh.

Vika ran to her full length mirror when she saw her reflection.

"No!" she screeched then snorted and Loki started laughing. "This is not funny! I will have that brat burned at the stake and you will be sent to the dungeons where you belong!" She stamped her feet like a child.

"Change me back!" she demanded.

"Do you think we should, Dad?" Belle asked, looking up at him.

"What for? It suits you!" Loki giggled. "Might teach you some humility to stay like that for a bit."

"No! You will change me back now! Then I will go to the AllFather and tell him what you have done!" Vika growled then snorted. "This is not fair! She is nothing but trash from the gutter! I will have her flogged every day until you turn me back!" She shouts, stomping her feet.

"Do you want me to make you a complete sow?!" Belle asked.

"You wouldn't dare!"

"She would," Loki said then glared at her. "And no one is going to flog anyone."

"You can't leave me like this!"

"Yeah, we can," Belle said while Loki picked up the bracelet and the shards of the frost opal and they headed for the door.

"Please! Change me back!"

"Go to Hel!" Loki shouted.

"She is going to be sad when she sees this." Belle said, sighing.

"I can fix it, raven," he said and they left the room.

"How, Dad? That thing is toast." She asked, looking at it.

Vika threw herself on the floor, oinking and kicking her feet in a tantrum they could hear all the way down the hall.

"Jeez. She can sure shriek." Belle said, wishing they had not tried to get the bracelet back.

"She's even more annoying as a sow," Loki said and Belle giggled. "As for the bracelet, I know a few dwarfs who can fix it."

"What about the frost opal?" Belle asked.

He cupped his hand over the shattered stone, restoring it to one piece, the blue glittering stone was whole again and Belle smiles.

"Awesome! Let's hurry and get the rest fixed before she wakes up." Belle shouts, pulling his sleeve.

Loki took her hand when they vanished and appeared in Nidaveillir.

"Where is this?"" Belle asked, looking around.

"This is Nidavellir, the realm of the Dwarfs," Loki said.

"Why are we here?"

"We're here to see Eitri."

"Who?"

"Him!" Loki said and pointed at EItri.

"He's a dwarf? He's huge!"

"He can also hear you, Little One," Eitri said as he walked closer and looked at Loki. "Greetings, Trickster."

"Hello," Loki said.

"What can I do for you?"

"I need a replacement for this," Loki said as he held up the bracelet.

"Ah," he said as he took the bracelet and looked at it. "This is a very old piece."

"Yes, it is."

"Does it belong to you?"

"No. It belongs to...a friend."

"Really?!" Eitri said, arching an eyebrow.

"Yes,"

"Can you fix it or make a new one?" Belle asked.

"I can try."

"We need it immediately," Loki said.

"Then it will take longer," Eitri said with a grin.

"We also need you to put this in the bracelet," Loki said, handing him the Frost Opal. Eitri looked at it then at Loki and nodded.

"Then I better get to work," he said then walked to his forge and they sat down on the wooden bench. They watched as he used a special metal to make a new bracelet then placed the frost opal in the bracelet and placed the bracelet in a wooden box. He walked to Loki when he handed him the wooden box and Loki smiled. "The metal is still hot. I would wait a few days before putting it on or touching it."

"Thank you," Loki said.

"How much do we owe you?" Belle asked.

"I just want the truth from you, Trickster," Eitri said. "Is this for someone you love?"

"Uh...," Loki said then made a little cough. "Yes, it is."

"Then I will expect an invitation to the wedding," he said with a smile and Loki nodded.

"Why do you think Dad is getting married?" Belle asked, the dwarf laughing a bit.

"Because I know when a man finds that true part of himself that he has been missing." Eitri said, laughing harder.

"What is so funny?" the girl asked the dwarf.

"You will learn one day." The dwarf said, smiling. Belle looked down at the bracelet in the box, sighing at it.

"I hope she believes that this is the original." she said to Loki, her stomach full of knots.

"It is almost exactly the same." Loki said. "Come, Belle. We must get back."

"Someday I would like to visit again," Belle said. "I have all these questions. . ."

"You would not be a Lorekeeper if you didn't," Loki chuckled, taking her arm.

Eitri stared at her. "Your daughter is a Lorekeeper?"

"She is, but has not claimed her regalia yet." confirmed Loki.

"I'm taking the test soon." Belle said, looking proud.

"I have something for you." The dwarf went to a shelf and removed a box dusty with age. "I made this brooch long long ago for your predecessor, but he died before I had a chance to give it to him. Wear this when you face that which is hidden. With it on no one can control your mind." He gave her the box.

"Thank you!" Belle said, smiling at the gift.

Belle opened the box. Inside was a beautifully crafted raven with a book in its claws. The raven's eye was a single ruby. It was formed of the same silvery metal as the bracelet.

"It is beautiful! What is this metal?"

"Silveron. Star metal. Similar to what Mjolnir is made of. It's a wonderful conductor for magic." Eitri explained. "Another bit of advice, Loki. Do not lie about the bracelet, Dwarven metal carry a bit of the owner in them and she will know the bracelet was remade." Eitri said, making Belle's stomach sink.

"I can't even if I wanted to," Loki said.

"Dad! That bracelet belonged to her mother! She will hate us!" Belle groaned.

"It was not our fault it was broken. She will understand."

"Yeah right. How would you feel if your Mom's stuff got ruined?"

"I would be upset with the one who broke it, not the one who fixed it." The sorcerer answered. "She thought it lost to her remember?"

"Yeah, I guess." Belle replied, feeling sick.

"I must return to my work Loki, good luck." Eitri said, walking away.

"Let's go home, Belle."

"Yeah, Dad." Belle said, taking his hand.

He transported them back to Asgard right to his chamber door.

"Maybe we could tell her we couldn't get it back." Belle suggested, wanting to run.

"No, darling," Loki said firmly. "We will tell her what happened. There is no reason for us to lie, we did nothing wrong." He knocked on the door.

"But you heard what that guy said. She will be super sad because it was her mom's."

Loki spread his hands. "Yes, but sometimes the things we lose come back to us in a different form."

"You really don't know women, Dad." Belle said, crossing her arms.

"Belle, I can become a woman," Loki objected. "What's done is done." He knocked again, not wanting to barge in on Rhiannon and make her feel awkward or uncomfortable.

"Not the same!" Belle shouted, the door opening and a maid peering out with a smirk.

"I wish to speak with Healer Rhiannon." Loki said. "May I come in?"

"So the rumors are true, she is your mistress." The maid said, letting him in.

"Excuse me? No, those rumors are _not_ true and you will not repeat them or else you will find yourself looking for a new position!" Loki growled.

"Yes, sir." The maid said, still smirking.

"People around here sure like to make up things. Reminds me of high school," Belle snorted. "Everybody thinks they know something when they really know nothing."

"Gossips are like chickens. All noise and no substance," Loki told Belle.

Then he got an idea. He waved a hand in the direction of the departing woman. _There! Now anyone who tries to spread lies will sound like what they are—a chicken!_

He came into the room.

"Yes, sir?" Rhiannon asked him, coming to attention from a sitting position.

Her eyes fell to the box in his hands, a tear falling from her eye. "It is gone then."

"No. We found it but then Lady Vika broke it. So I took it to be repaired. It isn't quite the same but . . .look!" He opened the box and gave it to her. "Eitri remade it as best he could."

"Thank you for trying, sir." She said, looking at the bracelet sadly.

"Only the setting had to be remade. The stone is the original," Loki pointed out.

"Thank you, sir." was all she said, accepting the box.

 _I told you, Dad._ Belle thought, sighing to herself.

Loki looked crestfallen. "Well, I guess I had better let you rest. Feel better."

"I will, sir. Thank you for your effort to get it back." She said softly, laying back down.

He nodded and then put his arm around Belle and left the room.

"I'm going to go read, Dad." Belle said.

"Yes and then tomorrow morning I will tutor you after breakfast." Loki told her. "And don't worry about Lady Vika. Your spell will wear off after a day."

He decided to speak with his father, just in case the little brat did go and complain to Odin.

"Sure, Dad. I was just mad about everything." Belle said, sighing.

"Wear that brooch. Eitri doesn't make anything without a purpose." Loki instructed.

"I will, Dad. See you." She said, running off.

Loki sighed and then blinked himself to Odin's study, figuring the king would be in it at this hour of the day, finishing up signing paperwork and looking over proposals.

Meanwhile, inside his chambers, Rhiannon fingered the box again and this time opened it and took out the restored bracelet. She saw to her astonishment that it resembled the old one almost exactly. Except for one thing. At the bottom of the bracelet, where it clasped together with a magnetic insert, there was an embellishment of a lover's knot. The original had lacked it.

She stared at the pretty knotwork for long moments, almost losing her breath.

 _A lover's knot!_ she thought. _He must have put it there because . . .he has feelings for me yet cannot speak them aloud._

She recalled how he had blushed in her presence and the soft yet electrifying touch of his hand in hers. Tears came to her eyes as she recalled how upset he had looked when he had brought the bracelet to her.

"My poor Prince, he must think me ungrateful." She whispered, nearly crying at her ignorance.

She placed the bracelet on her wrist and the metal warmed slightly when it touched her skin.

She held it close to her, cradling it as if it were a child and sighing.

She looked about, wondering if there were something she could do to show her regard for him.

She saw a green tunic hanging over the back of one of the chairs and it sparked an idea in her.

The tunic was just a simple one, made of the soft _kithra_ fabric that only nobles could afford to buy.

She found a piece of paper on his desk and began to sketch a design rapidly. Her fingers flew over the paper until she stopped and looked at what she had drawn there.

It was a clever design-his double serpent sigil with a lover's knot entwined in the middle.

But she needed embroidery thread and a needle.

Just then Halgran entered the room. "Hello, dearie! Are you feeling better after your nap?"

"Hello Halgran!" Rhiannon greeted the maternal woman. "Would you happen to know where I could get some gold embroidery thread?"

"Let me fetch my sewing basket," the woman laughed and summoned it.

 _Odin's study:_

Odin glanced up from the mountain of paperwork littering his mahogany desk and saw Loki standing in the doorway. "Good afternoon, Loki."

"Pardon the interruption, Father, but I need to speak with you," Loki began, relieved to note the king seemed like himself.

"What about, Loki?" Odin asked, regarding his son with interest.

Loki entered and shut the door behind him. "I came to inform you that my Healer had a family heriloom stolen recently . . ." He explained what had happened when he and Belle went to retrieve the item from Lady Vika,

"That one has always been trouble," Odin sighed. Then he smirked. "Does she really have a pig's tail and a face?"

"She does. Belle does not normally display such a temper but Vika was quite insulting to me and my daughter does not permit anyone to talk like that about me." Loki said. "The spell is not permanent though. It will reverse itself within a day."

"I confess, I should have liked to see it," the old king chuckled. "Is it also true that you kicked the lady out of your rooms last night?"

Loki nodded, flushing slightly. "Yes. Father she tried to proposition me like a hussy and I am not Balder or Thor to accept such a thing. And when I refused and asked her politely to leave she refused so I removed her."

"Not without a struggle," Odin observed. "Those scratches are from her?"

"Yes, but they will heal. I just wanted you to know the truth before Vika tried to come to you with some fake tale of woe and outrage and accuse me or Belle."

"Loki, I would have called you to relate your side of things if she did come to me. I know the lady, and her reputation. She is a virago when she doesn't get her way. I also know better than to take an accusation at face value without examining all the evidence. Especially coming from her."

"I did not mean to offend, Father."

"You did not. I just wished you to know that I would certainly question any woman who tells me you have taken advantage of her or deliberately harmed her. Because I know you, my son."

Loki felt a warm glow at his father's words. He gave Odin a relieved smile. "Thank you, Father."

"You're welcome, my son. Does something else trouble you?"

"Have you had anymore headaches lately?"

"Some, but not many. I meant to ask about your vanishing lady friend. Have you located her?"

"Not yet. She seems to have vanished, except for her shoe."

"I am sorry, Loki. Sometimes, the Norns do not give us what we want.

"It's all right. I wasn't really expecting to find anyone. I am only here on vacation, after all." Loki shrugged.

"You usually find that person when you stop looking." He replied, Loki nodding.

"Well, you are busy so I will leave you be. I need to check on Lucy, see if she is awake and wants to eat something."

"Is she ill?" the king asked, concerned.

"She has an ear infection. But she is prone to them so it's not anything I haven't seen before. Healer Rhiannon treated her. She should be fine in a few days."

"I shall pray she recovers. Do tell her that I wish her a speedy recovery."

"I will, Father." Loki said and then blinked over to Lucy's room.

Lucy sat up on the bed, playing a game on her tablet and smiling. She looked up at her Father, smiling. "Hi Dad!"

"Hey, Valkyrie. How are you feeling?" He smiled back and felt her forehead, his hand cool and soothing.

"My ear does not hurt anymore! It feels great actually." She replied, grinning at her father. "Is it time for more medicine?" She asked, frowning up at him.

"That's wonderful. But I'm still going to give you the ear drops for a few days. Just to make sure it is completely gone." He caressed her hair. "Would you like something to eat?"

"Sure Dad. I'm hungry and missed lunch." She said.

"Then let me ring for Artos and he can bring you up something." Loki tugged the green velvet tasseled cord that hung on the wall.

"Dad, how do the servants know who rang them?"

"The cord is attached to a wire and it lights up at the other end with a number of a room. They know which number to come to and also who is in it."

"Neat!" Lucy said, smiling. "Where is the nice doctor?"

"She is resting right now," Loki said, wondering if he ought to tell his daughter what happened. Then he figured he had better, before she heard something from someone else. "She was hurt recently."

"Was it an accident? Some Maids said she was clumsy and tripped all the time."

"No. Her father beat her in a drunken rage. Two guards pulled him off her and brought them to me and I had him arrested."

"That is wrong Dad! Is he going to get in huge trouble?"

"He should. Right now he's in jail. Where he will stay until a trial." Loki said.

"Good! is she gonna be okay?"

"Yes, she has a black eye but I healed it somewhat. She should be okay by tomorrow, according to Healer Martin." Loki reassured her.

Artos entered. "How may I serve you, Princess Lucy?"

"Hi! Uh could you bring me some lunch?"

"At once, my lady," the boy said, then bowed and ran from the room.

He returned a short time later with a tray with some beef and vegetable soup, a crusty roll with butter, a glass of milk and an apple tart. "Enjoy, my lady."

"Thanks, Artos."

She began eating, slurping at the soup and enjoying it.

"This is good, Dad."

"If I'm not mistaken, Kara made that." Loki told her. "That's Grisel's recipe. We always got that soup when any of us were sick."

"It is really good, I like it." Lucy said, eating more. "One Maid said you were sleeping with the Doctor, is that true?"

Loki almost choked. "No, absolutely not. She is staying in my room on the couch until a private room is made up for her and I am sleeping with Fenris."

"Don't get mad, Dad. That is just what the maids were saying. They said you dressed her up and danced with her last night, but you had her run away so you guys could be alone." Lucy said, sitting away from him.

"No, that is crazy. She left so she could go to sleep and wake up early to do her job. We were not together like that. Do not pay attention to what these maids say. They will make things up just to have something to talk about." He sighed. "Remember when I went out on that date with Darcy? It was awful but the tabloids went and printed some article that we were getting married. That's exactly what this is like."

"I remember, Dad. Too bad you don't like her that way, she is pretty." Lucy said, finishing her lunch.

"I never said I didn't like her that way. But we're not sleeping together."

"So, if you two do get together, do you think she'd mind being our mommy?"

"If we do start dating, I don't think she would mind. Any woman I date knows my kids and I are a package deal."

Lucy smiled as she nodded and he gave her a little hug.

"Would you like to have a mom, Valkyrie?"

"Yeah."

"Belle agrees with you. Now we just have to hope everything works out."

 _If only she saw something promising in me._ Loki thought, hugging Lucy.

"It will, Dad. Who can resist you?!" she teased and he laughed.

"Yes darling, now get some sleep."

He kissed Lucy's forehead. "I will be back before bedtime to put more drops in your ear, okay?"

"Okay," she said and closed her eyes. Loki left the room as he wondered how the other children would react to Rhiannon being in their lives and he walked a little faster.

 _That is a discussion for another day,_ Loki thought.

 **A/N: **for the full story of toddler Thor and Loki read Loki Where's My Snickers?**

 **Hope you all liked!**


	15. The Great Shoe Prank

**15**

 **The Great Shoe Prank**

 _Sometimes the best pranks are done on behalf of another. ~ Loki_

The next day Healer Martin pronounced Rhiannon well enough to return to her dorm and her duties as Loki's new Royal Physician. Loki gave her the other shoe from the ball he had found, saying, "You should take this, Healer Rhiannon. Put it with the other one. It belongs to you."

"Thank you, my Prince," murmured the Healer. "For everything," she said quietly. "I will keep the shoes as a memento of the ball." She tucked the shoe under her arm. She curtsied and walked out the door. She had left the tunic on his bed, and she hoped he found it.

Upon reaching the dorm she pulled open the door. The sight that greeted her made her heart sink to the floor. Her trunk had been opened the night before, all her clothes and shoes stolen except for one worn out blue dress.

Loki turned around and spotted the tunic laying upon the bed. "What is this? Did I leave . . .?" he trailed off as he saw that this emerald tunic, though similar to one he owned, had elegant gold embroidery on the sleeves and hem. It was very fine work and Loki wondered who had done it. Then he shook his head and realized the only one who could have placed it here and made it were one and the same.

Rhiannon.

He was profoundly touched by this gift, something that no one had ever given him before. Especially not his former wife, who would have sooner have spit on him than made him a shirt as fine as this to wear.

He decided he would wear it to dinner that night and made a mental note to thank the Healer when he saw her again.

He admired the shirt, smiling to himself and knew that she would be seeing Lucy. He thought to thank her then, and that he could play it as a visit to his daughter.

He waited for about ten minutes or so before heading down the hall to Lucy's room.

He entered, finding Rhiannon getting ready to leave. Her feet bare, and her worn blue dress ragged.

"My apologies sir. She is well enough to return to her normal routine."

"Wait. What has happened to your uniform and your shoes?" Loki asked, staring at her attire.

"I... I appear to have been robbed," she said. "Please don't make a fuss."

"Why would anyone do such a thing?!" Loki demanded.

"Daddy, what's wrong?" Lucy asked.

"It appears someone has stolen all of Rhiannon's clothes except for this uniform."

"That's mean."

"Please, sir, it is alright," Rhiannon said, trying not to shake. "Because... I spent the night in your Chambers."

Loki's mouth tightened. "You were a victim of jealousy and petty assumptions. I will not tolerate any of my household being treated with such disrespect."

"I am used to it sir, and it will only get worse now."

"You shouldn't be used to it. You have rights just as much as they do," Lucy said and Loki nodded.

"She's right," Loki said. "When you joined my staff here all of that should have ended. Because that is not how anyone who wears my sigil is treated. Ever. And everyone in this castle knows that."

"But I am not like the others in your house," Rhiannon said. "I'm nothing."

Loki felt his heart slamming hard and fast in his chest as he snorted a breath of air from his nose and she saw the anger in his eyes.

"You are NOT nothing!" he growled.

"I am seen as your whore now. And will not be seen as more. A night in the chambers of a Prince marks you as such."

"Like Hel! You were chaperoned! I was not with you. Dame Halgran will attest to it. And it should not be questioned." Loki refuted.

Rhiannon barely nodded her head when she headed for the door after Lucy let go of her.

"Where are you going?" Loki asked.

"I... I am returning to the dorms. Maybe I can find some of my clothes."

He walked to her when she met his eyes and she felt herself getting lost in his eyes.

"Be careful," he whispered and she nodded. They watched Rhiannon leaving as Lucy walked to Loki and he held her to his side.

"Daddy, why would someone do that to her? She's nice," Lucy said.

"Some people are just mean," Loki said as he patted her back then ran out of the room. Rhiannon hadn't gotten far as he slowed to a walk and she glanced at him.

"Is there something wrong?" Rhiannon asked.

"Yes," Loki said as he waved his hands and her green uniform was repaired. Her feet were covered in black leather slippers and she gasped.

"Oh!"

"Now, again, be careful," he warned her and she nodded. A blush moved across her cheeks as she quickly walked away and Loki leaned against the wall. He tried to calm his anger, but it boiled in his chest and he lightly punched the wall.

Rhiannon walked down the path when she saw several of the maids coming toward her and she tried to find a way around them.

"There she is!" one of the maids said.

"I cannot believe she had the nerve to walk around without a sack over her head," another maid said.

"Maybe she is off to her next lover," one of the other maids teased.

"Leave me alone!" Rhiannon said, trying to be brave.

"Well, it looks like the whore thinks she has the right to make demands!" the first maid said.

"I am not a whore!"

"That is not what we heard," the second maid said and they laughed.

"Tell us," the third maid said. "Is Prince Loki good in bed?"

"I heard he's rather cold," the first maid said.

"Well, that's because he's a Jotun freak," the fifth maid said.

"Prince Loki is not a freak!" Rhiannon corrected.

"Takes one to know one," the fourth maid said and shoved Rhiannon. Rhiannon moved back a bit as the maids laughed and she felt the hot tears in her eyes.

"I still can't believe she thought disguising herself would fool anyone. My lady knew it was her the moment she entered the feast," the first maid said with a snobbish look on her face.

"Who is your lady?" Rhiannon asked.

"It is Lady Vika."

 _No,_ Rhiannon thought as she tried to back up, but some of the maids had walked behind her. She felt caged in as she looked at them and one of the maids smiled.

"And look at what Prince Ice Ball gave her," the second maid said and held up the slippers Loki had given her.

"Where did you get them?!"

"We got them from your room," the first maid said.

"Proof he is sleeping with you!" the third maid said.

"No, I am not!" Rhiannon said.

"Says his favorite whore!" The maid shouted. "Perhaps we should take her for a swim?"

"I... I cannot swim." She stammered.

Them you better learn fast whore."

The women grabbed her by the arms, pulling her to the bridge.

"Release me!" Rhiannon shouted.

"We will release you, tramp. To push you off the bridge."

"I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM!" She screamed, hoping someone would hear her.

 _Near the pond..._

Jorgy and Fenris were sitting on the bank of the pond when Fenris thought he had heard Rhiannon's voice and his head shot up.

"What's wrong, Bro?" Jorgy asked.

"I thought I heard Father's healer," Fenris said then sniffed the air. He could smell her fear as he growled and Jorgy looked at him with a puzzled look. "She's in trouble."

"Do you know where she is?" Jorgy asked as he looked around. Fenris sniffed the air when he pointed toward the bridge and Jorgy stood up, removed his tunic and pants then shifted into his serpent form. Fenris closed his eyes as he concentrated on Loki and tried to keep calm.

 _Father, hear me!_ he sent.

 _What's wrong, Beta?_ Loki sent.

 _Something has happened to Rhiannon._

 _Where is she?_

 _She is near the pond. Father, hurry. She is terrified!_

 _I am on my way,_ Loki sent and Fenris opened his eyes, watching Jorgy swimming through the water.

On the bridge, the maids held Rhiannon against the railing. She screamed and begged to be let go, her voice becoming raw with terror.

"Up and over." The maid said, the women lifting her over the railing and letting her go.

"I hope she drowns." One maid said, laughing.

"The fall will probably kill her." The other laughed.

Rhiannon screamed as the water came closer and closer and she could just see the tips of the sharp rocks under the water.

"Don't forget your shoes!" one of the maids said as she tossed the slippers and they laughed.

Rhiannon hit the water as the impact stunned her and she started to pass out. She floated down pass the sharp rocks as the air escaped her lungs and her vision went black.

The woman in the green dress sank, lifeless and limp. She settled on the bottom, a fish swimming by as a slipper came to rest near her.

"Well, that's all for her," the first maid said when the air became ice cold and they turned to see Loki and Fenris standing to their left.

"Prince... Prince Loki," the second maid said.

"Where is Rhiannon?!" Loki demanded and Fenris growled.

"We don't know sirs." A maid said, backing up to run.

"Don't lie to me," Loki growled.

"We have no idea where she is," the third maid said, backing up.

"She ran from us when we tried to help her find her clothes. She said that she did not want to be in your service anymore."

"Liar!" Fenris growled and spittle dripped onto his lower lip.

"Prove it. She is a whore and all know it!" One maid shouted.

The water below the bridge suddenly started bubbling as a flume of water explode skyward and the maids screamed.

"Father!" Jorgy said as he landed on the bridge and Loki looked at the limp body in his arms.

"Is she dead?" Fenris asked, looking at the pale and lifeless form.

"She is not breathing." Jorgy said, laying her down.

"Probably fell." One maid said, starting to walk away.

Loki waved his hand and the maids found out they couldn't move then he knelt next to Rhiannon.

"She is drowned, Father." Jorgy said, Fenris nearly crying over the dead woman.

"She was my friend," the wolf shifter hissed in shock.

Panic filled him as he checked to see if Rhiannon had a pulse and his heart started beating again when he found it. Her pulse was weak, but steady and he leaned her head back, pinching her nose closed.

"What is he doing?!" one of the maid asked.

"That is disgusting! He is kissing a dead woman!" The other maid shouted.

"Silence!" Fenris growled. He watched his father as Loki tried to get Rhiannon to breathe. Loki felt a rush of water go into his mouth and he spat out the water. Rhiannon started coughing as he rolled her onto her side and she coughed up the rest of the water.

"Easy," he whispered as he rubbed her back and Rhiannon gasped for air.

She looked at him in shock, realizing he had his mouth on hers. She shook her head, denying it happened.

"He was kissing you when you were dead!" shrilled a maid.

"Shut up, you stupid ass! I was not kissing her-I was giving her rescue breathing because she nearly drowned. Norns, I'm an EMT!" Loki growled.

"You... I... That should never have happened, sir ." She whimpered, her voice hoarse.

"It would not have if you were not half-drowned," he replied softly. "That technique is a medical emergency lifesaving one used on Midgard to save lives."

"It will not be seen that way. I will be seen as I already am." She replied, lowering her eyes and coughing.

"I cannot lie since my rebirth. So whatever I say is truth. And people cannot lie to me either. It's been tried," he replied. "Watch." He gently helped her to a sitting position.

She tried to stand, feeling dizzy and sat back down. Part of her wanted to cry that she missed his lips on hers, the other part wanted to be happy she was alive. All of her confused about the event.

Then he turned to the maids clustered about them, some of them trying to edge away. "All of you-stay where you are!" he snapped. They all froze. He rose to his full height.

"Now. I am going to ask you a few questions and you will answer them. Nod if you understand me."

They all nodded.

"Good. How did Rhiannon come to fall in the water? The railing over this part of the bridge is high, unless she was climbing she could not have fallen accidentally. So-explain."

"We pushed the monster over." one maid said, grinning.

"Could you repeat that, please?" Loki asked, pressing record on his phone.

"I said that we pushed that monster over the bridge. She whored herself to you, and deserved it!" The maid shouted, pointing at Rhiannon. "Useless bitch! Why couldn't you stay dead?"

Loki's mouth tightened in a grim line. "What proof do you have that she and I had relations? None. Because I was not in my room last night with her. I was with my son." He pointed to Fenris. "And Rhiannon was with Dame Halgran, who as all of you know, has strict standards of propriety. So your accusation is false and insubstantial."

"What?" one maid's mouth hung open.

"To use words you understand," Loki drawled. "You are all lying about us sleeping together."

He is so disgusted by her, he could not even bed her!" One laughed, her glee evident.

"Don't presume to know my mind," Loki refuted. "I do not sleep with women unless I am engaged to them or married. Everyone here knows this. I am not my brothers. That has not changed-and it will not. I respect women-except when they give me cause not to. Such as you harpies.

So-you deliberately pushed Rhiannon into the water. Did you hit her on the head to make sure she couldn't swim away?"

"She was alert when we shoved her. She hit the water very hard." a maid responded, still grinning at Rhiannon.

He looked at Rhiannon. "Can you swim, my lady?"

"No," she whispered.

"Did you know she could not?" he turned his fierce eagle-eyed gaze back on the maids.

"She shouted that she could not." one answered.

"Let me see if I have this right. You took it upon yourself to push an innocent woman off a bridge into the water because you thought she was a whore and knew she couldn't swim, hoping she would drown.

Did you also happen to steal her clothes and shoes?"

"We burned them." one maid said, smiling in pride.

"You burned them. Now we add theft and destruction of private property to an attempted murder charge. I believe, ladies-" he sneered the last word. "-you are all in serious trouble." He glared at all of them so fiercely they trembled. "You will all march yourselves to the throne room and we will present this matter to the king for judgement."

He turned to Rhiannon. "Healer Rhiannon, can you stand?"

"I can." She climbed to her feet. "I beg mercy as well."

"You have nothing to beg mercy about," he said. "Come with me, please. Fenris, Jorgy, escort her. Just in case she feels wobbly."

He glared at the others. "March!"

They all marched into the palace and to the throne room. Odin and Frigga were sitting on their thrones, hearing the last of the requests from petitioners.

"No. Please sir, I don't want them judged." She said, wringing her hands.

"They tried to kill you. If they are not judged, then it shows they are free to commit murder." he whispered to her. "That cannot be allowed. However, you may ask for a reduced sentence if you do not agree with the king's sentence."

"Yes, sir. I will obey." She said, following him.

Odin stared at the group. "Loki, what is amiss?"

"Father, I wish to present to you these women on the following charges," he rattled off the charges he had told the maids at the bridge. "I have here my phone as evidence of their own admission of guilt to me."

He gave Odin the phone and showed him how to view the recording.

As Odin listened, Heimdall entered the room and bowed. "Sire, I am here to corroberate Prince Loki's statements."

"Execute the four, flog the girl." O din said, dismissing them.

"Father, I ask you to reconsider," Loki said swiftly. "Why would you flog my Healer? She did nothing wrong. She was the victim of cruelty." he put every ounce of persuasion into his voice he possessed, such persuasion was almost like a magical command.

Odin blinked, pushing back the sudden headache and the odd whispering in his head. "I . . .Yes, you are correct. Disregard that last statement."

"Sire, I also ask you do not execute these four. Instead imprison them for twenty years. It was attempted murder, not murder."

"It was... Imprison them, and get the girl dry clothes.

"Thank you, Father." Loki said and bowed.

Frigga clapped her hands. "Marta, bring Healer Lyr some fresh garments. Loki, can you provide her with a new wardrobe as befits her new rank as your family physician?"

"I can, Mother."

Marta hurried forward. "At once, my Queen. Come, Lady."

Rhiannon stood in shock, hiding her happiness and followed the woman after a pause.

"One moment. You may escort my Healer to her new quarters. They are a private room just around the corner from the royal wing. I wish my physician readily available should I need her for my children." Loki called.

Rhiannon gazed around the room, slightly overwhelmed. "This is for me?"

She ran her hand over the bedding, amazed by how soft it was.

"Of course, this is your place now." Fenris smiled, happy for his friend.

"Honestly? This is for me?"

The bed was a real one, with a oak frame and a mattress stuffed with feathers. It had a plain comforter of a lovely lavender shade and matching pillows. There was a dressing screen with a design of birds and bluebells on it and a small stand with a china bowl and pitcher, a towel and soap scented with lavender and lemongrass. There was a trunk at the foot of the bed with a lock and a key inside it. There were hooks on the wall for cloaks and a small vanity with a mirror.

There was a bookshelf and a soft squishy chair beside it, a lamp on a nightstand beside the bed, a rug on the floor. There was even an apothecary chest-it was an older one but it was still quite elegant and in good condition.

"Yes Rhee. It is for you." Fenris said, Rhiannon smiling.

"It is beautiful." She squealed, clapping her hands.

Marta returned with a serviceable dress of sunny yellow and said, "This is an extra dress. All of Her Majesty's servants have them. You can wear it until your own dries. It may be slightly big but . . ."

Loki appeared in the doorway. "Is everything well in here? Do you have everything you need, Healer Rhiannon?"

"I do, sir. Thank you. The room is lovely," she curtsied to him.

He smiled. "Good. I'm glad you like it. Uh the seamstress has left some things for you in the trunk. You'll notice that it locks. So no one is tempted to take what doesn't belong to them."

"That's a great idea, Father," Fenris said approvingly.

"Well, I will leave you to get settled in. If you want to fill up the apothecary chest, we can visit the infirmary and speak to Head Healer Stefan about some supplies for you. Just let me know when you would like to go there and I will escort you."

"Yes, sir. I will do that." She said obediently.

He paused then said, "Oh and I will be having new uniforms delivered here for you, as well as a few dresses for when you're not working. Because you do get the weekends off you know." He smiled shyly. "I consider myself a fair employer."

"Thank you, sir."

"Where did you get your shirt, Father?" Jorgy asked, pointing to his clothes.

"Ah my shirt. Isn't it elegant? I believe a certain Healer embroidered it for me, am I correct?" he looked at Rhiannon.

Silently, she nodded and blushed.

"I meant to thank you for it earlier this morning. Before this unpleasantness occurred," Loki coughed, coloring slightly and silently cursing his pale skin.

"You are welcome, sir." Her voice very small.

He nodded and smiled quietly. "So I will take my leave now. If you need to speak with me, I will be in the library with my daughter Belle, helping her study for a test."

Then he gave a polite bow and turned and left, heading over to the library to tutor Belle for her Lorekeeper Test.

Jorgy nudged Fenris. "We will be going also, Healer Rhee. So you can get dressed and . . . err . . .come, Fenris." He nearly dragged Fenris from the room, shutting the door behind them.

As the two brothers headed down the hall and towards the palace entrance, wanting to continue fishing, which was what they had been starting to do when they heard Rhiannon cry out, they passed the servants dormitories, where about five maids were gathered, whispering together about what had occurred to their fellows and grumbling irritably about Rhiannon.

"I heard she slept with him to earn those things."

"It's not fair!" a maid with blonde hair pouted. "Why does SHE catch the prince's eye? She is a half-breed farm girl!"

"Hey! I am from a country village too!" objected a redhead.

"Yes but you aren't half-monster," returned the blonde.

"He said not," a brunette replied. "And he does not lie."

"We will see how the finery suits her when he bores of her."

"I mean. what does she know that I don't?" the blonde stamped a foot.

"Uh, she does have a degree as a Healer and you can barely write your name and read a schedule," sighed the redhead.

"She is still ugly."

"All of us can barely read." sniffed another blonde, this one with her hair in braids. "I have been working here for five years. If anyone should have been promoted it is me."

"You slept with Prince Thor, why did he not promote you?" queried the brunette.

"He is fickle! I wish I had slept with Loki!" snorted the blonde braided maid.

"Ha! Like the Ice Prince would have you!" the redhead snorted. "It's too bad, because he is one fine looking man."

"I think he only picked her because he felt sorry for her," sniffed the blonde. "We all know he takes on charity cases—look at those children he adopted."

"If anyone is a charity case it is the half-breed," sniffed the redhead.

"Those witches." Jorgy hissed.

"They need to be taught a lesson," Fenris growled.

"You'd think they'd have learned one with what just happened to those other harpies," Jorgy scowled.

"Like Father always says—you can't fix stupid." Fenris snorted.

"Maybe we can't fix them, but we can sure make them stop talking about Rhee," his brother replied heatedly.

Fenris looked at his elder brother with a smirk. "Are suggesting what I think you are?"

"Got it in one, Bro." Jorgy grinned. "Let's make them eat their words . . . with a special Laufeyson prank lesson. What to do though?" Jorgy said, thinking.

Fenris strolled along towards the pond, passing the stables. "I know. Let's ask Sleph. He used to come up with the best pranks once upon a time."

"Good idea!"

They headed over to where Sleph was grooming a young colt. He looked up when the colt whinnied at them. "Hello, brothers."

"Sleph, we need your clever brain," Fenris began.

"What for?"

Jorgy told him what had happened with Rhiannon and how they had overheard the maids grumbling. "We want to teach them a lesson-Laufeyson style. But we don't know what to do to prank them."

"Steal their shoes. That will teach them."

"Sleph, that's brilliant!" Fenris exclaimed. "Just those five though?"

"Might as well steal everyone's in there," the horse shifter replied. "That way everyone gets the point."

"I like this." Jorgy said, grinning.

"Oh and we need to do something to the shoes. Like drizzle them with molasses and hang them up somewhere for everyone to see." Sleph added, smirking.

"How about the tree near Father's chambers?" Fenris suggested.

"That will work," Jorgy nodded. "Are you in this with us, brother?"

"Indeed. You know how I detest gossips," Sleph answered. "And nasty ones are the worst. And, it has been a while since I played a good prank." He laughed.

"Yes, since you became a responsible adult," Jorgy twitted.

"Responsible is a broad term, brother."

"So . . . how are we doing this?" Fenris asked quietly.

"You're the sneakiest out of us, little brother," Jorgy pointed out. "So you should be the one to slip into the dorm and grab all the shoes."

"You can slither up the tree Jorgy." Sleph said.

"What will you be doing?" asked Jorgy.

"I will keep watch and procure the molasses and dip the shoes in them."

"Can you get string to tie the shoes to the tree with?" Fenris asked.

"I can. We have to do this right."

Jorgy frowned. "But how can we be sure this lesson is taken the right way?"

"We put a sign on the tree," Fenris declared. "Wicked Tongue Tree." That will get the point across."

"I had better write it," Sleph stated. "I have the neatest handwriting."

"You and Father," Jorgy agreed.

"We better get to work then." Fenris said.

"Looks like the Laufeyson brothers are back in business," Jorgy grinned, and the brothers all placed their hands atop each other.

"This is for Rhiannon." Fenris said.

His elder brothers nodded.

"Of course. She is your friend, therefore ours." Sleph said.

"And Father's too," Jorgy said.

"I heard Father fancies her." Sleph said, grinning.

"Rumors, brother. I believe they are friends." Jorgy replied.

"I think Father likes her, but . . . you know how he is ever since Lady Bitch married him," Fenris sighed.

"True, she did ruin him for other women." Jorgy said, frowning sadly.

"Once bitten twice shy," Sleph quoted.

"He could give her a chance." Fenris replied. "She is like him!"

"Best not meddle in the love life of wizards, little brother," Jorgy warned. "If it is meant to be the Norns will make it happen."

"She deserves Father." Fenris argued.

"But does she believe that?" Sleph asked.

"I don't know." Fenris said, sighing.

"My guess would be no . . . because she's been taught to think of herself as someone who doesn't matter," Jorgy mused. "Father has his work cut out for him."

"Which guarantees nothing," Sleph said.

Jorgy shrugged. "I will not interfere in Father's personal life. He knows his own heart and when he is ready he will find the one who belongs with him."

"I think he deserves her as well." Fenris mumbled.

"Don't meddle." Sleph warned, crossing his arms.

"I haven't been," Fenris defended. "I am just stating an opinion."

"Well, avoid meddling then Little Brother." Sleph advised. "Father has enough troubling him as it is."

"Meet me under the statue of the Valkyrie in the courtyard at midnight," Fenris stated. "Then we can go to the dormitory."

"And make mischief of one kind and another," Jorgy quoted.

"What's that from?" Sleph asked.

"A book I heard Father reading to Max," Jorgy replied.

"What book was this?" Sleph asked.

"It was called Where the Wild Things Are," Jorgy answered. "It is Max's favorite book. The boy in it has the same name."

"Sounds rather odd. But he likes it, I will not judge." Sleph shrugged.

"Until midnight then," Jorgy grinned. Then he and Fenris strolled off, anticipating the prank to come.

 _Several hours later, the courtyard:_

"Fenris, did you find string?" Jorgy asked.

"Yes." He held up a ball of twine that the kennel master used to tie to the hides to teach the dogs to track.

"Now where is Sleph?" Jorgy muttered, teach the puppies how to track.

"Here, brother," Sleph called and walked over with a jug of molasses and a bucket. Under his arm was a sign.

"I suppose we should go then." Fenris said, grinning.

Sleph stashed the molasses, the bucket, and the sign behind the statue.

"Can you both carry the shoes?" Fenris asked, trying not to laugh.

"Of course we can!" Jorgy said.

"Come on," Sleph said and they headed for the dorms.

"Good, because there will be alot of them." Fenris replied.

They headed toward the dorms, and Fenris led the way. They soon found the dim lights from the windows, burning like eyes in the ghostly darkness.

Like wraiths they moved through the grounds, unseen by the guards on duty.

They came to the windows when they looked inside, but the maids they were looking for were not there.

"Maybe it's the next building," Sleph whispered and they moved on.

"Keep low." Fenris whispered. "We don't want to be seen."

The next dorm had the lights off as Fenris sighed and they went to the next one. They finally found the right dorm as Fenris hushed them and his brothers nodded.

He sniffed the air and managed to pick out the scent of one of the gossips that wore strong perfume.

"Did you find her?" Jorgy asked.

"Yes," Fenris said with a nod.

"Are they asleep?" Sleph asked, waiting for a reply.

Fenris peeked through the window when he saw the maids they were looking for then knelt down.

"No, they are awake."

Fenris wrinkled his nose. "That nauseating musk. Reminds me of the bitch who bore us." He frowned.

"I remember that smell," Sleph said, scrunching up his nose.

"She bathed in that filth." Jorgy groaned.

"It makes me wonder if Father had to plug his nose to sleep next to her." Jorgy groaned.

"Please! You're going to make me vomit!" Fenris hissed.

"Sorry."

"Can we just figure this out? I don't want to get caught." Sleph moaned.

"Now we need to find a way in," Fenris said, looking around.

"I hope they go to sleep soon," Jorgy sighed.

A short time later, the maids retired for the night and the lights went off in the room.

The three waited in the shadows for long moments until they were sure the occupants were deeply asleep.

"Let's go," Fenris whispered.

"Nine Hels! Did you hear that one snore?" Jorgy asked, one maid snoring loudly.

"Father did Rhiannon a very large favor." Sleph replied.

"She sounds as bad as Uncle Thor." Fenris muttered.

They snorted as they headed into the shadows and Fenris tried to find a way in.

"She sounds like a rutting Bilgesnipe." Jorgy joked.

"Or a bear in heat," Sleph said.

"She probably did one," Fenris retorted. Then he jimmied the lock on a window.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Sleph demanded.

"Yes, where did you learn how to do that?" Jorgy asked.

"Hunter taught me."

"What? Hunter? Where did he learn?" Sleph whispered.

"He said something called "Boy Scouts." Fenris replied. He didn't know if Hunter wished his elder brothers to know he was once a thief.

Fenris opened the window as he looked inside, looked at them and nodded.

One by one, they carefully climbed into the room and Fenris' eyes adjusted to the darkness.

"Keep watch." He hissed.

"Get the shoes." Jorgy whispered.

Fenris nodded as he moved around the room and found the shoes.

He picked up the shoes then he walked back to his brothers and they grinned.

Fenris placed the shoes on the floor, he left a clear space so he could pick up the shoes and handed the shoes to his brothers.

Jorgy and Sleph lined up the shoes when they poured the molasses over the shoes and Fenris quietly went back in for the rest of them.

He slipped back in, quiet as a whisper of wind and returned several more times with more shoes.

"Last pair." Fenris whispered, tossing them out the window. "Nine Hels, she must have never washed her feet."

"Some of them smell like hog poop," Jorgy said.

"Let's get this over with. The smell is killing me!" Sleph said.

"Must be kitchen maids." Sleph said, tying the shoes together. "They stand in droppings from the cutting board all day."

After the shoes were tied, they poured the molasses over the shoes and softly laughed.

"Now to get them up the tree." Jorgy grinned.

"Allow me," Fenris said as he carefully climbed up the nearest tree and they handed him the shoes.

Fenris tied the shoes to the tree when he noticed the branches were too close together and sighed.

"Need a little help, Bro?" Jorgy asked.

"Yeah. I can't get up to the higher branches," Fenris sighed.

"I can slither them up to the top."

Snorting a laugh, Jorgy shifted when he carried the shoes up to the higher branches and lightly tapped Fenris on the top of his head with his tail. Jorgy switched back as he tied the shoes to the branches and gave them a smug look.

"Don't be glib, Jorgy." Sleph sighed.

"Go get the rest of them," Fenris said.

A few trips later, the shoes were tied to the branches of the tree and they smiled.

"I believe we did well." Fenris yawned.

"Yeah, but I'm all sticky," Jorgy said.

"You can take a shower when we get back," Sleph said. He nailed the sign to the tree.

"Let's go," Fenris said as they headed back to the palace and the wind gently moved some of the shoes back and forth.

On the other side of one window, a little woman slept. Curled on her side on a soft bed she never expected to sleep in, dreaming of a dance and a night where we pretended to be a princess. But in her dream, a kiss was exchanged, marking the beginning of a love that shook all the realms. A dream of two hearts, becoming one.

"Loki," Rhiannon sighed as she rolled over onto her other side and smiled.

The next morning, that woman rose from her sleep. Sitting up in her bed, she looked out the window and saw a sight she could not comprehend at first, but it slowly came into focus. She saw shoes, swaying in the breeze and opened her mouth in shock.

"Oh no!." She said, bolting from her bed and checking her clothes and finding her shoes, neat and where she left them.

"What?" Rhiannon gasped when she heard screaming and ran to the door. She looked out into the hall as the maids rushed out into the hall and they were all barefoot.

"YOU! You did this! Where are our shoes!" The maid demanded and Rhiannon pointed behind her.

"They are in a tree."

The maids ran outside as they looked at the shoes swaying in the wind and the sunlight shimmered off the molasses.

"They're ruined!" one of the maids shouted and Rhiannon covered her mouth as she tried not to laugh.

"You will pay for this, you stupid whore." The maid shouted, Rhiannon peeking shyly out her window.

"It was not me." She whimpered then, trying not to hide.

"What did you call her?!" Loki demanded. He stood below the tree, waiting to escort his staff to breakfast, blinking suddenly as a drop of molasses hit his nose.

"What is this?" he asked as he wiped the molasses off his nose.

"Your whore put our shoes in the tree and poured some disgusting goo on them!" one of the maids said.

"For the last time, she is not a whore! And...," he said as he sucked on his finger and smiled. "This is molasses."

"She still did this!"

"I did not," Rhiannon called out and he nodded.

"Well, you better get them down or you will be late for your shifts," Loki said as he walked by them and the maids gasped. He walked to the window as she ducked behind the curtain and he smiled. "No need to hide."

"I am in my nightgown!"

"Oh," he said as he lowered his head and she swore he was blushing. "I thought you were ready to go to the dining hall."

"Do you escort all your staff to the dining hall?"

"Well, yes, I do. Sometimes," he said with a grin.

"I need to dress, sir. I am not proper." She replied, the only thing showing was her eyes.

She reached up, closing half the curtain and trying to stay out of sight.

"Then I will go," he said as he looked at the maids. "Are you sure you and the others can make it to the hall without an escort?"

"Yes! Now, please, go!" she said and he softly laughed.

"As you wish," he said with a bow and vanished in a puff of smoke.

"She is so lucky," one of the maids whispered as she pulled her shoes off the branch and headed back inside.

"Lucky that we don't skin her for this. Shoes are expensive!" Another said.

"You forget, she is still sanctioned by Odin. Step a toe out of line, and she faces punishment." Another maid said. "Theft is a crime."

"But how can we be sure she did do this?" the maid asked. "And how did she do it?"

"Since when are you on her side?!" one of the maids demanded.

"Since I saw how they looked at each other. I think he really cares about her and she for him."

"It does not matter, an hour in the dungeon is revenge enough for me. He may even dismiss her after an accusation. They have to hold her until the Allfather can judge her." She smiled, gesturing to the guard. "I need to report a theft!"

"Yes Lady?" One of the guards said.

"Healer Rhiannon stole all of our shoes and ruined them. I want her taken before the Allfather." The maid shouted, crossing her arms.

"Do you have proof? Did anyone see her steal them?"

"No, but she is sanctioned. And the only other person who could do that is Prince Loki."

"So, you are accusing Prince Loki now, are you?!"

"We have to take her, King Odin can uncover the truth. I am tired of her shrieking." The other guard said.

"Take who where?" Thor asked as he walked closer and the guards and maids looked at them.

"I only accuse the bitch he is bedding!" She shouted back, her voice becoming like nails on a chalkboard.

"Are you speaking of Rhiannon?" Thor asked. "My brother is not sleeping with her. And I can attest to that. Stop spreading lies or else."

"Nine Hels." The Guard said. "She is. Something to do with stolen socks."

"Shoes!" The maid shrieked.

"Rhiannon did something to her shoes?" Thor asked, getting confused.

"She stole everyone's shoes and tied them in that tree after pouring molasses on them." The guard said, sighing.

"Well, that does sound bad. Where is this tree?" Thor asked.

"Let's just take her in, the Allfather can handle it. I am hungry, and hung over." The other guard said.

"Look over there!" The maid said, shouting. "See what that witch did?"

The guard followed Thor and the maids to the tree and he looked up at the shoes.

"Hmmm..."

"See?! She needs to be punished!"

"We will handle it, My Prince." The guard said.

"Hold!" Thor said, holding up his hand then looked at the maid. "Tell me. How did she get them all the way up to the top? It's a very high climb."

"I don't care! Just take her!"

Rhiannon appeared at the window as Thor looked at her and she saw the guards.

"Prince Thor?!" she called out and he heard the fear in her voice.

"Fear not," Thor said as he walked to the window and saw she was wearing a green gown with gold trim and her hair was pulled into a tight bun. "It appears the maids have accused you of playing a nasty prank on them."

"But I didn't!" she said, shaking.

"I will go and take her to the dungeon, it will at least shut the maid up. Come peacefully, girl." The hungover guard said.

"I said hold!" Thor said with thunder in his voice and the guard winced.

"My Prince, I did nothing. I honestly say it." She said, wringing her hands in worry.

"LIAR!" The maid shrieked.

He turned to Rhiannon as he saw the fear in her eyes and he hushed her.

"Go to the dining hall and tell Loki what has happened," he whispered. She nodded then ran and he looked at the guard.

"Go back to your post. I'll will handle her," Thor said and the guard nodded.

"Anything to get away from that shrew," the guard grumbled and walked away,

Thor turned as he looked at the maids and folded his arms over his broad chest.

"Now, you will follow me and we will take this to the AllFather," Thor said and pointed for them to move.

"King Odin forbids her being anywhere near a Prince!" The maid shouted. "If he finds out about this, she will be banished!"

"Move!" Thor said.

"I am telling all, I hope he removes her head from her shoulders!" She shrieked.

"Over shoes? You wish a person dead? Then you are a vindictive fool!" Thor snorted. "You also accuse without proof. You will be lucky if Odin doesn't have you beaten for disturbing him this early in the morning before he has even eaten. Now stop that shrieking before I put a gag in your mouth." The woman's voice was causing his head to pound, and he hoped Odin would refuse to see him until after they had eaten.

Unless someone had been murdered or a child kidnapped, everything else usually could wait.

The maid hushed and followed him. When they arrived at the king's chambers his guards informed them the king was already in the dining hall.

"Your petition will have to wait," Thor informed her. Thank the Norns! "Go to the audience chamber and wait. And Norns help you if you try and foment unrest on the way. I will have you flogged." That last was pure bluff, but Thor did not want a mob gathered over a mere prank, one which he was sure one of his nieces or nephews had done.

The maid squeaked and bobbed a curtsy and ran.

Thor sighed and headed to the dining hall.

Rhiannon found Loki tying an apron around Aleta so she would not get her pretty dress dirty when she rushed into the hall. She noted that not all the staff was shoeless, some had shoes on but others were barefoot.

She then recalled only seeing the maids in her old dorm, which was called Windward, barefoot. That meant the prank had probably been done only to them.

"My Prince!" Rhiannon gasped. "There is a maid accusing me of that shoe prank and your brother told me to fetch you at once."

"So that's where Thor is," Loki said. "Mother wondered what had happened." He indicated the Queen seated beside the king.

"The king is here?" Rhiannon gaped. "Prince Thor was taking the maid to him."

"Well, that will have to wait. Nobody disturbs the king at this time. Why don't you sit and eat something?" He indicated a spot next to Halgran. "We can resolve this after breakfast. I'm sure there is a simple explanation for it."

"As you will, sir." Rhiannon said and went to sit by Halgran.

"Daddy, what happened?" Aleta asked.

"Someone played a joke on some of the staff and took their shoes and coated them with molasses and hung them in a tree." Loki replied, chuckling.

Aleta giggled. "That's funny! Was it you?"

"No, spark. I was asleep. But it was clever." He tweaked her nose.

"They think Healer Rhee did it?" Aleta wanted to know.

"One of them does. But she's mistaken. Now eat your breakfast." He indicated her plate of pancakes and bacon.

Fenris nudged Jorgy. "We need to confess to Father. Before those idiots get Rhee in trouble for nothing."

"Fen, they can't prove who did it," Jorgy whispered. "Without that all you have is nothing."

"They lie," reminded Fenris.

"Father will know if they do. Just quit worrying and eat your breakfast. The look on their faces." He smirked.

Fenris huffed and went back to eating though all his enjoyment in the prank was gone.

Odin looked up from his breakfast. "Is that why some of the staff is going about barefoot? I thought it was some kind of penance rite, Loki." He sounded very amused.

"No. Apparently, someone played a joke on the maids in Windward." Loki replied. "They took their shoes, drizzled them with molasses, and hung them up on a tree with a sign Wicked Tongue Tree."

Odin started laughing. "That is hilarious! Maybe this will be a new cure for gossips. It's one worthy of you."

"I thought it was funny too!" Aleta giggled.

"One of the maids wants to accuse Healer Rhiannon of theft over it, Father," Thor rolled his eyes.

"Theft? The shoes are on the tree," Odin laughed. "Is there proof she was involved?"

"None," Thor replied.

"Then there is no case." Odin said dismissively. "Besides, I would bet my good eye that it was one of your children, Loki."

Loki nodded. "I will eventually discover who it was."

"When you do, dear, remember not to be too harsh with them," Frigga said pointedly.

"I agree with your mother, Loki," Odin added. "If this is anything like the goat buffet I fear I will laugh myself to death."

"Trust me Mother, I find this all very amusing."

Loki drank his coffee, his eyes finding the profile of Rhiannon and smiling wistfully. He studied her small nose, and proud chin, committing each line and curve to memory _. Gods, she is beautiful. But it can never be, unless I solve the issue between Odin and his possession_. He thought.

She ate silently, no one engaging her in conversation. She did not seem to mind though, she took a small book from her apron pocket and began to read it as she dined. Belle saw the smile on Loki, nudging Sam to look.

"See Sam, Dad likes her a whole lot. He hasn't stopped staring at her since she came in." Belle whispered to her sister.

"He has it bad. And she is super easy on the eyes." Sam whispered back. "I am so in."

"Do you think she can shift too?" Belle wondered. "Dad always said that's a Jotun trait. They are born with it."

"Our brothers can," Sam mused. "And they are only a quarter frost giant."

"If she can, she is keeping it a secret." Belle said, nodding.

"What are you guys whispering about?" Lucy asked, keeping her voice low.

"Probably because some people still think they are monsters even after all this time," Sam murmured. "I nearly punched some boy out because he said Dad was a freak that mated with animals."

"Gross! You should have kicked him in the balls," Belle hissed.

"Guys. Is this about the Healer Dad hired? She is really nice." Lucy whispered.

"Yes." Belle replied. "Jeez, he has the hots for her bad."

"I am in. Whatever the plan is, I am totally in to help Dad get a girlfriend." Lucy said, her voice really low.

"He likes her a lot. But we need to break the possession on Bestefar before he can even try to date her. Because right now the laws forbid it." Belle explained.

"Are you going to help with that?" Lucy asked, sighing. "It seems super hard."

"Yes. Dad and I are working on it," Belle murmured.

"Do it then, we can work on getting her to like him." Sam said, grinning.

"I think she already likes him," Belle whispered. "But she can't show it because she's not supposed to fall in love with him."

"These rules are stupid. They so need changing." Sam groaned.

"When we get rid of the spirit they will change." Belle declared confidently.

"Good." Sam replied, a smile coming to her face. "Imagine having an actual Mom."

"That's all I could ever do." Lucy said wistfully. She had been found in a trash can as a baby.

"I hope she is better than the real one I had," Belle said feelingly. "Then again, a cat would have been better so . . ."

"If Dad marries her, she could be our mom for real." Sam said, smiling at the thought.

"Do you think that could happen?" Lucy wondered. "Dad hasn't dated anyone since Ditzy Darcy and that was a disaster."

"Because she was Jane's friend and all she wanted was to make out with him on the street," Belle commented, rolling her eyes.

"You mean she got drunk and did a striptease in the street," Sam corrected.

"She was lucky a cop didn't arrest her. Hunter said so," Lucy remarked.

"Poor Dad. Remember how he got her back to the house and she threw up all over his suit?" Sam said, cringing.

"I was asleep," Lucy murmured.

"I wasn't," Belle grimaced. "That was gross. And she was sloppy drunk. Like my real mom used to be. Ugh!"

"Dad liked that suit too. She was nasty." Sam groaned.

"She was. She kept screaming at him too. F #$ me, Loki. He finally had to knock her out with a sleep spell," Belle recalled. "Then he called Jane and a cab and sent her back home."

"Jeez. Remember when she called a week later thinking she was pregnant?" Sam asked, laughing.

"Yeah and Dad asked whose it was because it sure wasn't his," Belle giggled.

"That whole thing was awful."

"Jane was the worst though. Telling Uncle Thor he ought to beat up Dad because he wouldn't admit to knocking up Darcy," Belle snorted.

"And then she got her period." Sam laughed. "That was classic."

"That means she wasn't pregnant," Lucy clarified.

"Yup," Belle nodded. "So who do you think did the shoe prank? Hunter and Vince?"

"It had to be them, maybe including Fenris?" Sam said.

"Probably. We all know Vince can climb anything and Hunter can pick locks and rob stuff." Lucy said. "And Fenris would know how not to get caught."

"It so had to be them." Sam said. "But it was a good one. They stole her shoes."

The little girl sighed. "They deserved it anyhow-they stole all Healer Rhee's clothes and tried to drown her."

"It was a really good prank too." Belle laughed.

"They won't even get in trouble," Sam predicted. "Dad isn't mad, you can tell he thinks it's funny."

"Of course. But he is still staring at a certain blonde." Lucy grinned.

"He forgot to eat his bacon," Belle snickered.

"Oh man. He has it bad." Sam giggled.

"I need to see this shoe tree," the Allfather said, and he took Frigga's hand to go and see it before he went to the audience chamber.

"I want to see this as well, it sounds very amusing." She replied, looking at Loki. "Dear, you haven't eaten your bacon. Are you well?"

Loki blinked. "What? Oh, I-I was trying to figure something out." He absently picked up a strip of bacon on his plate and ate it.

"I can see that." Frigga said, noticing he was staring at the thin Healer. "I am going with your father to view the shoe tree."

Loki chuckled. "It is a very memorable sight." _And so is the one I am looking at,_ he thought.

"We will enjoy the humor of it then." Odin said, walking with Frigga. Loki went back to watching Rhiannon, the wistful smile returning to his face. _Gods teeth, she is a grace that few will ever know._ He thought to himself, sipping his coffee again.

Balder nudged Thor and whispered, "It looks like our little brother is finally in love."

"Shh!" Thor hissed out of the corner of his mouth. "Don't say anything! You will jinx it. But I agree. I always said when he allowed himself to love a woman, he would fall hard and fast."

"He just put his bacon in his coffee." Balder laughed.

"I wonder when he will notice. A silver coin says he drinks it first." Thor chuckled.

"I will take that bet," Balder said.

"Oh, this will be fun." Thor whispered. Loki absently picked up his mug, moving to drink more when the bacon poked the end of his nose. Frowning, he removed the meat and sighed.

"Bacon flavored coffee," he whispered then took a sip. It didn't taste too bad as he placed the piece of bacon on his plate and Thor held his hand out toward Balder.

"Fair's fair," their older brother said and handed Thor the silver coin.

"That was amusing!" Thor said, the both of them laughing hysterically.

"What's Uncle Thor and Uncle Balder laughing at?" Max asked.

"Who knows?" Vince said with a shrug and sipped on some goat's milk.

"Do you think Daddy will ask Rhiannon to marry him?"

"Don't know. It would be cool. She's really nice."

"Yeah," Max said and glanced over at Rhiannon.

"Is there something the matter, Prince Max?" Rhiannon asked.

"Uh, will you cut these sausages for me?" Max asked and she looked at Loki. He nodded as she got up, walked to Max and used the knife to cut the sausages into smaller bites. "Thank you."

"You are so welcome," she said then went to sit down.

Loki looked at Max when he gave his youngest son a wink then took another drink of coffee.

Silently, they young Healer stood and took her leave, curtsying politely as she approached Loki.

"I need to go and collect herbs and medicines, sir. May I be excused for the time being?" She asked him politely, the old habit of asking to take her leave there.

"Of course," Loki said.

"I want to help!" Belle said as she stood up.

"Is that alright?" Rhiannon asked.

"Yes," Loki said.

Belle ran to Rhiannon as she took the Healer's hand and they left the room.

"I will need to get you some gloves, some of the herbs have spines that will prick your fingers." Rhiannon said, smiling at Belle.n"Cat's paw is one of them. And I need mugwort to use in a tea to treat colds and fevers."

"I think I know what those are," Belle said. "Dad uses echinacea in his potions to cure bad respiratory infections," she recalled.

"Like the infections your brother gets from time to time?" she asked as she thought about Nate.

"Yeah," Belle said with a nod.

"Do you know what wild garlic is?" She asked, nodding toward the yellow echinacea flowers in the garden. "The garlic is a wonder for infections in cuts and scrapes."

"It's also good for keeping vampires away."

"What are vampires?"

"They're people who get nearly all their blood sucked out of them then they walk the world during the night."

"You mean the undead?!" she gasped.

"Yeah, but they're not real. Daddy says they only exist in books."

"That's good to know," she said and smiled at Belle.

Belle nodded. "Dad makes a salve with honey mixed with that and lavender."

"Both are very good, but I do prefer my medicines." Rhiannon replied.

"What about lavender? It is on your list?" Belle asked.

"I use the oil with mint oil to make a balm for headaches." Rhiannon replied.

 _It smells lovely as well._ Rhiannon thought, handing Belle a cloth and a pair of scissors. "Why don't you get me the flowers that help Nate, and I will get the milk thistle?"

Belle nodded and went to get the echinacea flowers.

The two women worked, Rhee collecting cat's paw and milk thistle she then moved onto the dried rose hips. Humming to herself as Belle dug the wild garlic.

Meanwhile, back in the hall, Loki decided to get to the bottom of the prank mystery.

Loki looked at Thor and Balder while they chatted and Thor's laughter echoed around the hall.

 _No, it couldn't have been them. Thor would have woken everyone up_ , Loki thought and clicked him off his list of suspects. He already knew the kids couldn't have done it when he noticed Jorgy, Sleph and Fenris looking at each other then at him and Loki blinked _. Of course! To pull something like this, whoever did it had to be stealthy. Quiet. Unseen. And there were shoes even on the top branches. Much too high for someone to reach unless you could climb to great heights._

"Um, why is Father looking at us like that?" Sleph whispered.

"Oh Norns, he knows." Fenris said.

"Did you really think he wouldn't figure it out?" Jorgy sighed. "He knows every trick in the book because he invented it. You know we can never pull the wool over his eyes."

"What do you think he'll do?" Sleph asked.

"I suppose we have to face the music then." Fenris sighed, waiting for his father to walk over.

Out in the courtyard, Frigga and Odin looked at the shoes tied to the tree and Odin rubbed his beard.

"If I didn't know better, I would swear this was done by Loki," he said.

"True, it is something he would do," Frigga said when she noticed something on the ground and picked up what appeared to be a serpent scale.

"Have you found something, dear?"

"I believe I have," she said then looked back to the palace. "Let's go back inside."

Nodding, Odin took her hand and Frigga smiled. She knew she shouldn't be proud of her grandsons playing a prank, but she admitted it was a good one.

"Hello Father." Jorgy said, waiting to be shouted at.

"You look very alert and rested for being up so late," Loki greeted, his emerald eyes twinkling.

"We weren't...," Fenris said and looked away.

"Us? What?" Sleph said, playing innocent.

"Good try but I'm not buying it," their father said, fighting to keep the amusement off his face. "So whose idea was this?"

"What? I don't understand." Fenris said, shaking his head.

"Whose idea was it to tie all the maids shoes to a tree and dip the shoes in molasses?" Loki asked.

His sons looked down at their boots.

"And put a sign on the tree that said Wicked Tongue Tree." He eyed his eldest pointedly. "I can guess who made the sign, since I know Sleph's handwriting. I also know how much he hates gossips."

Sleph made a little cough and looked down.

"Damn." Fenris said, sighing.

"I know someone who is stealthy and clever had to break into the dorms and get the shoes without being seen," he said as he looked at Fenris.

While Loki was confronting his sons, Odin and Frigga entered the hall and they walked to Loki.

"He's right," Frigga said when she held out the serpent scale and Jorgy sighed. "This is yours, isn't it?"

"Yes," Jorgy said with a nod.

"It was us, Father." Fenris said, looking down.

Rolling his eyes, Loki looked at his sons and Odin placed his hand on Loki's left shoulder.

"I know you are angry, my son, but it was a harmless prank," Odin said.

"Yes, I know," Loki said and old memories of how Odin would have beaten him for doing the same prank when he was younger filled his mind.

 _But was that really his doing or the thing which possesses him?_ Loki thought.

"Are you going to punish us?" Fenris asked.

"Yes," Loki said and they sank in their chairs. "First, you are going to the tree and remove the shoes. Second, you are going to clean ALL of shoes! Third, you will apologize to the maids and Healer Rhiannon..."

"Why do we need to apologize to her?! We did no harm to her!"

"The maids accused her of doing it and wanted her placed in the dungeon!" Loki said with a small growl.

"Oh," Sleph sighed.

"Finally, you will be cleaning out the stables and pens for the next two days," Loki said and the brothers nodded.

"You will also have to scrub the cells in the dungeons," Odin said and their eyes widened. Loki tried not to smile at his father adding to their punishments when Odin led Frigga to the thrones and they sat down.

"Is he serious?!" Fenris whispered.

"Yes. He made Thor, Balder and me do that once after we pulled a prank," Loki said with a small grin. "Believe me. It's not as bad as it sounds."

"I expect you to apologize to Healer Rhiannon at once. Then take care of the shoes." Loki said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Yes, Father," Jorgy said.

 _I have to find out the extent of these sanctions against Rhiannon._ Loki thought, dismissing the boys with a wave.

And so ended the Great Shoe Prank, which would go down in the annals of great pranks in Asgard's history-like the Goat Buffet, Fingernail Stew, Goblin Gold, and Fire Tree.


	16. The Tests of Patience and Knowledge

**16**

 **The Tests of Patience and Knowledge**

 _Knowledge is power and patience is the greatest test of one's resilience. ~ Loki_

The morning sunlight woke Loki when he opened his eyes only to find someone was sleeping on top of him. Max's head was resting under his chin and Max held onto Loki's left shoulder. Max hadn't slept in bed with Loki since he was very small, so he wondered why his youngest son was doing it now.

"Hey, Scamp," Loki said in a soft voice and lightly shook him. Max made a little sigh when he opened his eyes and listened to the sound of his papa's heartbeat.

"Morning, Daddy," Max said then yawned.

"Mind explaining why you're in my bed?"

"I don't know."

"Did you have a bad dream?" he asked, lightly rubbed his son's back.

"No. But I did have this dream about you."

"What were we doing?"

"We were playing hide and seek. I couldn't find you. I closed my eyes and thought about you. That's when I found you and we laughed."

Loki thought for a few seconds when he realized Max might have teleported to him in his sleep and Loki sighed.

"Well, why don't you go back to your room and get ready for breakfast," he said and Max nodded. He watched his son get up then leave the room when Loki sat against the headboard and frowned. "What is going on?"

After washing up and dressing, Loki walked down the hallway when he saw Rhiannon and she was wearing the blue gown he had given her and black slippers.

"Good morning," Loki said and she gave him a tiny smile.

"Good morning, My Prince," she said with a nod.

"Have you eaten?"

"Yes. Though I wasn't sure if I could eat all of it. There was so much food. I am only used to a crust of bread and some water."

Loki tried not to be angry with how she used to be treated and Rhiannon saw the anger in his eyes.

"I didn't mean to anger you," she said, lowering her head.

"No, I wasn't angry with you. I was just thinking about how they treated you."

"I didn't mind."

"You still shouldn't be treated like that. As for the food, you can tell the cooks what you would like to have for breakfast so they don't give you too much."

"I can?!"

"Yes," he said with a smile and she smiled back. Nodding, he walked away while she watched him and felt a small blush move across her cheeks. Shaking her head, she silently chastised herself and headed down the hallway.

Loki walked into the dining hall when he looked at Odin and Frigga and Odin looked like he was in a foul mood. Sighing, Loki went to sit with his children when Sam looked at Odin then at Loki and she picked at her breakfast.

"Something wrong, Sam?" Loki asked softly.

"He's been yelling at everyone this morning," Sam said, pointing her fork at Odin.

"He also accused one of the servants of trying to poison him," Hunter said, taking a long drink of goat milk.

Loki looked at Odin then at Belle and she barely nodded her head.

"Don't worry. I have a feeling he's going to be just fine," Loki said when a servant placed the plate down and he nodded. He looked at the mug of coffee when he picked up the cup as Vince reached over and put a piece of bacon in the mug. Softly laughing, Loki removed the bacon and took a long sip of coffee.

Frigga kept casting worried glances at the king and picking at her breakfast. Odin glared at everyone indiscriminantly.

"They are all against me! All of them!" he growled and she sighed.

Aleta tugged on Loki's sleeve. "Daddy, why is Bestefar mad?"

"He's not really mad he probably doesn't feel well," Loki murmured.

"Should Rhiannon look at him? She made Lucy feel better."

"That's a nice idea, spark, but I know what's wrong and I am working on how to make him feel better."

"Good. I don't want Bestefar to be sick."

"I'm going to help, too," Belle said as she looked at Odin.

"Yes, you are," Loki said with a nod. "But we need to do something first."

Belle nodded as she returned to eating her breakfast. Loki knew what they were about to do was dangerous, but his father's soul and mind were on the line and the thought of what would happen if they failed formed a large ice ball in his chest.

A slight man with a lute case slung over his shoulder, wearing a blue and green tunic and deep blue leggings, his light brown hair pulled back in a tail, came over to their table. "Hello, Loki. It's been awhile."

Loki looked up and smiled broadly. "Tavi, by the Nine!" He stood up and hugged the other man briefly. "How are you? Are you still singing for your supper?"

"Always, with Lady Songbird." He gestured to the lute across his back. He eyed all of Loki's children with amazement. "Are these . . . ALL your children?"

"They are, my friend. Let me introduce you." Loki said. "Kids, this is my friend Tavi Woodlark, He's a skald, that's like a traveling musician and a historian. Tavi, meet my children." He introduced them one by one, and Tavi repeated their names and titles easily, for a skald was trained to have a perfect auditory memory. His voice was a clear beautiful tenor.

"It is a pleasure to meet all of you, Your Highnesses," Tavi said with a neat bow.

"You don't need to use their titles, old friend," Loki murmured. "Anymore than you do mine. After all, you are a Prince in your own realm."

Tavi looked sad. "I was a prince by marriage," he said quietly. "But now that Laurala is gone to Valhalla . . .I don't feel much like a prince anymore. I haven't been back to Alfheim since she passed. I wanted to forget but . . . the memories always return."

"And King Relatheon doesn't insist that you raise your daughter there?" Loki asked in surprise.

"No. Right now he . . . would rather not be reminded of the granddaughter who resembles her mother so much." Tavi sighed. He saw the curious glances in the eyes of the children and said before they could ask, "I am an Asgardian baron who became a skald and married a Princess of Alfheim. So I am a prince . . . in a way."

"So what brings you to court?" Loki queried.

"I have a favor to ask you, Loki," Tavi said, seeming uneasy.

"Ask. If I can help you, I will," Loki replied.

"I have a Bardic Conference to attend in Aethelwyrd. It's a week long and I . . . I can't find anyone willing to watch Eirunn. She's three and a bit of a handful and-" Tavi began awkwardly. "I would never impose but I can't take her with me-it's not a place to bring small children."

Loki held up a hand. "You don't need to plead your case like a lawyer, Tavi. I will watch her for you."

"Really? Loki, you don't mind?" the skald stammered.

"No. I have so many children, what's one more?" he chuckled.

"How much do you charge?" Tavi began.

"We will work something out when you get back," Loki said easily.

"You're sure?"

Loki nodded. "Yes. When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning. I'll bring Eirunn by then with her things." Tavi said. "I really appreciate this, Loki."

"It's not a problem," the Asgardian reassured him.

His friend looked relieved.

"Are there any specific food she likes to eat or won't eat? Does she sleep with a security toy or a blanket?" Loki queried.

Tavi thought. "She doesn't like food touching each other on her plate but otherwise she will eat anything except liver, kidneys, any organ meat, lutefisk and blood sausage."

Loki grimaced. "I don't eat any of those either so that's not a problem."

"She has a doll her mother gave her, a ragdoll. Calls it Amy." Tavi replied.

"That's fine. I'll make sure she keeps Amy with her." Loki told him. "Oh, one other thing. Is she toilet trained?"

Tavi nodded. "Yes, she is. Only sometimes . . . she has accidents at night."

"That's normal. My little ones still do on occasion. If they drank too much before going to sleep or don't go before they go to sleep or have a nightmare."

"I sincerely hope that doesn't happen, Loki." Tavi said fervently.

"If it happens, it happens," Loki shrugged. "I will handle it. Been there and done that, as they say in New York."

Tavi nodded in relief. "Oh and if she misbehaves, you have my leave to punish her like you do your children."

"Now let me ask you something," Loki murmured. "How do you normally punish her?"

"I . . . usually I scold and take away her toys," Tavi looked uncomfortable.

"Well, just so you know, I do not hit my children. For any reason. If they've done something naughty I give them a time out. My little ones that is."

"What is that?"

"It's similar to standing in the corner, only they sit with their back to the wall and their hands in their lap for a certain amount of time. Usually it's a minute for a year of their age and then an extra one. I add time if my child refuses to listen when I tell them to go to time out. I find it much more effective than beating a child."

Tavi nodded. "I have never tried that but if it works for you . . ."

"It does. My kids will tell you that."

"Time out sucks!" Aleta and Max chanted.

"See what I mean?" laughed the Jotun prince.

"Well, if you need to do that-do it," Tavi said. "I trust you to discipline fairly, Loki. You always did when you were my Commander in the army."

"Dad was your CO?" Hunter asked.

Tavi nodded. "Yes. I was a Lieutenant under him in the medical corps. A skald can use music to put wounded into trances so they can heal and sleep and even use their magic to heal and cure depression. Your father was a fine officer. He was always fair and never bawled anyone out unless they deserved it."

"He ever yell at you?" queried Vince.

"Yell? No. Tore strips out of me in an icy tone, yes." Tavi laughed.

"Why? Did you disobey an order?" Hunter wanted to know.

"Yes. He tried to get out of bed before I said he could," Loki interjected. "He was injured rescuing civilians during a raid in Vanaheim. He had twenty stitches in his leg and was supposed to stay in bed for three days. He thought he could get up and walk around after two."

"Your father made me see how stupid that was," the skald said ruefully.

"Dad's good at that," Hunter admitted.

"Yes, but he didn't rule with an iron fist like most commanders," Tavi said with a nod.

"Then how did he keep you in line?" Vince asked.

"He used stern lectures and extra duties."

"Sounds like what you do with us, Dad," Sam said.

"Yeah, Dad usually gives us extra chores if we do something wrong," Hunter said.

"Well, I need to go," Tavi said with a nod when they heard Odin yelling at a servant and the servant quickly ran out of the room. Tavi saw the look on Loki's face when Loki sighed and shook his head. "Is he alright?"

"No," Loki said with a shake of his head. "But I am working on something which will cure him."

"Ah," Tavi said then hitched up the lute and smiled at the kids. "Farewell."

The kids nodded and waved as Tavi walked away and Loki tried to figure out where Eirunn was going to sleep.

"Dad?" Sam asked and he looked at her.

"Sorry. I was trying to figure out where Eirunn is going to sleep."

"She can sleep in my bed," Max said.

"And where are you going to sleep?"

"I can sleep in your room!"

"I think it would be better if you bunk in with me," Hunter said.

"Can we play video games on your laptop?!"

"Yeah."

"Fine, but only age appropriate games," Loki said and the boys nodded.

"Do you think she would like to play tea party?" Aleta asked.

"I think she would love that, Spark," Loki said.

"But I get to be the princess!"

"Of course you do," he said with a smile.

Thor and Balder exchanged glances and then Thor said to Loki, "Balder and I think it best if we take our nieces and nephews out of the palace today. We can go fishing and on a picnic. This way you can tutor Belle and Father won't be disturbed since he is in a mood."

"Good Idea, Thor. I was about to suggest something like that myself." Loki agreed.

The kids appeared happy at that.

"Belle, we can finish up your tutoring in the workroom," Loki declared softly, knowing his daughter would understand what he hinted at.

"All right, Dad," Belle agreed. "I'm ready."

Just then they heard Frigga suggesting that perhaps Odin go and lie down until his headache passes.

"Perhaps I shall!" he snapped. "Anything to get away from your nagging." He rose to his feet, the veins standing out in sharp relief on his his forehead.

"Dad, he looks like he is about to have a stroke," hissed Sam.

Loki looked concerned. "Maybe I should-"

He never finished his sentence for Odin bellowed, "Loki! Come with me to my chambers."

"At once, Father," Loki went to stand beside the king, then followed carefully behind him as they headed to Odin's suite.

Once they were inside, Odin dismissed his valet and ordered Loki to get more of his magic headache pills.

Loki summoned a second bottle of Advil Migraine and had his father swallow them. "There you go, Father. Now why don't you lie down?"

This time Odin let Loki help him to the bed. As he was adjusting the pillows under the old king's head, Odin's one blue eye suddenly gleamed and a distrustful light came into it.

"You had better not be plotting against me, boy!" he warned, his voice gone suddenly cold and ferocious.

Loki suppressed an instinctive shiver. This was the voice he recalled from his childhood, the cold angry merciless voice that had haunted him. "No, Father," he murmured, keeping his eyes averted _. It is the spirit talking through him._

"Or I will flog the skin from your back, you puny little coward!"

Abruptly, Loki felt himself grow angry _. Evil thing, you will not take my father this way again!_ He waved a hand and cast a strong sleeping enchantment.

Odin's eye suddenly closed and he slept. Loki breathed a sigh of relief and tucked the covers about the king.

But Loki knew this reprieve was only temporary. He must administer the Lorekeepr Test today to Belle, so that she was prepared to help him battle the revenant and banish it for good.

"Sleep well, Father," he murmured, and then left the room.

He met Belle in the library. She appeared worried. "Dad, what was that all about?"

"Your grandfather wanted me to give him some more headache medicine. So I did and I noticed the revenant was back. So I sent him to sleep for a time. Are you ready to take your test, little raven?"

"I am, Dad. Let's do this."

They went down to Loki's work room and Loki had Belle sit in a comfortable chair while he cast the spell for the test. The room rippled and swirled and then all Loki could see was Belle seated in the chair holding an old book in her lap and staring off into space.

"Belle, can you hear me?" he asked.

"Yes," Belle said with a dull tone to her voice.

"I need you to concentrate. Let the book guide you."

Belle barely nodded her head as she looked straight ahead and the old book seemed to be glowing in a golden light.

"Greetings, Lorekeeper," a deep voice spoke.

"Greetings."

"It has been a long time since I tested one of your kind."

"That is because the others are dead."

"I know. Are you ready for your test?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Then let us begin..."

She found herself drawn into the book itself and the pages ruffled and opened to an illustration of snow-capped peaks and a faraway castle. Belle emerged into a room of the castle, discovering it was an old version of the current palace, back when it was much smaller than it was at the present time.

"Wow," she whispered and carefully walked down the hallway. She could see people moving by her, but, to them, it was like she wasn't there. "Creepy."

"Concentrate, Little Raven," Loki's voice whispered and she nodded.

Belle walked into the main hall when she saw a man sitting on the golden throne and waves of anger and hate rolled from him. She felt like she was drowning when she shook her head and kept walking.

"I am not afraid," she thought over and over and the man was glaring at some of the Einherjar.

He was tall with a costly robe of gold filigree over dark red velvet with a blond beard and long hair. His eyes were a cold electric blue and they burned with a fierce intensity.

"Report," Bors demanded. "Have you found the Aether?"

"Not yet, Sire," on of the Einherjar said.

"Cowards! If we do not retrieve the Aether before Malekith does, I will flog all of you!"

The Einherjar tried not to shiver as Belle repressed a gasp and Bors glared at them.

"Has there been any news of the Frost Giants?!"

"No, Sire. Jotunhiem has been quiet."

"They are up to something! I know it!"

A slight man wearing a golden laurel leaf crown and a blue robe with a color-shifting cloak came forward and said, "Perhaps, my King they are simply minding their own affairs. King Varamir is not one to meddle."

"King Varamir is a fool and a coward! I could destroy him without breaking a sweat!" Bors shouted and his voice boomed around the room.

"My King, such actions would cause war between Asgard and Jotunheim!"

"Good! The sooner we are rid of those monsters the better!"

"A question," the book said as Belle jumped from being startled. "What would you say to that statement? Would you agree with him or suggest another way to handle the Frost Giants being idle?"

Belle paused to think before she replied. "No, I would not agree. You should always seek a peaceful solution before war. There is no reason to assume the frost giants are up to something without proof. Therefore I would suggest sending Ambassadors into Jotunheim to report on the situation there and show proof of what is actually going on."

Belle watched as the man sighed and he shook his head.

"My King..."

"Send troops to the boarders! Attack any and all Jotun until the snow is stained with their blood!" Bors shouted and the Einherjar nodded.

"No!" Belle gasped and watched the Einherjar leave the room.

Bors sat back against the throne as he looked at the man and growled.

"What are you still doing here?!" Bors demanded.

"I am leaving," the man said. "But I fear this is going to end badly."

"No one asked you! Now, go before I have you flogged!"

The man left the room as Belle looked at Bors and slowly walked closer.

"Careful!" the book said and she stopped. Bors stood up when he walked toward her and she wondered if he could see her.

Bors paused then kept walking and left the room. Belle let go of the breath she was holding and the book shimmered.

"Belle, are you alright?" Loki asked.

"Yes," Belle said.

"Tell me what you saw."

Haltingly, Belle told Loki what she had witnessed. "Dad, your grandfather started the whole conflict with Jotunheim. He told the Eirnerjari to attack the Jotun!"

Loki felt his heart fall. He had heard stories of the attack on the Jotun during Bors' rein. He had read about the bloody battles. But the idea of Bors being the one who started it all...

"By the Nine," he whispered.

"Dad, are you alright?"

"No, I am not."

The book started glowing as Belle looked straight ahead and felt the book pulling at her back inside.

This time Belle was standing at the edge of a crowd of people. There were men and women, both young and old, gathered in the square in the city just below the palace on the hill. On a platform surrounded by Einherjari was Bors, addressing the crowd of people.

Belle listened to the fiery rhetoric and felt chilled to the marrow of her bones.

" . . . and now I say to you, loyal Asgardians all, that we must drive out the Jotun monsters from our homeland! They have broken the peace, and invaded our fair shores and sacked our villages and made slaves of our people! They have killed the men who tried to defend their homes and families with foul shifter trickery! I say we drive them all out!"

"Drive them out!"

"Down with the Jotun!"

"To Hel with the monsters!

"Aye! They slaughter us in our beds!"

"Yes! They loot and pillage and rape our women and sacrifice our children to their heathen goddess Kaniiri!" Bors bellowed, his eyes wild. "Now is the time to stand fast! To fight! And to slaughter any Jotun who remain in this kingdom!"

Belle watched in horror as he whipped the crowd into a blood frenzy and the people turned upon the innocent Jotun and half-Jotun who had dwelled peaceably beside them for centuries and either drove them from their homes or murdered them.

Her soul cringed in disgust and she felt sick.

"And thus the truth of King Bors' atrocities were hidden, for where hatred flourishes the truth is lost," the deep voice intoned. "In order to cover up the deeds of a tyrant, history was rewritten."

"Belle, what's wrong?" Loki called. "You're shaking."

"I'm okay, Dad. But I just saw . . . something terrible," her voice trembled like a willow in a windstorm.

"What did you see, little raven?"

She told him, and Loki felt both fiery anger and a deep-seated revulsion. _That bastard!_ he thought _. He was the one who made the Asgardians believe the frost giants were monsters come to slaughter them and their children. When the fact was the Jotun were innocent of any wrong doing at that time. It was Bors who wronged **them!**_

He wondered if, as a result of Bors' hate campaign, that had caused the Jotun to then see the Asgardians as enemies and some of the frost giants had tendencies as bad as some of the Asgardians and attacked and slaughtered innocents. But the fires of hatred had been fanned to life first by the warlord Bors

All of the hatred towards the Jotun had caused Loki to turn to despair and distaste when he found out the truth of what he was. He wondered if things might have been different with his first wife if the Asgardians had not been indoctrinated into believing the Jotun were monsters. He shook his head. His problems with Boda had begun long before he knew the truth of what he was. They had started because they were two very different people who had been forced to marry each other for alliance and not love. He had tried to love Boda, but what had begin as infatuation over a pretty girl soon withered and died when he discovered her infidelity, immaturity and ambition for power. As well as her loathing for him—not just because he was a half-Jotun—but for his profession as a mage and an intellectual. They had been wrong for each other on every level.

He had no desire to revisit those old memories. The important thing was what Bors had done. And then hidden to prevent anyone from finding out the truth.

Within the book, the voice spoke, "The Lorekeeper is the conscience of the king. A keeper of knowledge and truth. What would you do if you had been there long ago? Would you have allowed the king to speak his rhetoric, and left it alone, or would you have tried to spread the truth as you knew it to be?"

Belle paused again, weighing all her options before coming to a decision. "Maybe keeping quiet would be the smart thing to do. The king is obviously mentally unstable and nasty. But . . . it would mean sacrificing innocents to protect myself and I don't know if I could live with myself afterwards. So I would have to say that I would be trying to spread the truth even if it cost me my life. "

The book pulled her into itself again and again the pages turned.

This time Belle watched as men in palace uniforms walked into the library and people's homes and took books from them. They placed them on a cart and then threw them into a bonfire. Belle saw they were all histories. One of them was called Frost At Midnight.

Her heart caught in her throat to see precious books burnt that way. "No! Don't!"

But they could not see or hear her. The destruction continued.

Belle felt tears trickle down her cheeks.

"Belle?" called her father, alarmed. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"They are burning books! History books," Belle said and Loki frowned.

He remembered hearing stories of books being burned, like he learned happened on Earth, but why were they burning history books?

"Why are they burning history books?" Loki asked.

Belle didn't answer as she watched the books being burned and people being arrested for not turning over their books or hiding them. She saw them being flogged or imprisoned and Bors was smiling.

"Have the new books been released?" he asked the man she saw earlier and the man looked ill with what was happening.

"Yes, My King," he said.

"Good!"

"But what if someone finds out the truth?"

"Who is going to tell them? You?!"

The man paled as he shook his head and Bors smiled.

"You better not. Even Lorekeepers can be replaced...or made redundant," Bors said and Belle gasped.

"Raven, what's wrong?" Loki asked.

"I think Bors is the reason why the Lorekeepers were killed," Belle said.

"That sick bastard," Loki thought as the book shimmered and pulled Belle deeper into the pages.

She watched as the man she had seen earlier was being led into the courtyard and the Einherjari stood on either side of him. At the center of the courtyard was a large platform and a ramp led to the top. Bors and a hooded man stood at the top of the platform and her eyes went wide when she saw the double bladed ax in the hooded man's hands.

"Bring forth the prisoner!" Bors shouted and the crowds booed and hissed as the man was brought closer to the platform. The man was led up the ramp, but he didn't seem sad or frightened. He didn't fight to be let go or flinch when someone tossed trash at him. The Einherjari led him to the hooded man and Bors and Bors glared at him.

"I warned you," Bors whispered then turned to the crowd. "We are gathered here today to witness the end of a traitor! He has been spreading lies about your king..."

The crowd roared with "Traitor!" or "Kill him!" or "Liar!" and Bors raised his hand to silent them.

"The lies he has spread are, as you know, untrue! But we cannot allow them to spread! Such lies will lead to chaos!"

The crowds cheered as the man sighed and looked down at his feet.

"Question..." the deep voice said. "Is the man wrong for trying to bring the truth to light?"

"No," Belle said. "He is trying to undo the wrongs against the Frost Giants. They have a right to know what Bors has done."

Bors turned to the man when he folded his arms over his chest and the man looked at him.

"Do you have any final words?" Bors asked. The man shook his head when Bors nodded and the hooded man shoved the man to his knees. The man looked at the chopping block when he lowered his head and looked at the crowd. Belle saw the sadness in the man's eyes as the hooded man raised the double blade ax over his head and swung his arms down.

"No!" Belle said as the book fell off her lap and Loki held onto his daughter. Her sobs cut through his heart as he held her and lightly rubbed her back. "He... He killed him!"

"I know, raven. That was a terrible thing." Loki soothed.

Suddenly the book's pages turned again and the voice spoke.

"Yes Mytharel died, but the truth was preserved in these pages and hidden by his young apprentice, Kennet. Kennet was the last Lorekeeper, and he advised Odin until his death of natural causes just before he brought home Prince Loki. But Kennet died without an heir, as there were none with the Lorekeeper gift or the will to use it properly. And the truth he had hidden away died with him. Until now."

The book's pages began to glow with a soft light.

"Belle Laufeyson, you have shown yourself to be a seeker of knowledge, whose heart knows only truth, who bravely speaks it when necessary, proving that wisdom does not lie with age alone, and a beacon of hope to the monarchs and people of Asgard. In so doing you have become worthy of the mantle of Lorekeeper!"

Belle gasped and Loki let her go, a proud smile on his face.

"I, Kennet Glittergeist, once the last Lorekeeper, do name thee, Belle Laufeyson the next Lorekeeper of Asgard. Hold forth thy hand."

Belle did so. A beautiful white oak staff with a blue crystal at the top flew into her hand. "This is the Staff of Wisdom. Use it wisely."

"I will, sir." She promised.

The air shimmered and a cloak appeared and wrapped itself about her. It was midnight blue with thousands of crystals sewn on to it. "The Cloak of Stars. They guide the lost home as you guide your king to wisdom and truth. To be a Lorekeeper is a great responsibility. Do you accept?"

"I do," she declared in a ringing tone, feeling a cozy warmth seep through her.

"May wisdom protect you. Last is the Crown of Knowledge."

A shimmering gold laurel crown appeared and settled on her head. "In the crown lies the knowledge of ages untold and the truth revealed. Simply concentrate and one of us will access the Repository to find what you need. For knowledge is power."

"I understand," Belle murmured.

"Last but not least, since a Lorekeeper represents Hope, Wisdom, and Knowledge, it is death to lay violent hands on one. Bors broke his own rule. Welcome, Lorekeeper, to our company. Repeat after me.

I, Belle Laufeyson, do solemnly swear to uphold truth, knowledge, and wisdom for the good of all Asgard . . ."

"I, Belle Laufeyson . . ."

"To be a beacon of hope and a guide to the one who sits on the throne, and to defend and preserve history so all may know the truth. I do so swear!"

As Belle spoke the last word, the regalia lit up and sealed itself to her.

When the light died, the pages of the book were still, and Belle saw the cover. It read Of Truth: The Untold Tale of Jotunheim and Asgard. This was the book Fenris had found.

Belle lifted shining eyes to Loki. "I did it!"

Loki caught her in his embrace. "I'm so proud of you, my raven. Now we can free your grandfather."

"I'll start studying the banishment spell right away," his daughter stated.

But the Archmage held up a hand. "No, darling. You just went through a major magical test. That means you need to rest and eat before you try and learn anything new. Send the regalia into the Inbetween for now so you can get some sleep. You can summon it back after you've rested and eaten, okay?"

Only then did Belle realize she was exhausted. "Okay, Dad."

Loki patted her shoulder.

She concentrated and sent the regalia away. "I guess I need to take a nap."

"That would be best right now," he agreed. Then he said softly, "Based on what we found out today, I would say I know the identity of the revenant. It's Bors."

"Did he also dislike women?" Belle frowned.

"Bors was a warlord. Basically what that means is he had little use for women except as wives and caretakers for children. He certainly didn't believe women were good for anything except sex and having babies. From all accounts he treated his wives-he had more than one-like crap. Only back then that was normal so nobody said anything." Loki sneered.

"He was just really nasty." Belle shuddered. "I can't wait till we get rid of him.'

"Neither can I," Loki sighed. "Now why don't you get some rest?"

He gently shepherded her to her room, after first putting the history book away disguised as a another book.

After tucking his daughter into bed, Loki returned to the library to read, though his mind kept coming back to the fact that Bors was the revenant. It did not really surprise him. The man's rabid hatred for frost giants and magic-users had been evident during his life, it would not have changed after death. Now it made a sorry kind of sense why Odin had been given to sudden fits of anger and had singled out Loki for harsh punishments. Bors-in-Odin had been trying to break the adopted Jotun prince.

 _Tavi Woodlark's home..._

"No!" Eirunn shouted as she sat on Tavi's bed and held her rag doll, Amy, against her chest.

"Eirunn, we talked about this. I can't take you with me," Tavi said as he placed an extra pair of pants into his traveling sack.

"I wanna go with you!" she whimpered and he sighed.

"I know, but..."

"You're mean!" she said and picked up the mug sitting on the night table and tossed it at him. Tavi got out of the way when he picked up the mug and looked at it.

"You will have fun with Prince Loki's children," Tavi told the upset child. "He has a little girl just your age. You can play dolls with her."

"She has dollies?!"

"Yes," he said with a nod.

"She'll play tea party?"

"If you ask nicely, I'm sure she will."

Eirunn sniffed while thinking things over and Tavi looked at her.

"All right, but I'm the princess," she said and he walked to the bed, picking her up.

"Yes, you are," he said and she hugged him.

 _At the palace:_

"Aleta, calm down," Loki told her as the three-year-old paced up and down the courtyard.

"But it's taking them forever to get here, Daddy!"

"Relax, spark. Not everyone can blink the way I do. They'll be here."

The cart arrived when Loki silently thanked the Norns and Tavi stopped the horses. Sitting next to him was Eirunn and he hopped down and smiled at Loki.

"Sorry for the delay. There was a fallen tree on the path," Tavi said and looked at Aleta. "Greetings, Princess Aleta."

"Hi!" Aleta said, smiling.

"Daddy! I want down! Now!" Eirunn said and he sighed.

"Yes, Princess," Tavi said and went to the cart. He picked Eirunn up when he carried her to Loki and Aleta and she frowned. "Say hello to Prince Loki and his daughter."

"No!" Eirunn said, shaking her head.

"Perhaps she's just shy?" Loki said. He gave the little girl a welcoming smile. "Hello, Princess Eirunn. I'm Prince Loki and this is my little girl, Princess Aleta. We are pleased to have you stay with us."

"Eirunn, what do you say?" Tavi prompted.

"I'm a princess! Kneel!" Eirunn shouted.

"Uh..."

"We don't kneel to anyone," Aleta said.

"You kneel now!" Eirunn said, waving Amy at her.

"What a pretty dolly," Loki said and she held Amy against her chest.

"Mine!"

"Yes, I see that."

"No touch!"

"I wouldn't dream of it," Loki said then looked at the cart. "Why don't we get your things and go inside?"

He gestured and Eirunn's trunk floated inside and into the nursery. "Look, we have a nice bed all set up for you. Aleta is across from you. And this is Halgran, the Royal Nanny. She helps me to watch my children."

Halgran curtsied to Eirunn. "Greetings, Princess. I have a little welcome tea set up here for you and Aleta." She gestured to the small table where there were child-sized china cups and plates in different patterns and a tea pot with a jar of honey and cream. There was also a four tiered tray with little sandwiches, cakes, and sweet rolls.

Aleta's eyes went wide, then she hugged the old Asgardian and said, "Thanks, Halgran! It's wonderful."

Loki beamed with pride at her.

Eirunn scowled at the tea table. "The cups and saucers don't match!"

"That is because a proper lady knows how to show off different patterns of china and so each guest has her own setting so she feels special." Halgran told her with a smile.

"I don't do that at home!" Eirunn snapped.

Aleta turned suddenly and gave the little girl a Look. Loki bit his lip to keep from laughing. "But this isn't your home. It's my grandpa's and this is how WE do it. So just say thank you."

Eirunn gaped at her. "I'm a princess!"

Aleta rolled her eyes. "Me too. But I know the magic words."

"What magic words?"

"Please and thank you. Daddy says they are magic because if you say them people will listen to you. It's called manners."

Tavi's mouth hung open.

Loki nudged him. "Close your mouth, you're catching flies." He beckoned his friend from the room. "Why don't you leave while she is distracted? It will be easier than trying to bid her farewell and dealing with tears and screaming. I know, been there and done that."

"I . . . Loki, you must think I'm raising a little witch," stammered Tavi. "I've tried to teach her manners but. . ."

"Children sometimes think they can do what they want. Don't worry. We'll sort it out. Now go, before you're late for your conference."

"Thank you again. Since her mama died it's been difficult." Tavi sighed sadly. "But I had better go."

He climbed back up on the cart and drove off.

Loki waved, then thought, _Laufeyson, you have your work cut out for you with this one._

Aleta suddenly screamed behind him, and he turned to see the child clutching her finger and crying.

"She bit me Daddy!" Aleta cried, the other child staring at her.

"She tried to touch my dollie! No one touches it!" Eirunn shouted, hugging the doll tight to her. Aleta started to cry, a little blood seeping through her fingers from her hand.

"I need a doctor Daddy! I don't want a shot!" Aleta screamed.

"Oh, Spark, it's not that bad," Loki said as he picked her up and they walked to the wash bowl. He washed Aleta's finger when he dried it off then walked to the small toiletry case. He removed a Hello Kitty band aid as she helped him open it and placed the band aid on her finger. He kissed her finger then gave her a hug and Aleta smiled.

"Daddy, why did she bite me?" Aleta sniffed. "I asked nicely if I could see her doll. I even said please."

The little girl whimpered, snuggling into her father's arms and he could smell the soft scent of baby powder and apple candies coming from her. He remembered getting them as rewards for good behavior from Halgran, and smiled at the thought of her still giving out the sweets to his own children as a reward.

"Eirunn, did Aleta ask nicely to see Amy?" Loki asked.

"Yeah," Eirunn said with a nod. "But she's mine."

"Would you like to hold one of her dollies while she holds Amy then you can switch?" Halgran asked and Eirunn looked at her doll.

"She has to tell Aleta she's sorry for biting her first," Loki said.

"No!" Eirunn shouted.

"A princess always admits to her mistakes."

Eirunn pouted while her lower lip stuck out then she sighed, lowering her head.

"Sorry," Eirunn said in a soft voice.

"Good girl," Loki said when he walked to the bowl on the small table and picked up two candy canes. He placed Aleta down when he handed both of them a candy cane and Aleta smiled.

"Thanks, Daddy," Aleta grinned.

Eirunn looked at the candy cane then at Loki and smiled.

"Thank you," she said and Loki smiled.

"You are both welcome," Loki said.

"That one is a handful Loki, we are going to have to watch her." Halgran said, handing him an apple candy and he laughed.

"I can see that. She's nearly as bad as Thor was at that age." Loki admitted. He shook his head. "Something tells me that my old friend has been overwhelmed trying to balance his duties as a skald and a parent. Especially with a strong-willed kid like this one." He looked at the two toddlers thoughtfully. "Although . . . I wonder if Eirunn is acting up because she misses her mother and her father doesn't know how to deal with her?"

"That could be. You always were the clever one." Halgran said, eating a sweet.

"I hope my cleverness is equal to this task, Halgran," Loki laughed.

Just then Max ran into the room. "Daddy, Bestemor showed me how to do this!" He draws the rune for "light" in the air and a ball of green witchfire appears.

"That's very good, Max!" Loki praised. "I remember your grandma teaching me that too when I was around your age."

Eirunn eyed Max. "Who are you?"

Max looked over at her. "I'm Max Laufeyson." He smiled at her. "Pleased to meet you. What's your name?"

"Princess Eirunn. I have magic too." She declared importantly.

"You do?" Loki asked, astonished. He examined the child with his Mage Sight, seeing that she showed the green and brown aura of an earth mage. "You're an earth mage. Like Halgran. How odd that Tavi didn't mention that detail to me." Loki shrugged. "He may have forgotten, he was in a rush. And I would have known eventually, since I am Archmage of Asgard."

The girl rolled her eyes, sighing. "How special. I am going to be a better mage than you."

Loki laughed. "If you want to be Archmage someday, child, then you had best learn discipline and control. For if you do not learn that you will never pass the Tests of the Seven."

"Tests are stupid and for commoners. Not for me." She snapped back.

Loki put his hands on his hips. "Young lady, any mage who wants to become Archmage takes the Tests of the Seven. Commoner or princess, it makes no difference. I took them and I am a prince. And if you fail . . .you cannot retake them." He did not mention that failure usually meant a loss of magical power and occasionally death depending on what part of the Tests you failed at. Which was why only those with the strongest power and nerve took them. They were difficult, for only the best could become Archmage, and the magic weeded out those not fit harshly.

"You are stupid! I can do whatever I want!" She shouted back, Halgran nearly choking on her candy.

Max glared at Eirunn. "Don't be rude. My daddy is the best mage in all of Asgard. And you have to listen to him since he's the boss."

"Yeah!" Aleta put in. "You don't call him stupid. Or else you get put in time out."

"No!" the little girl shrieked at the top of her lungs. " I'M THE PRINCESS AND YOU DO WHAT I SAY!"

Max and Aleta covered their ears.

"Max and Aleta, you can leave for a bit," Loki ordered softly. "Because someone is in serious trouble."

His two children ran, knowing _that_ tone and what it meant.

"She is getting a time out." Aleta said, running with Max.

They ran down the hall to Serena and Lucy's room.

"Who is screaming like a banshee?" Serena wanted to know.

"Somebody that's having a tantrum," Lucy predicted as the two smaller Laufeysons came running into the room. "For a minute there I thought it was you, spark."

"Nuh-uh!" Aleta shook her head. "It's Eirunn, that little girl Daddy's babysitting. She bit my finger when I asked to see her dolly!" She showed her sisters the Band-aid.

"AND she called Daddy stupid and said she don't have to listen to him cause she's a princess!" Max reported.

"She is really mean!" Aleta said, hugging Serena.

Serena patted her back. "Don't worry, spark. Dad will fix her."

Lucy nodded. "She's a spoiled brat. But Dad can deal with her like he did with Uncle Thor."

Meanwhile, back in the nursery, the small fiery-haired girl stamped her foot and caused a small tremor to run through the room.

"Sweet Valhalla, Loki!" Halgran gasped.

But Loki didn't bat an eyelash. "Stop that!" he ordered sternly. "Right now, young lady."

Eirunn shot him a willful look. "No! I don't have to listen to you!" She stamped her foot again.

But this time Loki halted her nascent earth magic. "I beg your pardon?" he said silkily, but with steel underneath.

"You are a dirty Jotun! All of you are nasty!" She screamed her defiance

Halgran scowled. "You do not ever say that to My Prince, young miss! Now apologize at once!"

"NO! HE IS A NASTY DIRTY JOTUN!" She screamed, stamping her feet on the ground.

"And you are rude and nasty, young lady!" Halgran snapped.

"And rude little girls who scream, call someone names, and have tantrums get one thing in _my_ house," Loki declared sternly. He conjured a small stool and put it in the corner of the nursery.

Then he picked up the misbehaving child and put her on the stool. "Now, you will stay there for four minutes, and think about how mean and rude you were. How would you like it if I called _you_ dirty and nasty?"

Eirunn tried to jump off the stool, lifting her hand and catching Loki a glancing blow on the cheek. "You're not the boss of ME, Loki!"

Loki blinked but pushed her back on the stool. "I most certainly am. Stay there! Now you have another minute for hitting me. You don't hit!" _Nine Hells, she's as bad as Thor and then some!_ He stuck her butt to the stool with a charm.

The child screamed, kicking her feet like she was on fire. One shoe flew off her foot, nearly hitting Loki and he dodged it.

"Norns have mercy, Loki!" Halgran winced.

"They might, but I won't," he said softly and turned around, timing her on his watch. He wanted to hold his ears because Eirunn had the most ear-piercing screams.

Frigga came down the hall to the nursery. "Yggdrasil's Roots, Loki! Is someone being murdered?"

"Time out." Halgran said, pointing at the tantrum throwing princess.

The Queen nodded. "I see. Do they normally scream the roof down?" she asked her son.

"Only when they are throwing a fit, Mother," Loki replied and beckoned them from the room. "Sometimes they think if they make a big fuss you will let them out sooner. But that won't work with me." He winced. "Thor did this too the first time I put him in time out."

Frigga sighed. "Did he eventually calm?"

Loki nodded. "Yes. Eventually. She will realize that screaming doesn't get her what she wants and she will stop."

"I certainly hope that is soon." Frigga said, covering her ears.

Slowly, the shrieking died down and was replaced by sobbing.

"See?" Loki whispered. He turned and walked back into the room.

Eirunn was sitting on the stool, crying and looking woebegone. "I . . .I'll be good, Loki. May I get up now?"

Loki checked his watch. "You have another minute," he said, giving her one of his Disappointed Looks.

"I'm sorry!" she wailed.

"Yes, but sorry is a beginning. If you do not hit or call names, you won't get time out. Behave like a spoiled brat and you will be back here. Because that is the only thing spoiled brats deserve. Understand?"

"Yes, My Prince." She sniffled. She realized that she didn't like Loki punishing her like that. Or the way he was Looking at her. It made her feel guilty and she squirmed in her seat.

The girl hung her head, looking forlorn and she wiped her nose on her sleeve.

Loki's watch beeped.

He knelt, gently wiped her face with a green handkerchief, and removed the charm sticking her to the chair. "Okay, your time out is over. All's forgiven, little spitfire." His features softened and he hugged Eirunn. "Now remember this and don't make me do this again."

She was startled by his actions and stiffened in his embrace. Loki rubbed her back and she relaxed against him, realizing it felt good to be held.

"Has anyone every hugged that child?" Frigga asked, looking very sad.

"Perhaps not, Mother," her son murmured. He was puzzled for he knew that Tavi was not an undemonstrative person. He shifted his hold slightly, then said, "Would you like to finish your tea party, Eirunn?"

She shook her head. "Wanna stay with you, Loki."

"Okay." He stood up, holding her easily. "I think she's sleepy," he whispered to Frigga and Halgran. He went and sat down on her bed and rocked her gently while singing his mother's lullaby.

"What are you going to do with her?" Frigga whispered, her face filled with concern.

"Put her down for a nap," he replied. "I think she acted up because she was angry and upset that her father left her here. It's why she's clinging to me right now. But once she wakes up I think she will be more settled and play with my imps and Little Loki."

Halgran came over and peered at the child. "She's asleep, My Prince."

Loki smiled. "I had hoped that would happen." He laid the little girl in the bed and placed Amy with her.

"I wonder if she will behave now?"

"For awhile she will. But she is strong willed like Thor, Halgran, so no doubt she will continue to test me."

"Aye, Loki. But what she called you disturbs me," his old nanny said.

"What did she say?" Frigga asked.

"She called your son a dirty nasty Jotun," Halgran replied.

"She learned that from an adult, I'd wager," Loki said. "And certainly not her father. Tavi would have never spoken like that about me."

"By the Nine!" Frigga gasped, covering her mouth in shock. "That is not something I want said to my son."

"She had better not say it again, or else I shall wash her mouth out," Halgran snorted.

"I don't think she will repeat it," Loki sighed. "I will ask her where she heard that. My guess is a caregiver or servant or perhaps a guest said it in her hearing. She probably has no idea what it means."

"It is not something said here, and it had better not be." Frigga said, crossing her arms.

Max and Aleta came cautiously back into the nursery. They looked around and saw Eirunn sleeping. "Bestemor, did you hear her screaming?" Max asked Frigga. "She hurt my ears."

"She called Daddy a bad name," Aleta informed her. "And Daddy gave her time out, right?"

"Yes, spark. Because we don't say that around here," Loki answered. "Would you two like to finish the tea party? We don't want the food to go to waste."

"Yes Daddy!" Aleta said, dancing on her toes.

"Yes!" Max smiled. "Can I invite Loki?"

"Sure you can."

He ran out of the room, returning a few minutes later with Kara's son.

His godson thanked Loki politely and the three began eating the sandwiches and drinking the tea, talking softly to each other.

Halgran nodded in approval. "Now that boy has been taught manners. Unlike Miss High and Mighty over there."

Loki heaved a sigh. "I will have to speak with Tavi when he returns. He does her no favors letting her get away with behaving like that."

"Agreed." Frigga said, sighing. "I meant to ask you something dear."

Loki gave her a questioning glance. "What about?"

"Your father keeps talking about a hawk. He said that it was a bad omen that it did not fly past his window last night. What is he speaking of? Has he gone mad?" Frigga asked him, wringing her hands in worry.

"No, Mother. He has made friends with a wild golden hawk and she often comes by his window and he feeds her. I saw her a few days ago myself. I hope nothing has happened to her." He sounded concerned. "Father has grown very attached to her. He believes her to be lucky and blessed. He also decreed any hunter trying to shoot her would be imprisoned or executed."

"I shall pray the same myself, she seems to calm your father."

"Perhaps I shall look for her if she does not show up by tomorrow night," Loki murmured. "For now though, I need to focus on my little guest."

"I understand dear. He is still shouting at servants, and has sent two Pages to find her." Frigga replied, sighing.

"I doubt if they will locate her. A hawk that does not wish to be found will not be unless another hawk searches for her."

"Can you find her then?"

"I think I can." Loki replied. "I just need time to search. Which I don't have at the moment. Perhaps when Eirunn is more settled I shall be able to search."

He prayed the hawk returned before tomorrow, for something told him that the little imp wasn't going to suddenly start minding him, anymore than Thor had when he was little.

"Thank you dear. I am so worried about your father."

Loki put his arm around her. "I know. But I am working on fixing what is wrong with him. It's just taking a bit longer than I figured to come up with a solution." He soothed. He knew that once Belle memorized the banishment spell they would be ready to put their plan into action. But learning such a complex spell could not be rushed. Then too, he had to enlist Rhiannon to help them by convincing her to watch them as they slept and wake them at a certain time. He also needed to ask her about a sedative that would keep Odin asleep while they drew the revenant into the Astral to fight it. He knew they could not risk Odin waking up before the revenant was driven forth.

"You are my clever son dear, I know that you can." She said, hugging him.

Her belief filled him with hope, and he prayed he would not disappoint her.

"Daddy, we're going to play outside," Max told Loki, and the three children stampeded from the nursery.

"Looks as if I get a break then." Halgran said, standing up and stretching. "This old body struggles to keep up with children anymore."

"I will watch them more often this week. Especially with Eirunn being so difficult," Loki promised.

"I do appreciate that, dear boy. I should tell you, Belle has taken an interest in the Healer. She is watching the poor girl dry herbs and make medicine now." Halgran said.

"That doesn't surprise me. Belle loves learning new things. I've taught her what I know about herbs in my potions."

"I hope she is not driving the poor girl mad with questions." Halgran said, laughing to herself.

Loki softly laughed as well and watched her leave the nursery.

 _Later on, in the gardens:_

"So, what do you want to play?" Max asked and Eirunn looked at the flowers. Aleta noticed how sad she looked and went to stand next to her.

"Mommy used to have a garden," Eirunn said.

"Let's play hide and seek!" Aleta cried.

The trio of children tore through the garden, all of them laughing and chasing after one another. Hedgerows were not even safe as they played, bursting through the bushes and giggling with leaves all over them. This was youth incarnate, where grass was the perfect shoe and clouds looked like soft beds to take naps.

They concealed themselves behind the statues and in the gazebo and under the benches. They could only count to ten, but they could hide very well.

Loki observed them in his cat form, sitting on top of a branch like Bagheera the panther from The Jungle Book.

Their afternoon was left to them, running and chasing one another as they laughed.

Loki was glad to see them having fun and let them play until they had tired themselves out. Then the trio laid on the grass and blew dandelion puffs.

"I made a wish." Aleta said, blowing her puff and the seeds floating away.

"What did you wish for?" Max asked.

"For Daddy to marry a nice Mommy." The girl giggled.

"Why do you want your papa to marry?" asked Eirunn. "Where's your mama? Did she go to Valhalla too?"

"Daddy adopted both of us. Our Mommies didn't want us." Max said.

"Why?"

"Max's died. And mine wanted to give me a better life," Aleta answered.

"Oh. But aren't you happy with your papa?" Eirunn asked. "I wouldn't want mine to marry. Then he would forget about me."

Loki's ears went forward when he heard that and his heart ached.

"Our dad would never do that. Who told you that?" Max asked.

"Cilla did. She's a girl that used to watch me sometimes when my papa was doing concerts. Only she doesn't anymore. Because she ran off with the blacksmith's son." Eirunn stated.

"Is she the one that toldja Daddy was dirty and nasty cause he's half-Jotun?" Max wanted to know.

"Yes. She said all the Frost Giants and half-bloods were," the red-haired girl replied.

"That's a lie!" Max said hotly.

"Liar liar pants on fire!" Aleta chanted.

"I didn't know she was lying," Eirunn said. "I never met any Jotun till your papa."

"Well, now you know better," Max said.

Eirunn nodded. "I'm sorry I called him that. He's not nasty or dirty. He's nice and he smells like peppermint."

"That's 'cause he always carries peppermints in his pockets," Max giggled. "He loves to eat them."

"Does he drink blood though?" She asked, looking worried.

"EEEWW!' Aleta squealed. "That's gross! Daddy's not a vampire. He drinks coffee, water, iced tea, and soda."

 _And sometimes frost wine,_ Loki added to himself.

"He is grumpy without his coffee though." Max said.

 _Gee thanks, scamp!_ Loki thought but he couldn't deny he was rather surly until after he had his first cup.

"Cilla said the Jotun drank blood and ate little children." Eirunn reported.

"That's not true. Daddy's not a monster," Aleta defended.

"Yeah. He eats regular food like normal people. But he loves bacon. And strawberries and chocolate."

"And peanut butter," Aleta reminded him.

"What's that?" Eirunn asked.

"It's the best food ever!" Max said, and Loki silently agreed.

"I have never had any," Eirunn said. "Where can we get some?"

"Uh . . . we have some at home in New York," sighed Aleta.

Eirunn looked downcast.

"But we can ask Dad if he has any," Max said. "He always brings some with him when we go on vacation."

 _You know me well, imp!_ Loki chuckled. _I do have some in my backpack._

"Let's go now!" Eirunn said, sounding bossy. "I wanna try some!"

"Daddy might get mad if we go through his stuff." Aleta said.

"But I WANT some!" Eirunn wailed.

"Then we gotta ask Daddy," Max told her.

"But where is he?" the child asked crossly.

 _There's your cue, Laufeyson_ , Loki thought and jumped down from the tree behind them and walked over to them, shifting back to his Asgardian form.

"I'm here," he said, and the children jumped.

"Hi Daddy! Can we have some peanut butter?" Aleta asked, smiling.

"What makes you think I have peanut butter?" Loki queried, teasing.

"Daddy! You _always_ have peanut butter!" Aleta said

"You're right, spark. Now what's the magic word?"

"Please!" the children chorused.

"Very good! Now I will get you some peanut butter." He summoned some Jif-to-Go containers and apples that he cut into slices with his dagger.

"Who is that lady?" Eirunn asked, pointing at Rhiannon. She juggled a basket of herbs, stacked on top of a box of other supplies that she collected. She was trying not to trip on the uneven stones, and keep her load from falling.

"That's Healer Rhee," Max said.

Loki moved to help her, gesturing and the basket floated into the air.

"What?" Rhiannon said, reaching for the basket and dropping her box.

Loki caught it with his telekinesis. "I thought I would give you a hand."

"Oh... I thought someone was playing a trick on me, sir. Forgive me. I collected some more supplies to use for the children." She said, collecting the box and basket.

"That's fine. I just didn't want you to trip and hurt yourself," Loki replied, giving her a gentle grin.

"Thank you for your concern, Prince Loki. I appreciate it fully, sir." She replied, pushing the basket back onto the box.

"I hope Belle wasn't making a nuisance of herself," he began.

"Oh no. She is a delightful child. Very clever and insightful," Rhiannon demurred.

"Good. You wouldn't have happened to notice a golden hawk flying around here while you were gathering herbs, would you? She often comes by the king's window and he misses her and fears for her safety."

"No, sir." She replied, looking nervous and wide eyed. "I... I should go."

Loki nodded, wondering why she was not telling him the whole truth. Was she trying to protect the hawk?

He watched her leave, nearly tripping on a stone but catching herself. She vanished through the archway, reaching back for the floating basket.

"Daddy, can we have the apple slices?" Max asked, pointing to the apple slices Loki had in his hand.

"What? Oh, sorry." He gave them the apple slices and opened the Jif for them.

"Thanks Daddy." Aleta said, dipping her apple slice.

"Thank you, Prince Loki," Eirunn copied Aleta, also dipping her slice in the peanut butter. She bit it and smiled.

Overhead, Loki heard a cry and a golden hawk soared into view. She glided on an updraft, her wings casting a shadow on the ground. She turned, arcing around the castle and her profile cast a shadow on the stone walls.

"Daddy! Look, the hawk!" Max cried, pointing. "The hawk Bestefar likes!"

"She is pretty." Aleta said, jumping up and down. "I wish she would land here."

"Spark, that's a wild hawk. They don't usually come near people." Loki told her.

The hawk soared past Odin's private study, a twittering song on the air as she glided. She dipped, taking a piece of offered meat and flying to a tree with it.

"Oh! Bestefar fed her!" Max observed.

She ate it all, cleaning her beak and with a single flap she took to the sky again. She found an updraft, gliding into the air and making a circle of the garden. She then dove, racing toward the children and glided inches from Loki's head as she took to the sky again.

Several people pointed at the hawk, some smiling as she flew past. All of them knowing that King Odin would be in better spirits for seeing her.

"Where is she going?" Aleta asked, watching the hawk fly around the castle.

Loki watched her, longing to fly with her. He had not flown in days and the urging was nearly too powerful to ignore.

She dove again, spiraling out of the sky and rising again on another gust of wind.

He saw Halgran, she staring after the hawk with Frigga. Both of them smiling at the beautiful creature.

"What is her name, Daddy?" Aleta asked, the Hawk starting to leave the castle.

"I don't know, but I can find out. Halgran, watch my kids," he called to his old nanny.

Then he blurred into Skytreader, the name of his black hawk form, and soared into the sky.

She rode the updraft, flying over the forest and gliding along. Behind her, she heard the beating of wings and panicked. Shrieked back at him a warning, fear in it.

"Leave me alone, please! I have no want for a mate!"

"I am not looking for a mate. I only wish to know your name," he trilled back, flying easily behind her.

"I am... I am Goldenwing. Now please leave me." She replied, hoping he would leave.

She flapped harder, wearing herself out fast and weakening. She landed in a tree, panting and hoping she lost the black hawk.

"Goldenwing. What a lovely name. I am Skytreader. Be safe, fair one, wherever the winds take you." He said softly, repeating the traditional farewell among birds of prey. He circled once and then regretfully flew back towards the castle. He would have liked to spend more time with her but plainly she was wary of strangers and he did not want to leave Halgran with the children for too long.

He saw the arrow first, it passing him and hitting the tree near the golden hawk. She shrieked in a startle, flapping her wings and another flew toward her.

Skytreader dove and caught the arrow in his talons in a masterful daring maneuver.

He screamed a battle cry as he let the arrow fall and turned to attack the poacher in the trees.

 **A/N: What will happen now?**

 **You may write what you think in your review. Suggestions about who the hawk is are also welcome!**


	17. Skytreader and Goldenwing

**17**

 **Skytreader and Goldenwing**

 _The hawk rules the sky~ Loki_

"Fly! I have encountered these men before!" Goldenwing shouted, shrieking at her new friend.

Skytreader hissed. "They hunt you! And me! I will teach them the error of their ways!" He soared up and zeroed in on the man crouched in the bushes, believing himself safe in the foliage.

"I see one there in the bushes." He told her. "And another a few feet behind that one."

"What are you going to do?" She asked.

"Show them what it means to be prey," the black hawk screeched. "They are not allowed to hunt us. I heard the king say so."

"Which one do you want?" She asked, stretching her talons. Another arrow flew toward them, striking the tree.

"Let me take the one in the bushes. You can take the one further down by the ash tree," Skytreader said, flexing his wings. His green eyes glittered in fury and his large sword-sharp talons were honed and ready to teach the poacher a lesson he would never ever forget.

"Very well. After this friend, we go separate ways." Goldenwing replied, flexing her own talons again and readying to fly.

"Let us fly, queen of the skies," Skytreader said and flew high up into the sky gaining the altitude he would need to dive upon the poacher from above. Normally, a hawk, even an Asgardian hawk, would not attack a person. But this was different. His green eyes oriented on his target.

She took to the sky, arcing into a graceful dive and readied her attack. She shrieked in battle, bringing her talons to bear and struck the man in the face. He grabbed at the golden hawk blindly, pulling a feather and casting it aside. On the ground it became a tear of blue fabric.

"Brute!" She shrieked, scraping at the man's eyes and tearing one out of the socket. "I shall show you!"

The man screamed, his cry echoed by the other poacher, whom Skytreader had struck, his talons ripping great wounds in the other's head and face while his beak tore an ear off.

"Get it off me!" the poacher Skytreader was attacking howled. "It's a demon hawk!"

"You are the demon!" Skytreader screeched.

Goldenwing tore at the other man's face further, the man screamed again. He waved his hands in panic.

"Get this beast off me!" He shouted to his friend.

"Beast? I am a Lady!" She shrieked, pecking a hole in his cheek. She pushed off his face, taking flight again.

Skytreader looked up from savaging the other's hands, making sure he could never hold a bow again. "Ladyhawke." He murmured.

Then he too took to the sky, allowing the man to run off sobbing for a healer.

He saw the hawk flying toward the castle, he circling a moment and finding the tear of fabric where her feather should have been. His mind worked, and he snatched it up in his talons. He flew toward the castle himself, wanting to speak to the owner of the blue dress the fabric came from.

Goldenwing found a private part of the garden, circling down from the sky and turning back into Rhiannon. She looked down at the sleeve of her dress, sighing at the hole in the fabric.

"I must be more careful. I don't have many dresses." She sighed, walking into the door and down the familiar hall.

She collected her basket and box, being careful to hide the torn sleeve and walked down the corridor toward her chambers. Standing in the hall, she saw Loki, freezing and struggling for the door handle.

"My Prince, how may I help you sir?" She asked him, hiding her nervousness.

"I think I can help you," he said, opening the door for her. "I also have something I need to ask you."

"Yes sir?" She asked, her heart pounding.

Carefully, she set her load on the table, picking up a shawl to hide the tear in her sleeve. She looked back at her employer, trying to remain calm.

"Earlier today I fought some poachers trying to kill the golden hawk my father is so fond of. Only not in this shape. Part of my birthright enables me to shift into any animal form I wish. Including a black hawk. We fought together and then she flew away, towards the castle. As I followed I noticed something on the ground where we had battled." He opened his hand. "I found this." He held out the torn piece from her sleeve.

"Which matches this," he indicated the sleeve of her dress. "You are my father's hawk."

She turned pale, her hands shaking and she felt her heart stop. She scrambled in her mind for an excuse, but none came to her.

"I beg mercy sir. I know I am not allowed to do what I have." She fell to her knees, tears filling her eyes. "I will never do it again."

She shivered at his feet, tears on her face as she looked up at him. Her fear evident, and making her normally beautiful features into a mask of dread.

"Don't," he whispered, reaching down to draw her back to her feet. "Why are you terrified? You are a shifter like me. There is no reason for you to be afraid."

"I am not allowed to use magic or shift, Sir. I would be executed if caught." she replied, pulling away.

"I meant no harm, it seemed to please King Odin. He always seemed calmer and more agreeable when I would do it, sir." She said, wringing her hands and wiping at her face. "No one was ever to know."

"Name of Yggdrasil! Who ordered that?"

Loki groaned. This was the work of the revenant. He would bet his cape on it.

Rhiannon paused when she shook her head and he gently took her hand.

"Tell me," he asked and she melted at his sweet gaze.

"It was... It was the King himself," she said, softly.

Loki knew Bors hated magic and magic users so he would have ordered such things.

"I know," he said and she saw the sweet look in his eyes. "And I promise I will keep your secret."

"Thank you, My Prince," she said with a nod and he waved his hand to repair her dress.

"Now, I need to go to the infirmary."

"Are you going to see those poachers?"

"Yes, and I am taking some guards. My father will wish to deal with them."

"Do you think it's wise? He might not be in the proper mind."

She gasped at what she said then lowered her head.

"I shouldn't have said that. I should finish arranging my medicines Sir." She said, lowering her eyes.

"Let the other healers deal with them," he said and lifted her chin. "And it is alright to speak so about my father when you're with me."

She pulled away, looking at him and nodding.

"Listen to me. You will not be punished for what you did. It was the right thing to do. You should never be ashamed of what you are. It took me a long while to realize that, but now I tell you what I learned long ago to save you from the pain I endured. You are as the Norns have made you and you are a glorious woman." He coughed, embarrassed. "I . . .must go and see to those poachers. Good day, Lady." He bowed.

She nodded as Loki walked away and she sighed, feeling her heart slamming in her chest.

Loki stormed down the hallway when Thor appeared from around the corner and saw the fire in his little brother's eyes.

"Brother, is there something wrong?" Thor asked as he walked to his brother, but Loki kept walking. He stepped in line with him as they headed out of the palace and headed for the infirmary. "Loki?"

Loki glanced at Thor when he sighed and explained what happened.

"What do you have planned for those brutes?" Thor asked.

"I don't know yet," Loki said and they walked a little faster.

The guards had been sent a message to meet them at the infirmary as they bowed then looked at Loki and Thor.

"If you want my advice, I think those poachers should be sent to the rocks mines or work in the smelting houses for their crimes," Thor said.

"For how long?" Loki asked.

"How fond of that Hawk was Father?" Thor asked, sighing.

"Very much so. He put out an order that no hawks were ever to be hunted. He . . . might kill them for this," Loki admitted. "You know his temper of late."

"I can suggest something." Thor replied, the two entering the infirmary and seeing the men. A healer worked to clear the remains of one man's eye as he screamed.

"By the Norns! You are trying to blind me!" the man shouted.

"You are now blind in that eye, now stop fussing!" Stefan said, flushing the eye again.

Loki snapped a spell that shut down the nerves in the man's face, so he could speak to the man without him screaming.

"Prince Loki. Prince Thor," Stefan said when he saw them and Loki walked closer

"Stef, what happened here?" Loki asked his friend.

"Just what I said, Loki! Blind in one eye, now be still." Stefan snapped at the poacher. "These men were attacked by an animal while hunting."

"What sort of animal?"

"Hawks."

"Why would the hawks attack them?" he asked then looked at the poacher. Something in his eyes made the poacher cringe and Loki glanced at Stefan. "Were they close to the hawk's nest?"

"We could have been. You really cannot save the eye?" the poacher whined.

"No," Stefan said with a shake of his eye. "I might have to remove it."

"You do and I will crush your hands so you never practice medicine again!"

"You! If the Head Healer says your eye cannot be saved then it cannot!" Loki snapped. "You do not threaten him or else your hands will be busy crunching rocks for the rest of your life."

"I will already starve. I cannot hunt to catch my supper!" The poacher snapped.

"You should have thought of that before you went after the hawks!"

"The golden one was a nuisance! It picked my traps of rabbits for months! I wish I wrung the beast's neck!" The poacher moaned, glaring at the Healer with his good eye.

"The golden hawk is under Odin's protection!" Thor said.

"Yes, she is," Loki said in agreement.

"Then he can feed my family. We have gone hungry because of the animal."

"You have broken the king's writ," Loki continued. "As Royal Forester, I can levy fines against you. I can also send you to the mines as penalty . . . in lieu of an execution-which was what the king wished to do to any caught hunting his good luck charm."

The man groans, Stefan sighing and returning to his work.

"Then let my children starve. You Nobles never cared about us Commoners one bit."

"That is not true!" Thor said.

"We will see your family is fed and given money to live on. Simply tell us where and who to send it to," Loki interjected.

"Then why do many of us starve and taxes go up? If the king cared, he would stop issuing edicts against us. To hell with you and your family, I curse you all." He looked at the Healer. "Take the damned eye."

"He doesn't seem to be listening, Brother," Thor said.

"I listen, and I know that Odin will have them in chains! That is why I hide them in the woods!"

"Where in the woods?" Loki asked.

"I will not enslave my daughters to you. Now pass your judgement or piss off, I have an eye to lose."

"It is just you and your daughters? Where is your wife?" Thor asked.

"Executed! She used magic and Odin had her killed!" The man shouted, pointing a finger at Thor. "Your friends brought her before the King!"

"I need to care for his eye before he gets an infection." Stefan said, trying to hold the man back.

"Explain. Are there laws now against magic users?" Loki demanded. "If so, I was not aware of them and I should have been told." _Dammit, Father what have you done?_ he thought angrily. _I am Archmage of Asgard and you go and attack my people!_

"Yes, there are! No one can weld magic or use it under the penalty of death! And the reason why no one told you was because they were afraid of what would happen if he found out!

"If you are of common blood, or otherwise deemed undesirable, then you face death if you show talent in the arts of magic. I told my wife to quit using it, but she was seen and she lost her head because of it. Her body was thrown from the Bifrost." The man lamented.

"When did these laws go into effect?" Loki asked.

"Two years ago. Then the executions started. Children, honest men and women, all killed because of their gifts. Every one of them denied a proper funeral, and forever to dwell unrested."

Loki whirled upon his brother. "Thor, did you know of this? That my people were being killed because of what they were born as? My gods! It's the Time of Blood and Ashes all over again!"

"And one healer bitch was spared. Odin wanted her dead, but Frigga begged mercy on her because she is a abomination. Damned half breed. She uses magic and her head leaves her shoulders." The man hissed.

"You had troubles of your own." Thor replied.

"Rhiannon," Loki thought. Then a cold chill moved through him. The kids. What if Bors took over completely and he ordered Belle, Max and the others executed?

"My Prince?" Stefan asked. "You look pale, sir."

"I'm fine," Loki whispered. He then thought of Fenris, Jorgy and Sleph. They were noble born, but they were also shifters. Would Bors wish them dead as well?

A vision of Rhiannon pushed to her knees and forced to lay on a wooden block filled his head. The fear he say in her eyes for her death still in them as the ax came down. The body pushed aside, and Fenris forced to take her place.

"Brother?" Thor asked and Loki shook such horrors from his mind.

 _I must stop Bors. As soon as possible,_ Loki thought swiftly. _Before any more mages die from that crazy bastard's edicts._

"I'm fine," Loki said, but Thor didn't believe him. He watched Loki head for the other bed and Loki looked down at the other poacher. It had been the one he had attacked. He was sound asleep from the potion Stefan had given him and Loki sighed.

"And this one?" Loki queried.

"Don't waste any pity on him," the other poacher spat. "He's a trophy grubber. Hunts animals for their heads and claws and to sell to rich nobles to hang in their hunting lodges if they can't hunt themselves."

"To feed his family?" Thor queried.

"He has none. No woman would have him after he forced a girl from Isharron Village. He just likes killing for the sake of killing."

"I see," Loki said.

"Nine Hels! My eye hurts." The man groaned.

Loki walked back to the man's bed when he sat on the stool next to the bed and the poacher looked at him.

"If I promise you will only be given a fine and assure you that you and your daughters will be safe, do you promise not to poach ever again?"

"But how can I work if I am blind in one eye!?"

"Before I answer that, what did you do before you turned to poaching?"

"I was a tanner and a furrier. All the nobles came to me, but... After my wife was accused and executed, no one wanted my services."

"I know someone who might need your help," Thor said. "My tanner is getting old and wishes to retire. Would you like to come and be a part of my household?"

"This isn't a trick?"

"No," Thor said with a nod. The man thought for a few seconds then sighed and looked at the ceiling.

"My daughter. My little Asha. She is like her mother."

"She knows magic?" Loki asked.

"Yes," he said with a nod.

"That would not be a problem." Thor said with a shake of his head.

"How do I hide her?" The man asked, his worry for his child evident.

"You won't have to," Loki assured him. "We will find away for her to practice her magic without fear."

"Loki, what have you got up your sleeve now?" Thor asked.

Loki eyed Thor and said, "A lifetime ago I told you to trust my rage. I say it again, brother. When I became Archmage I swore never again will my people know fear because of their gifts. I will keep that promise."

"And if she gets caught? I will not watch another of my family die!"

"She won't get caught."

Loki looked at the man and saw in the man's eyes that he believed him.

"Will you let me heal your eye?" Loki asked.

"There's not much left to save," Stefan said with a sigh.

"Please," the man said. "Help me."

"Very well," Loki said and went to sit on the edge of the bed.

Nodding, the man closed his eyes when Loki moved closer and placed his hands over the man's eyes. Loki used his healing magic to first calm the man and make sure he didn't feel any pain then Loki restored the man's eye.

The man made a soft sigh while Loki sat back and the man slowly opened his eyes. He blinked a few times then glanced at Loki and Loki smiled at him. The man reached out as Loki took his hand and the man blinked the tears from his eyes.

"Thank you, My Prince," he said and Loki nodded.

"What is your name?"

"My name is Erlic."

"Erlic, you owe the crown a silver for your poaching," Loki said. "Thor may deduct it from your wages as his furrier. Go home and bring your family here. Give your daughter this." He summoned a bracelet made of soft leather with the symbol of a flower on it. "This will prevent anyone from knowing she is a mage. Tell to keep it on and never remove it unless I tell her to."

"Yes, My Prince," Erlic said, taking the bracelet.

"I will have rooms ready for you when you return," Thor said.

"Thank you."

"He really needs to rest," Stefan said and Loki stood up.

"I will tell the guards to take the other one to the dungeons when he is ready to be released," Loki said and Stefan nodded.

Loki gave Erlic a reassuring smile when Thor and Loki left the infirmary and Erlic looked at Stefan.

"Sorry I threatened to crush your hands," he said and Stefan laughed.

"You're not the only one who's told me that," he said, patting Erlic's shoulder then walked away.

 _Back at the palace..._

Loki found Rhiannon in his mother's herb garden while she and Belle gathered herbs and he heard them laughing. He felt a lightness in his chest at the sight and wondered if there was any chance it could be repeated some point in the future.

"You are such a romantic," he heard Stark's voice teasing him and Loki shook his head.

"Hello, ladies," Loki said as he approached and Belle smiled, looking up at him.

"Hey, Dad, Rhee's been showing me all these uses for herbs that weren't in the book I got out of the library." Belle told him excitedly.

"Really?!" he asked, arching an eyebrow. Rhiannon wasn't sure if he was teasing or angry as she lowered her head and sniffed.

"I am sorry if I overstepped my bounds, My Prince," Rhiannon said.

"There is no harm in teaching someone," he said as he walked over then knelt down next to her.

"Yeah! It's ok," Belle said and Rhiannon looked at them.

"It is just . . . there are so many things that a commoner should not or cannot do according to the new laws that it is hard to know when you have done something incorrect or not. So you are always nervous and . . ." she trailed off not wanting to say more.

Loki closed a hand over hers. "What if there were a way for those laws—the laws which harm and restrict people's freedom to do and be what they choose—to be gotten rid of?"

He laughed, admiring the way the sun shone off her hair. The golden glow creating a halo around her head, she noticed him staring and blushed.

"I would hope that it was true," she replied, taking her hand back. "If you forgive me for saying such a thing."

There is nothing to forgive," he said and she saw the truth in his emerald eyes.

"Should we tell her what we're going to do?" Belle asked.

"It's time, little raven," he whispered.

"Thank you, sir." Her heart quickened, a moment of foolishness passing. "What? I cannot be involved in a conspiracy."

"It is not a conspiracy," Loki said. "We are going to try and free my father from something which is controlling him."

"Something is controlling the king?! What do you mean, sir?" She asked, her eyes concerned.

"I need your advice as a healer for my father. Come, we will discuss this in private. In my workroom. It is warded and nothing can be heard or seen when we are inside it."

"Is it proper? I don't want to cause a fuss, sir." She asked, leaning back.

"Belle will be with us. No one will even know we are there." Loki soothed. "Put your hand on my arm."

She looked around suddenly, checking for anyone who could accuse her of being improper and rested her hand on his arm gently.

They stood and headed for his workroom and Belle smiled.

"What's with the smile, Raven?" Loki asked.

"Nothing," she said and he gently ruffled her hair. He knew she was playing matchmaker as he rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Belle, take Rhiannon's hand," he ordered.

"You should close your eyes." Belle warned, taking Rhiannon's hand.

When his daughter had done so, he blinked them into his workroom.

Rhiannon gasped for air as they arrived suddenly, she leaned against a table to collect herself and groaned.

"I am well," she said, her face pale and she fell to the ground.

"Oh crap! We need a bucket before she pukes!" Belle said, looking for something.

Loki pressed two fingers to Rhiannon's wrist and the sudden nausea and dizziness vanished. "Better?"

"Yes sir. I was unprepared for that." She said, using a table to get back to her feet. She swayed for a moment, but stayed standing.

"Sorry," he said and she nodded.

"Found a bucket!" Belle said, realizing she was too slow.

"I am better now, Princess." Rhiannon said, looking at everything around her in a bit of awe.

"Please sit," Loki said and Rhiannon sat on the stool near the table.

"Do you have any idea what is controlling the King?" Rhiannon asked.

She folded her hands neatly, making him feel like a tutor of sorts.

"What do you know of King Bors?"

"I shouldn't say."

"Tell me."

"He was a tyrant. And he killed for pleasure." She replied, flinching as if waiting for a blow.

"Go on," he said, sitting on the stool next to her and she nodded.

"He killed the mages, and ordered the commoners to be kept in bondage to the Nobility... Sir, I will be beaten if someone hears."

"Rhee, no one can hear anything in my workroom. It's warded." he reminded her.

"So anything we speak of here stays here," Belle told her.

"I heard many awful things, like he wanted to kill all the Jotun, and that he ordered all healthy men into his wars. They all frighten me to speak of them."

"Dad, we need to tell her the truth," Belle said.

"What truth?"

"It appears Bors started the war between Asgard and the Jotun," Loki said and Rhiannon gasped.

"But I learned differently at the Academy." She replied, looking worried.

Then he rewrote history and burned all the true history books and killed all the Lorekeepers save an apprentice to keep the truth forever secret," Belle revealed.

"Why did he do that? The laws protect Lorekeepers." She replied, her stomach churning.

"He didn't care about that. All he cared about was his power," Loki said.

"No. This cannot be true sir. My tutors taught me different."

"We learned the truth when I took my Lorekeeper Test," Belle explained. "It is stored in the Crown of Knowledge."

"Is that why your father hates the Jotun? He believed the lies?"

"My father never hated the Jotun. He learned differently when my mother Astra, his Archmage and best friend, married Laufey. He took me as his son knowing I was half-Jotun," Loki refuted.

"Then you see, Bors did not start the wars." She replied, trying to make him see her reasoning.

"Wait," Loki said and waved his hands. The book Belle found appeared on the table and Belle gently touched the cover of the book.

"We need your help," Belle whispered and a bright light appeared on the cover. They watched while Kennet Glittergeist's specter appeared.

"Why have you summoned me, Lorekeeper?" he asked,

Rhiannon jumped, knocking the stool over.

"What is that? What trick is this?" She demanded.

"It is no trick," Loki said then looked at Kennet. "This is Rhiannon. She is a healer and will help us with curing my father."

"Greetings," Kennet said with a nod.

"Hello," Rhiannon said.

"We need you to show her the truth about Bors," Belle said.

"Bors cannot have done what they say he did," Rhiannon said.

"I am afraid they are right. Here," Kennet said as the book opened and Rhiannon slid the book closer.

"How do I know these are not lies?"

"The book prevents that," he said and she started reading.

Her face turned pale as she read, the churning in her stomach turning to nausea.

"These are the secrets that died with the Lorekeepers," Kennet said softly. "And the truth is that history was rewritten to make one man's atrocities become false heroic deeds. Forgive me for making you ill. But the truth is a bitter pillow to swallow."

"Forgive me Princess, but I may need that bucket,"she said, reaching for the container.

"It is. I..." She gasped, a panic attack starting. "I... Please... I need air."

"Dad, she's going to faint!" Belle said.

"Please... open the... open the window." She gasped, her face growing paler.

She nodded, following his directions. Her eyes filled with tears and she took small breaths.

She calmed, her hands still shaking and she looked embarrassed at the both of them.

"May I have some water please?" She asked.

Belle went to get her a glass of water as she handed Rhiannon the cup and Rhiannon took a sip of water.

"Thank you." She said, taking more water.

"Are you O.K? Belle asked.

"Yes, Princess." She replied, her shaking hands gripping the cup. "I am sorry."

"Do you still need my help?" Kennet asked.

"No, she sees the truth we all know," Belle replied. "Thank you, Kennet."

"You mean Bors?"

"Yes," he said while closing the cover of the book after Kennet vanished.

"How do we rid him of this spirit?" She asked him, sipping more water.

"Want to explain it Dad?" Belle asked, and Rhiannon looked at Loki.

"He has become what is called a revenant, basically an unquiet evil spirit. We need to banish him, but we can only do this if Belle and I enter the Astral to fight him. That's why we need you to help us. We need to make sure that Odin stays asleep while we do this. If he wakes it will be a disaster. So we need you to administer or to tell me a kind of sedative that will make him sleep deeply until we are through."

"I know of one, sir. He will be very comfortable." She said. "He will sleep for twelve hours at the most."

"That will be long enough for us to do what needs to be done," he said then sighed. _I hope,_ he thought.

"I knew she was super smart, Dad!" Belle shouted, clapping her hands. Rhiannon jumped, spilling some water on her dress.

Loki waved his hand as the water on her dress dried and Belle blushed.

"Sorry."

"It's fine," Rhiannon said with a grin then looked at Loki. "Will I also have to watch over you and the princess while you sleep?"

She looks worried at the prospect, if something went wrong she would be blamed.

"No, Thor and my mother will be watching over our sleeping forms."

"Ah," she said, nodding and felt relieved.

"Then it will be my only duty to ensure that King Odin is asleep?" She asked, and let out a relieved breath.

"Yes. Can you have this remedy ready by tonight?" Loki asked.

"Yes. Can you have this remedy ready by tonight?" Loki asked.

"I can," she said. "I will give it to you after supper."

"Thanks," he said softly.

"Will you be performing the banishment tonight?" she asked then.

Loki looked at Belle. "You know the spell, Raven?"

Belle nodded. "Yes. I'm ready. You will be free when we get this over with Rhiannon."

"Free? I could leave the castle, or do other things?" She asked, hope filling her face.

"Once we banish the revenant my father will reverse everything Bors has made him do," Loki said quietly. "You will be free to shift as you choose, and to choose who you will court," Loki said softly.

"I can be courted by anyone Sir?" She asked, unable to believe her ears

"Yeah. Anyone who likes you." Belle said quickly, hiding a smile at Loki.

"I will have my part ready by tonight sir. I promise not to disappoint you." She said quickly, reminding herself that only nobles could be courted by a Prince.

"My mother was a commoner who married a king. And she ruled as his equal until her death." Loki said quietly. "Before Bors possessed him there were no laws against any Asgardian marrying anyone."

"I see. I am not free to marry however, sir." She said softly, her eyes lowered.

Belle sighed, seeing Loki's expression. She gestured for her father to say something, feeling frustrated.

"What do you mean?" he frowned.

"I am already in love sir, and he is not one I may have." She replied, her voice growing smaller.

"Why?"

"I dare not say, sir." She replied.

Belle sighed, looking at her dad. She shrugged, giving him a sympathetic look.

"Then I hope you are happy with whoever you have chosen," he replied quietly. "We're done here." He moved to unlock the door.

 _It's a good thing you didn't mention you wanted to court her,_ he thought dejectedly. _You would have looked like an idiot because she would never have you if she loves another._

He shook his head. _I need to stop this. I have a king to free. The sooner the better._

"Sir? May I speak freely?" She asked suddenly. She looked up at him nervously, biting her lower lip.

"Go ahead," he answered.

"I... I am..." She looked nervous.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she looked at Belle, her hands folding and unfolding in her lap.

"I am grateful for your kindness, sir." She said and looked down at her lap.

"Why did you have a hard time saying that?" Belle laughed, and Rhee looked forlorn.

"I cannot say what I desire to."

"Why?" the girl asked. "Just say it. There's no one here but us. And no one can hear what you say either."

"I..." She stuttered, looking still at her hands. "I am in love with your father." She covered her mouth with both of her hands, wishing she said nothing.

Belle giggled, looking at Loki, her face lighting up.

"Whoa." She laughed. "You should see Dad's face!"

Loki looked like he had just gotten the wind knocked

"Dad? Are you O.K?" She asked him and slapped his arm.

"Do you mean that?" He asked very softly. "Do you truly love . . .me?"

She nodded, lowering her hands slowly. "Yes My Prince."

She looked at him and their eyes meet, her heart pounding in her chest as she waited to be chastised.

To her shock he grinned at her, that beautiful smile that made women's hearts skip a beat and forget to breathe, the kind of smile that was unfeigned and joyous and made you want to laugh until you cried. The kind of smile that made you believe the sun had fallen from the sky.

She swooned in her seat, unable to catch her breath and nearly fell over. She caught herself, not wanting to make a fool of herself.

"Dad? The smile." Belle said, but he did not hear her.

She wanted to reach for his hand, to feel his touch on hers but did not dare.

"Dad... say something." Belle whispered, rolling her eyes.

Abruptly she realized he might not want to speak his mind with his daughter listening, so she said, "I'm gonna leave now." Then she went out the door.

"Why did she leave?" Rhiannon asked.

"She knows me better than anyone," Loki said. "And what I want to say is for your ears only. For now."

"What do you want to say?"

"I love you as well."

Rhiannon's eyes widened as he moved just close enough to take her hands and wrapped their fingers together.

She felt her heart pound, and she nearly fell off the stool. Her body fell forward and he caught her in his arms. She looked up at him, her cheeks blushing and she looked into his eyes.

"What you say is truth. And I would give up eternity to hear you say those words again." She said, his arms around her.

"I love you," he said again.

Her hand lay on his chest, over his heart and he looked at her. He could not believe what she had just said, and he had to catch his breath.

She could feel his heart beat beneath her hand, and she thrilled to its rhythm.

"I love you." She whispered, her hand moving to his pale cheek and she held it for a moment. Her fingers warm and soft on his skin, he closed his eyes and savored the touch.

He took her hand as he looked at her small fingers and he gave her a look as if he was asking if it was alright to kiss her knuckles.

She blushed and nodded, her hand shaking a bit in his.

He leaned his head down to kiss her knuckles and his lips felt cool, but soft against her skin.

"May I be bold sir?" She asked and gazed up at him as she smiled.

"To do what?" he asked with an impish grin. "And, when we are alone, you may call me Loki," he said.

"Yes Loki." She said, his heart jumping at the sound of his name. "Should you not come back from your errand to banish Bors..."

Her lips brushed his, and she kissed him softly and sweetly.

He moved back as she blushed and he brushed some hair from her face.

"I will not fail and I will return!" he promised and she heard the truth in his words.

"Yes Loki." She said, blushing. "I should not have been so bold."

"If you hadn't kissed me, I was going to ask to kiss you."

"But . . . a man does not need permission," she began.

"This man asks," he replied gently. "I never assume. I never thought to hear those words from any woman," he murmured. "My first wife . . . never said them. Because she never loved me. She loved what I was—the prince, and what I could give her—power, prestige, money. But she never loved ME. I learned that soon after I learned the truth about my heritage."

"Why would she care if you are half-Jotun?"

"It's the old fear of Frost Giants. She hated what I was. She thought I was a freak and a monster. She thought our children were as well."

"But your children are human."

"I mean my older sons."

"You mean Prince Fenris and his brothers?! How cruel."

"She tried to . . . when she was carrying Fenris . . ." his mouth tightened in a grim line. "She made herself fall down the stairs in hopes that she would miscarry. Then she blamed me when she did not, she said it was my fault she was mother to monsters. That's where . . . the mortals got the stories that she bore me monsters."

She covered her ears, her eyes filling with tears.

He moved closer to uncover her ears and she hugged him. She placed her face against his chest as he softly carded her hair and she shook her head.

"It is she who was the monster," she whispered then sniffed. "I shouldn't have said that."

"Say it. It's the truth. She hurt me in the worst way a woman can. She destroyed my self-esteem. She hurt my sons also. Not just with her philandering but with her neglect and cruelty. It's why I eventually divorced her."

"If they were mine, I would be a loving mother." She said, her eyes sincere.

"I wouldn't be surprised. You are amazing with my younger children and you saved Fen's life. I could never repay you for that."

She wept into her hands, shaking her head and trying not to sob.

"Now," he said, moving her hands away. "No more tears. It was a long time ago and I love you."

"I am so sorry they were treated so, and you." She said, shaking. "I cannot give you more, I was told that my birth prevents it."

"And you believed them?"

"Yes," she said with a nod.

"Then, when this is all over, we will find out if it's true or not. If it is true, you will have more than enough children who will love you and call you "Mama". If it's not true..."

"If it is not true, I would love to have a child with you."

Loki's heart soared, but his mind reminded him they had to save Odin's soul first from Bors and he kissed the tip of her nose.

She smiled at him, her nose red from crying.

"You must think me silly, a union would never be allowed."

"It will once we free my father. He would want us to be happy. "

"He would?"

"Yes he would if not..."

"Yes?"

"I will take you to Midgard then, and make you my wife there." He promised, her eyes going wide at the sentiment.

"I would follow you there if it be needed." She said.

She kissed him again, passion in her heart and her tears drying. He wiped one off her cheek, closing his hand over it and turning it to a perfect, cut diamond.

"You have such amazing magic!"

He waved his hand as a silver and gold ring appeared and the diamond was on the top. He placed the ring on her ring finger on her right hand then held her hand against his chest over his heart.

"For me?" She asked, her eyes going wide. "I shall never take it off."

"This ring is my promise to you. Once my father is free, I will switch it to the other finger when I truly ask you to be mine," Loki said and she gasped.

"And I shall say Yes to your request." She said, her heart pounding.

He pointed to the band. "This is an eternity knot. It means that our love has no beginning and no end. The diamond is clasped in a rune. The rune for love."

She nodded as he kissed the diamond then looked in her eyes. She saw the love in his eyes when Belle appeared in the doorway and he moved back.

"Everything ok, Dad?" she asked.

"Yes," he said with a nod.

She slipped a handkerchief out of her sleeve, pressing it into his hand.

"Take this... for luck." She said, her eyes smiling at him.

Belle grinned, looking at the both of them and her eyes falling on the ring on Rhiannon's hand. She silently grinned, shaking her head.

Rhiannon tied the handkerchief around his left wrist as he smiled tenderly and placed a charm over it so it would not fall off.

"I embroidered it myself, I hope it guides you back." She said, her cheeks scarlet

"It will," he said then frowned. "But you be careful as well. My father may not wish to sleep."

"Yes sir." She said, remembering her part. "The medicine. I need to make it."

"After supper I shall meet you by Belle's room." Loki told her. "Perhaps I should give it to him."

If the revenant was in control he could fight Rhiannon's attempt to give him the potion, but Loki would not be so easily vanquished.

"If you think that's wise. He might think I was trying to poison him and have me...," she said, but he placed his fingers against her lips and shook his head.

"We better get going," Belle said and he saw how nervous she looked.

"You alright?" Loki asked.

"Just a little scared."

"So am I," Loki said and they left the workroom.

"Yes sir. I will pass it to you then." She looks at Belle, reaching out for the girl's hands. "Please be careful."

"I am my father's daughter," she replied. "I know when to be careful and when to fight like a Jotun."

"Yes, you do," he said and Belle smiled at him.

Rhiannon nodded, wanting to hug the child and protect her. "Yes Princess."

 _Hours later..._

Loki and Belle waited in the hallway when Rhiannon appeared and she held a small glass vile in her right hand.

"Here is the potion, Lo... My Prince," she said and remembered not to say his name where people could hear her.

Loki closed his hand over the vial. "Many thanks, Goldenheart."

"Will it work?" Belle asked, and Rhiannon nodded.

"It will. I made it a bit stronger than normal." Rhiannon replied, turning to leave.

She stopped when Loki placed his hand on her shoulder and she turned to look at him. He waved his hand so no one saw them then gently kissed her lips and she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you as well," she said and he waved his hand to make them visible again.

"I will wait in the garden, praying for your success." She said and ran to supper.

Loki sighed as Belle took his hand and he looked down at her.

"Let's do this," Loki said with a serious look in his eyes and he and Belle headed down the hallway.

"Dad? Are you going to marry Rhiannon?" Belle asked, grinning at her father.

"Do you want me to?" Loki asked.

"Yeah!"

"Well, I did promise her I would do something like that once we're done."

"Yay!" she said and he smiled.

The dining hall was crowded while Loki and Belle entered the room and he looked at Odin. Odin seemed sour and in a foul mood as Loki clenched his teeth and saw the sadness in Frigga's eyes.

"Dad, is he...?" Belle asked.

"Yes, Bors is in control," Loki said, tenderly tightening his hold on the glass vile.

Odin glared at Loki, not trusting his son suddenly.

"Do you speak against me?" He bellowed at the both of them.

"No, Father, we were just wondering what was for supper," Loki said.

"It is terrible fare! Have the maids who cooked this flogged!" He shouted, a Guard swallowing hard. Rhiannon made the mistake of looking in his direction and he threw his cup of wine at her.

"Remove her from my sight! That abomination offends me!" He shouted. The guards escort her away, she holding her head down.

"Do not worry," the guard whispered. "Prince Loki wants you safe in case something goes wrong."

"He does?" she whispered.

"Yes."

"Thank you sir, I will not forget this kindness." She whispered back.

Loki thanked the Norns that Rhiannon was safely away and that his small children and Eirunn were in the nursery taking supper with Halgran.

"Dad? Where are they taking her?" Belle asked, chewing a thumbnail.

"Somewhere safe," he assured her.

"Enough whispering! You either sit down or I will have you removed!" Odin shouted.

Loki and Belle quietly take their seats.

Loki glanced at his father then at the glass vial and tried to figure out how to give Odin the potion.

 _You're supposed to be the clever son, Laufeyson,_ he thought. _Figure it out._

Rhiannon was taken to her chambers and she slipped inside. She snuck down the hall, slipping into Loki's chambers and falling to her knees in prayer.

"Please, I beg you. If you hear me... give him the strength he needs this night." She begged the Norns, wrapping herself in his cloak and continuing to pray.

Rhiannon is taken to her chambers and she slips inside. She sneaks down the hall, slipping into Loki's Chambers and falling to her knees in prayer.

"Please, I beg you. If you hear me... give him the strength he needs this night." She begs the Norns, wrapping herself in his cloak and containing to pray.

Belle sat back in her chair, picking at her food and a servant passed with another goblet of wine for Odin.

 _Of course! A Mickey Finn!_ Loki thought, hiding a smirk. _One of the oldest tricks in the book._

"Stupid Maids, you can't trust them." Odin hissed.

Loki used his telekinesis to float the glass vial over the goblet and the glass vial opened, pouring the potion into the wine.

Odin picked up the goblet, eyeing it suspiciously and licking his lips.

He raised the goblet to his lips when he lowered it and looked at the maid.

"You drink it first," he said.

"All Father?" she asked.

"Drink!"

"Yes, My King." She said, lifting the goblet when the cry of a hawk distracted the room.

 _I pray this works_ , Rhiannon thought to herself, flying through the window and landing near the old king.

"What is this creature doing in here?!" Odin demanded. "Kill it!"

"She is presenting herself to us." Frigga said. Rhiannon stretching her wings and bowing to Odin.

"Please don't kill me My King." She chirped. "I have come to sing for you."

"Dad, what is Rhiannon doing?" Belle whispered.

"She's causing a distraction," Loki whispered then looked at her.

 _Be careful, My Love,_ he thought.

"I have no time for this!" Odin shouted, waving his hand toward her.

The hawk stayed bowed, trilling a sweet song for Odin, praying she would calm him.

"My, she has an amazing voice," one of the noblewomen said.

"Yes, she does," her husband said.

She trilled on, the maid putting the goblet on the table and stepping back.

The song awakened the sleeping part of the old king's mind, and Odin's consciousness fought back and shoved the distracted revenant away for a brief time.

"Do you still want it dead, My King?" A guard asked, drawing a knife.

"No!" Odin said as he picked up the goblet and took a drink of wine.

"I will now take my leave," Rhiannon said as she flew away and Loki smiled.

"Well done," he whispered and looked at Odin.

"I will wait for you, my sweet Prince." She chirped, taking flight and leaving through the window.

Odin finished the wine when he yawned and covered his mouth with his hand.

"Are you alright?" Frigga asked.

"Just tired," he said as he stood and smiled at her. "I think I will retire early."

He leaned down to kiss her cheek when he walked away and left the room.

"Thank the Norns for that bird." Frigga sighed.

"We have to go," Loki said and he and Belle stood up.

Rhiannon returned to Loki's chambers, flying through the window and sitting next to the fire. She wrapped herself in his cloak again, her eyes growing heavy as she watched the flames.

She soon dozed, laying on the rug and dreamed of her wedding dance. Loki smiling at her as she blushed back at him.

"I shall love you forever." She whispered, the only tears in her eyes, happy ones.

Odin headed for his bedchambers while Loki and Belle followed him and Odin nodded to the guards. Loki had cast a spell to make them invisible as they walked by the guards after they had opened the doors and Loki watched Odin walk up the stairs to the large bed framed in gold.

Huginn and Muninn sat on the headboard as they looked toward Loki and Belle and he placed his left index finger to his lips, hushing them.

"When do we start, Dad?" Belle asked, looking nervous.

"We already have." Loki said, his lips a thin line.

Odin went behind the dressing screen as he changed into his nightshirt then walked out and moved the covers back as he got into be. He was lying on his back staring at the ceiling, but his eyes refused to stay open and he closed his eyes. They waited for a few minutes until they were sure he was asleep and walked to the bed.

"Summon your regalia, little raven," Loki ordered.

Belle moved toward the bed as she stood at the foot of the grand bed and closed her eyes. She started reciting the spell of summoning as Loki came to stand next to her and prayed for the spell to work.

The Cloak of Stars appeared and wrapped about her, the golden laurel Crown of Knowledge was next, then the Staff of Wisdom appeared in her hand.

"Are you ready?" Loki asked and she nodded.

"Can I be a bridesmaid?" Belle smirked.

"Yes, now concentrate," he said with a smile

"I'll put you to sleep first and then I will follow," the Archmage told her. He rubbed the handkerchief tied about his wrist. They must succeed, for the fate of Asgard-no the whole of the Nine-rested with them. They must free the king . . . or die trying.


	18. The Battle For Odin's Soul

**18**

 **The Battle for Odin's Soul**

 _The best way to defeat an enemy is to distract and then destroy~ Loki_

Loki used his magic to access the ley line beneath the room and his eyes glowed with magic, gleaming like the purest emeralds.

Belle went and lay down on the bed, and he lay down beside his daughter. The bed was even bigger than Loki's and when the three of them were on it they seemed tiny.

Belle accessed the magic in her laurel crown, and it glowed as it gave her the knowledge she needed to cast the spells of banishment. "Ready, Dad."

"Okay, darling. Close your eyes. Count five breaths. Then five more. Then let go."

Belle obeyed, lying back upon the pillows. On the tenth breath she drifted and Loki touched her to send her deep into trance state, for only then could she access the astral.

Loki used the same technique and soon he followed his daughter into the Gateway of the InBetween.

The InBetween was silver and gray, and Belle's spirit floated in it, tied to her body by a glittering blue cord. Loki appeared a moment later, his own spirit anchored by a glittering green cord.

 _Belle, do you see the cord attached to you? That's your lifeline. Now, I'm going to hide it so an enemy can't see it and sever it._

 _Okay. How do I do that?_

 _You don't. I do_ He mentally enshrouded their cords with a sheath of nothing. The cords vanished.

 _How do we find Bors now?_

 _Now once we go through the Gate we'll be in the astral. It can be a little disorientating, so hold onto me. He'll be on the other side, but not quite aware of us. When I spot him, I'll wave my staff, like this._ He waved his Chitauri staff. He was dressed in his green and black armor with his golden helm. _Just remember, thought is synonymous with action here. You think it, it happens. When I do that, I want you to use your Cloak of Stars to Veil yourself. Just draw the hood up. He won't see you. He'll confront me first. Let me fight him. When I've slammed him a few good ones, start your spells. Don't stop. No matter what happens to me. I'm the distraction, hon._

Belle nodded _. Okay Dad. But I am getting you back to Rhiannon._

 _We're both coming back._ He adjusted his helmet. _Ready? Once more into the breach. And may fortune smile upon us!_ He pointed his staff and a glowing Gate appeared. He took Belle's hand and they jumped through the portal.

Belle felt sick when they arrived on the other side. She groaned and fought the urge to vomit. _Dad, I'm trying not to throw up._

 _Breathe, hon. It'll pass. It takes you like that the first time. Remember, you're spirit. You can't get sick. Focus your mind and it will stop._

The astral was like being surrounded by thousands of fireflies that wink in and out. It was silvery mist and blue air and shifting curtains of light. There was a road beneath their feet of moonlight.

Loki waited patiently, his mind scanning his surroundings.

He felt a stirring up ahead accompanied by a feeling of unease. He knew the revenant was close.

 _Okay, darling?_

 _Yes. I'm good now, Dad. Let's do it._

 _Stay on the path. And just think yourself down the road and you are._

He did so and found himself closer to the disturbing feeling. He saw a clot of shadow.

 _Dad, is that him?_

 _That's him. You feel his aura, right? Try not to. It'll make you sick and afraid. Come on. We'll go closer and see what he looks like._

They approached stealthily and saw within the shadow a tall man dressed in ancient Asgardian armor. He wore a winged dragon helm on his head and carried an axe strapped to his back. He had his blond hair cut short and a short beard.

 _Now remember what I told you. You stay behind me and Veil yourself when I wave my staff._

Belle nodded, covering herself with her cloak. The Cloak of Stars Veiled her from the specter's sight and senses.

Loki squeezed her shoulder. Then he strode down the moonlit road, his staff gleaming. He did not attempt to hide his presence, knowing Bors would sense him.

 _I thought I smelled a Jotun bastard. Done rutting the bitch you chose to mate with? I will enjoy watching her die the way I loved watching your mother choke on her own blood._

The old warrior grinned evilly and drew his axe.

 _Hello, Grandfather. There's only one person dying today. You_. He powered up his staff and blasted Bors with it. _Shut up and fight, you son of a bitch!_

Bors laughed, waving a hand and deflecting the blast _. Maybe I will have my son sleep with her while he chokes the life out of her. She might enjoy it, being the common-blooded trash she is._

 _You wish, Grandfather! I'm going to take your head and send you screaming to Hel_. He fired another blast from his staff, then blinked away and used another spell to cause a wave of frost that rolled over the revenant and froze it.

But the reprieve is only temporary. The ice shattered, leaving Bors standing in its place. He took his ax, thumbing the blade and smiling. _I bet she will scream until her voice is raw, then he will beat her and have her again._

He swung the ax, crashing it down into the ground where Loki was standing.

Loki leapt over it and kicked the grinning despot in the face hard. _You have a sick mind. Here's some missing teeth to match!_ The ancient warrior staggered backwards, clutching his mouth, which was bleeding. Loki slammed his staff down on Bors's head, dropping the revenant to his knees. _Now!_ He sent to his daughter.

Belle began casting the beginning of the banishment spell-which would tear the revenant free from Odin.

Bors screamed, holding his broken mouth in his hand _. I am going to destroy her, and make you watch. Only when you beg, will I give you both the mercy of death._

He dropped his ax and grabbed his head in pain.

 _Hurts, doesn't it? How's it feel, you baby raping bastard?_ He threw one of his daggers at the revenant, it spun over and over in a silvery blur and struck the revenant in the shoulder.

 _Ahh! Stop it you little bitch!_ The revenant howled.

He lumbered toward Belle, bringing a fist up to beat her face in.

Loki appeared before him, blocking the blow. _No you don't!_

Bors laughed, closing his hand over air and continued to laugh. _I will not go into Valhalla alone you son of a whore._

 _You're right, old bastard! You 're not going to Valhalla!_ Loki brought his staff up between Bor's legs _. Ooops! Guess what? Your baby raping days just ended!_

Bors groaned, then spat, _You have so much to lose, can you save them all?_

 _Wrong question! Here's the right one!_ He hit the revenant with a bolt of pure magical force, sending it flying down the road _. How long will it take me to kill you?_

Belle finished the spell to remove the revenant's link to Odin and started the second part.

Bors laughed again. Regaining his feet, he waved a hand and licked his lips. _You tore me from one, but left another._

He walked toward Rhiannon's image and reaches toward her

 _When I am done with that body, you will not know her at all._

Loki twirled his staff and multi-colored lights exploded from it in a dizzying pattern. _Blocked from thee, you cannot pass!_

The image of Rhiannon fades and vanishes, Loki grinned knowing he protected her.

 _No matter, I will find..._ His body began to fade, becoming pale. _What is that bitch doing?_

Loki taunted. _Don't you feel it, Grandfather? The cold of the Void . . . it's coming for you!_ He threw a dagger rimed with frost and it struck the other in the chest. Bors staggered, going to one knee, his hand clutching the dagger.

Belle lifted her voice in a shout.

 _I will... I will take you with me then._

 _By the Power of Asgard, and the magic of the Law, I banish thee, Bors Varsson, for all of time!_

A wave of crackling blue light exploded from her fingertips and washed over the specter.

The revenant screamed in agony, fading away into nothing, and Loki fell to his knees and gasped.

Belle ran up and hugged him. _Dad, we did it! He's gone!_

 _We did._ He smiled and hugged her back.

 _You okay?_

 _I will be. It took a bit more out of me than I figured. But the ley line boosted my magic enough._

 _Was he really going to hurt Rhiannon?_

 _Yes. He would have tried to possess her if I hadn't stopped him._

 _How do we get back?_

Loki stood up _. Through the Gate. I'm so proud of you._

 _Thanks Dad. I am glad we did this together._

 _So am I, Spirit Keeper. Now let's go home._

 _I bet Thor is freaking out and starting CPR._

 _I hope not. He doesn't know how!_ He Called the Gate and they jumped through it.

 _Feeling sick again._

 _Focus, darling._

 _I am. We are going to need a restorative after this._

His hands were cool on her cheeks, gently focusing her mind. _Yes. But not the way I did before._

He released the disguise spell over the cords and then he said, _Now touch the cord and you'll wake up, Belle_

She touched hers and snapped back into her body. Sitting up she heard Frigga run over to her.

"Belle, are you alright?"

Loki touched his cord and drifted back into his body.

"Loki!" Frigga cried.

He saw her cradling Belle in her arm, tears on her face. She reached out to him and smiled.

He hugged her with one arm.

"Is it over?"

"Surprise, I'm back!"

"And I am so glad that you are, my heart is whole again."

"We kicked his ass to Hel."

He looked down at his wrist, his fingers falling on the handkerchief. _In the garden, she is waiting for me._ He thought, looking at the clock and seeing it was after midnight. Then he ran from the room.

"What was that all about?" Frigga asked and Belle grinned.

"He is in love." she whispered, Frigga laughing in joy for her son.

"Finally!" Thor cried, then came over to wrap his arms around his mother and niece in a bear hug.

"Eeep!" Belle squeaked.

"Thor! We need to breathe!"

Loki ran to the garden, finding it empty. He cursed himself, remembering how late it was and kicked a rock. He figured that she had gone to her bed and trudged back to his chambers. He passed through the door, finding his cloak bundled on the floor and groaned.

"Aleta, don't play with things that are not yours." Loki sighed, lifting it and finding a blue shod foot under it.

His heart leapt, seeing it was Rhiannon asleep on the floor in front of his fire.

Carefully, Loki scooped Rhiannon into his arms and tried to figure where to place her.

 _She will panic if she is in my bed,_ he thought. He walked to the large couch framed in gold and placed her upon it. She sighed as he drew the cloak over her then knelt down next to the couch.

She lay on her side, her face angelic in the glow of the fireplace. He watched her sleep, promising himself to be there when she woke. She pulled the cloak up to her chin and sighed in her sleep, Loki watching her and nearly dozing himself.

He cast a simple glamour over her so no servant could see her and gossip if they came in to the room.

Then he rummaged in his bag for a restorative draft and drank it down, making a face because it tasted awful.

"I really need to fix this," he said.

He summoned honey and ate a spoonful.

"My sweet Prince." She sighed in her sleep, making him smile.

Then he sent a second restorative and the jar of honey to Belle, knowing Frigga would give it to her.

Yawning, he headed for the dressing screen, got into his nightshirt and walked to the couch. He leaned down to kiss the top of Rhiannon's head and walked to the bed. He got under the covers when he took one more look at his sleeping love, waved his hands to darken the room and snuggled under the covers. As he drifted off to sleep, he sent a prayer of thanks to the Norns and pulled the covers up to his shoulders.

The soft gray mist and the stars spreading out before him told Loki he was dreaming, but he wasn't sure where he was.

"Loki," a female voice said as he turned and saw his mother standing behind him.

"Mother?" he asked.

"Hello," Astra said while walking closer and she placed her hand against his cheek.

"You seem in good spirits." She smiled at him.

"I am. I freed Odin from the revenant and I have met the girl I love!" He flashed her a delighted smile.

"That is wonderful!"

"Yes, it is," a male voice said and Loki saw Laufey walking toward them.

"Is it the maiden who now sleeps on your couch?" She laughed, holding open her hands.

"Yes, it is," Loki said as he looked at Laufey. "Hello, Father."

"I thought Odin was your father," Laufey said stiffly.

"He is, but I cannot deny being yours as well."

"Now Raven, you did promise to let bygones be bygones," Astra reminded him.

He waved a hand and he saw Rhiannon laying on the couch. "He does have good taste. Is she Asgardian?"

"Only half," Loki said and Laufey softly laughed.

"Ah, like father like son," Laufey said.

"She is more than that, dear. She is a gentle soul, and she has remained devoted to him for a very long time." Astra said, chiding her husband.

"I stand corrected," he said, holding his hands up in surrender.

"You will be happy with her. She will give you so many wonderful gifts." Astra said, smiling brightly.

"Do you See everything that happens?" Loki asked.

"Only what we are privy to." Laufey replied. He waved his hand and Loki saw Rhiannon standing in a window, cradled in her arms were two babies and she smiled at him.

"Which is much." Astra explained.

Loki gazed at the scene, Rhiannon grinning as she watched him enter through the door. She let him take a bundle and she smiled down at the infant in her arms.

Loki gazed in awe at the scene before him. "There we are .. .with our babies . . . Twins!"

He watched Sam, Fenris and the other kids walk in the room and each one was able to hold one of the babies.

"Twins run in the Icefyre line," Laufey said. "I was a twin."

"Does that mean...?!" Loki asked then shook his head. "Do I have a twin?"

"You were a single birth." Laufey said, sighing.

"Oh," Loki sighed.

"And my twin Lagetha died when she was only a week old. Of the croup." Laufey said sadly.

Rhiannon kissed Fenris on the cheek, hugging him close and he smiled at his mother.

"The first of six children she will give you." Astra said.

"That makes eighteen kids!" Loki said then laughed.

Fenris held the baby in his arms, smiling at it. Loki rested a hand on his shoulder and Rhiannon smiled brightly at her children.

"It will be a happy future with her, my son." Astra said, looking at him in joy. "You were early, impatient to be born," Astra recalled.

"Like your mother " Laufey teased.

"Then you had to place me in that temple," Loki said and they nodded.

"I knew the other Frost Giants would have killed you if I hadn't," Laufey said.

"I remember you calling me the bastard son when I came to make that deal with you."

"Again, I had to be cruel or the others would have killed you."

"I was still your son." He said, and Laufey frowned.

"The son I believed dead." Laufey told him. "Krishna told me you were killed. I went mad with grief."

"Krishna the High Priest was the one who wanted you dead most," Astra said. "That was why I told Odin to save you as I lay dying."

"Why did he want me dead?" Loki asked.

"Because you represented the joining of the Frost Giants and the Aesir. Something no Frost Giant could accept. Not after..."

"Not after what Bors did," Loki said, feeling the anger boiling inside him again.

The image faded, leaving only a ghostly Rhiannon in its place. He looked at her and she stood in a black, silk gown.

"If your anger takes you again, this is the future you will have my son." Astra warned. "You must forgive, or you will fall."

"Exactly," Laufey said with a nod. Loki walked closer then he hugged Laufey and Laufey placed his head against Loki's head.

"There is no reason to worry, Mother. Whatever anger I feel is fleeting now that Odin is free," he said and the image faded.

"That is well, for anger leads you down a dark road," Laufey said. "It did me once your mother was gone.

"We only warn you to show you truth." Astra said, smiling at her son.

"I know," Loki said as memories of his old life flickered through his mind.

"Anyway, what I found amazing with what you did is how brave your daughter was. Most novice Lorekeepers would have been terrified," Laufey said.

"I am proud of Belle as well." He coughed.

"You may want to give her a softer place to sleep next time. She will be a bit sore when she wakes." Astra said, showing him an image of Rhiannon surrounded by her children and reading to them.

Laufey waved his hand, he and Rhiannon lay in each other's arms. Her naked back glowing with a fire nearby and he saw a heart shaped birthmark on her backside. He blushed at the image, turning around.

"That explains her tailfeathers." He muttered.

"Laufey! Let the girl keep some secrets!" Astra said, crossing her arms.

Laughing, Laufey waved his hands as the image vanished and Loki sighed, rolling his eyes. "He will see that himself once he marries her, Wildcat!"

"At least show him something peaceful. Not his wedding night!" She sighed looking at Loki. "Sorry darling."

"He seemed to enjoy the view." Laufey laughed.

 _Should I be shocked that both of my parents love to embarrass me_? Loki thought. "No need to apologize, Mother."

Laufey waved his hands while Loki looked at Rhiannon and Loki in bed, but Max and Aleta were snuggled between them and Loki was reading to them. Rhiannon was holding Aleta and Max was snuggled next to Loki. Odin, the dog, was settled down by their feet and Rhiannon was smiling sweetly at Loki.

"She will find things a little odd when you take her back with you, but she will adjust," Astra said and he nodded.

"Should we tell him what is special about that?" Laufey asked, grinning.

"There's more?!" Loki asked.

"She is with your twins there. You can see her belly growing." Astra said, holding her hands together.

Laufey showed him another image of himself kneeling on the rug while a black-haired baby girl with Rhee's eyes crawled to him.

Rhiannon smiled at the baby, her arms holding a curly haired blonde boy.

"You wish to come to Midgard?" Loki asked.

"Yes," Laufey said.

"How else can we see our grandchildren?" Astra asked.

"Though we cannot stay for long." Laufey reminded her.

"They are beautiful." she said, smiling at the babies and clapping het hands.

"Yes, they are," Loki said while looking at the image.

The boy kicked his feet and squealed, Rhiannon laying him down and tickling his belly and he squealed more.

"They will only know love from her as well." Astra informed him, he smiled wider.

"As will all your children," Laufey added.

The baby squealed, and Rhiannon kissed his cheeks and he grabbed at her hair. She laughed, the baby tugging it and she freed herself.

"I would never think otherwise. Rhee is no Boda." Loki asserted.

"She is your true wife." Laufey said, smiling at his son.

"I never understood what Odin saw in that one," Astra said with a sigh.

Astra waved her hand, the image of Rhiannon in a tattered healer's dress appearing. A Guard told Odin that Loki had died in battle and she clutched her chest, tears filling her eyes and she ran down the halls. She burst into the garden, and wept under a tree.

"It was an arranged marriage. Odin wanted an alliance with her father," Loki said. _Or Bors did,_ Loki thought.

"What is that vision about?" Loki asked.

"She has waited so long to be brave enough to show you that she loves you." Astra said. "She mourned you when she thought you died saving Thor's mortal."

"I did die," Loki reminded them.

"Maybe one of the reasons you returned was to be with her," Laufey sai

"Her heart shattered that day, Loki. She vowed to never let another man into her heart because she thought you lost forever." Astra sighed.

Loki was stunned by these revelations.

"Are you alright, son?" Laufey asked.

"Yes," he said with a nod. "But this is a lot to take in."

"We know," Astra said.

"Her fate was always yours, Loki." Laufey said.

"On the day you were born, your horoscope showed your stars entwined with hers," Astra told him.

The sky changed as he looked up at the stars and saw two constellations interlocked with each other.

"You may want to give her a warmer blanket when you wake. She is a bit chilled." Astra said, smiling.

"She holds a few more secrets however, and you will learn them in time." Laufey said. "But your bond will strengthen because of them all."

"The way yours with Mother did," Loki stated.

"Just so," Astra agreed. "When I first met your father he was most bedraggled and half-dead in the middle of the Kings Highway."

Loki gaped at them. "What?"

"I was a fifteen-year-old idiot who thought it would be fun to run off and see if Asgard was as bad as my tutors always told me," Laufey sighed. "So I shifted into Aesir form and pretended to be lost so the Watcher let me past."

Loki saw the look in his father's eyes and nodded for him to continue.

"On the road I was attacked by brigands. And I couldn't shift or else they would have killed me. Instead they robbed me, I was carrying a fortune in jewels, I was so stupid! And after they beat me half to death they left me in the road."

"That was when my father and I came along in our wagon," Astra said. "We ran a traveling magic show."

"I didn't dare tell then who I was. So I called myself Raven," Laufey said.

"How did you find out he was Jotun?" Loki asked.

"He passed out after we got him in the vardo." Astra said. "And when he did he shifted back."

"I was lucky her father, Rogue, didn't kill me. But he did not have any hatred towards my kind."

"We treated his injuries then he became feverish."

"Luckily, they were able to find a healer and got the potions I needed to heal."

"He was sick for weeks, long enough to get to know us and like traveling with us."

"When did you meet Odin?" Loki asked.

"I knew Odin from traveling with Father. We performed at court." Astra said. "One day we stopped there and when we left we had a stowaway. Odin ran off too, because Bors beat him for not giving up his thread magic."

"You had both of them in your vardo?" Loki asked.

"Yes," Laufey said with a nod. "And, during our travels, Odin and I became close friends."

"So close the two of them pranked me!" Astra chuckled. "They stole my clothes when I was swimming in a stream!"

"You yelled so loud, we thought you would wake the dead," Laufey teased.

"I didn't speak to them for a day." Astra laughed. "And Father made them do the laundry. Now that was funny! Two princes scrubbing shirts!"

He laughed at the thought, Loki wondering how Rhiannon would take to pranks. "She might think I was punishing her," Loki thought.

He remembered his mother's warning, and he found himself wanting to cover her to keep her warm. He smiled, thinking of looking down at her soft features and how innocent she looked in sleep.

"But I got them back when I told them I Saw a treasure chest in Moltar Marsh. They ran in there with shovels thinking they were going to make a fortune. Instead they just got covered with mud and bitten by mosquitoes!"

He laughed, hoping that one day he and Rhiannon will laugh and tell their children how they first met and fell in love.

He then felt the pull of the waking world when Astra walked to him and Loki blinked.

"It's time," Astra said and he nodded. He hugged his mother as she kissed his cheek, but he didn't want to let go. He finally let go when Laufey walked to him and they hugged.

"We are so proud of you, my son," Laufey whispered and Loki smiled. "Tell our granddaughter we are proud of her as well."

"I will," Loki said as they let go and the soft gray mist filled his eyes.

"Daddy?" woke him when he opened his eyes and saw Max and Aleta were sitting on the bed next to him.

"Morning," Loki said with a sleepy voice.

"We're hungry," Aleta said.

"Yeah, and why is your cape lying on the floor?" Max asked.

"It fell off the hook I guess." He said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes."

Loki sat up when he saw his cape lying on the floor near the couch and he frowned.

 _Where did she go?_ Loki thought as he got up and walked to the couch. He picked up the cape when he held the cape against his chest and sighed.

"Daddy?" Aleta asked.

"I... I'm fine," he said when he heard a soft giggle in his ear and blinked. He realized Max and Aleta couldn't see her due to the spell he had cast and he smiled.

"Go get dressed, imps," he told them.

"Ok," Aleta said and they got off the bed and left the room. He checked the hall when he closed the door and waved his hand. Rhiannon appeared as he smiled and she shyly smiled back.

She stood and ran to him, wrapping her arms around him and nearly crying from joy.

"I am so glad you survived your battle." She cried, her face alight with indescribable joy.

"I had to return, someone was waiting for me." He replied and she blushed. Their lips met and she giggled at the contact. He smiled down at her and she looked worried for a moment.

"How am I going to leave the room? If someone sees me...," she said and he placed a finger against her lips.

"Like this," he said and they vanished. They appeared outside her chambers and she swiftly opened the door. He lightly kissed her cheek. "See you at breakfast."

She watched him vanish as she walked into her room and closed the door behind her, thinking that if this were a dream she wished to never wake again.

He hurried down the hallway when he saw Belle running down the hallway and she was smiling.

"Morning, Raven."

"Morning Dad!" She said brightly, lowering her voice to a whisper to ask him. "Did you see her?"

"I did Little Raven." He said, remembering the soft scent of her perfume, and how beautiful her features were by firelight.

"Did you ask her to marry you?" She whispered back, bouncing on her toes with excitement. She giggled, her smile fading at her Father's expression.

"Daaad!" She groaned.

"Not yet. I need to make sure your grandfather is all right. And we need to change the laws back. Just be patient. Everything will work out."

Even as he said that, he heard a child's voice raised in anger. "I don't wanna wear the blue dress, Halgran! I wanna wear the gold one!"

He groaned. With all the preparation to free Odin, he had almost forgotten his little house guest. But no one forgot Eirunn for long.

 **A/N: I hope you all liked this part! Were you surprised at Loki's dream? I decided to run counter to canon and make Laufey a nice guy for a change. He is also a Star Watcher like his wife.**

 **Next up: Someone gets lost and it's Loki and friends to the rescue!**


	19. Little Girl Lost

**19**

 **Little Girl Lost**

 _The worst thing a parent can endure is a missing child. ~ Loki_

Maids all looked toward the door the shrieking child was behind, Aleta leaving Rhiannon's room with a new bandage on her finger and smiling at the Healer. She was wearing her uniform, and she paused looking at the room.

He walked down the hall to the nursery, and heard Halgran speaking to Eirunn. "Dearie, the gold dress is dirty, now quit shrieking, they can hear you in Valhalla."

"My bandaid fell off, so I went to Rhiannon, Daddy. She didn't have any bandaids, but she gave me medicine and a bandage." Aleta said, holding up her finger.

Loki smiled at her. "That's good, spark. For a minute there I thought you got bit again." He winced as the volume of shrieks increased. _It's a wonder Tavi isn't deaf!_

"Is that child in pain, My Prince?" Rhiannon asked, looking worried. "Aleta was a very good young lady, sir."

"Brother, can you gag the little pest?" Balder said poking his head out the door. "My head hurts."

"No, Healer, she's having a tantrum," Loki sighed. "I'm glad Aleta was a good girl today." He looked at Balder. "I'll calm her down, brother."

"Throw water in her face. That always worked when I did it to Thor," his brother remarked.

"Perhaps... I could speak with her?" Rhiannon asked politely.

"Be my guest. You want earplugs?" he joked.

"I will try my best Sir." She replied, walking to the door and opening it. A doll flew past her head and she ducked it, the toy hitting the wall behind her.

"I do. How can that child scream like that without losing her voice?" Balder said.

"She's a little girl. It's born in them," Loki replied. He gave his brother a set of earplugs.

Rhiannon walked into the room, her voice soft and soothing. They heard a scream and a slap, Rhiannon running from the room while holding her cheek.

"Did she hit you?" Loki asked.

"I believe I am not equipped to deal with that child, sir." Rhiannon said, lowering her hand to reveal a perfect red handprint on her face.

"She hit Rhiannon!" Aleta said, running over and holding her arms up to the woman. Rhiannon picked her up, and Aleta kissed her cheek. "All better."

"By the Nine!" Loki exclaimed. "I'm so sorry."

Balder shook his head. "That one needs to be turned over someone's knee. Even Thor never hit an adult when he had a fit."

"No but he bit me," Loki remarked. "I will heal that in a moment." His mouth tightened in disapproval.

"It is a small thing, sir. Please, don't strike the child." Rhiannon begged him, her eyes wide.

"Don't worry, I don't hit children," Loki assured her. "But that one needs a time out in the worst way."

"I need to see this," Balder said, putting the earplugs in.

Loki entered the nursery, Balder and Rhiannon peering in from the doorway. Toys and what appeared to be Eirunn's entire trunk of clothes lay scattered like a bomb had exploded all over the floor.

Halgran frowned as she stared at the redheaded child in the middle of it who was kicking and screaming about wearing a gold dress, at least what Loki could understand.

"Loki! Thank the Norns! She's in that mood again." Halgran said upon seeing him.

"I noticed. I'll handle it." He gestured for Halgran to leave.

"Sir?" Rhiannon whispered, her eyes wide as she picked up what she could.

"Don't clean, Healer. That's for her to do." Loki said. "Just watch." He took two steps and was standing near the screaming toddler. "Eirunn Tavisdottir, what do you think you're doing?" He pitched his voice somehow to carry over her without yelling.

Eirunn lifted her head from the carpet. Her face was red and wet with tears. "I wanna wear my gold dress, Loki! But they won't let me!"

"What did Halgran say, Eirunn?"

"That. . . it was dirty," she replied sulkily.

"Well, there's your answer. You can wear it after it's washed. Was that worth you having a fit?" his voice was low but firm and he Looked at her.

"I wanna wear my gold dress!" she repeated stubbornly.

"You don't always get what you want." He walked over and picked up a pretty lavender dress. "This one is lovely. Like a bouquet of lilacs. You would look very pretty in it."

"Really, My Prince?" she sniffed.

Rhiannon watched in silence, she held Balder's arm in worry for Loki and he flexed the muscle. He smiled at her and he noticed the ring on her finger, his eyes going wide.

He flexed a bit more, trying to impress her with his strength, and the child stood up, wiping her nose.

"Yes. However, princesses that throw things and hit people don't get to wear pretty dresses. Look at the mess you made!" Loki shook his head. "It looks like the trash monster had a party in here."

Eirunn hung her head. "I got mad."

"That's not an excuse. You hit Healer Rhee. What have I told you about hitting?"

"Hands are for hugging, not hitting " she recited.

"It is working, My Prince." Rhiannon whispered to Balder.

Balder nodded in amazement, thinking he wished he knew how to do what Loki was doing when he was raising his daughter Jorunne.

"Yes, but you broke that rule." Loki continued, giving her another Disappointed Look.

"Sorry, Prince Loki." she said to the carpet.

"That's a start." He pointed to the corner. "Go sit there and put your hands in your lap for four minutes. And think about what you did and what you should have done."

"But Prince Loki!"

"Now. Or shall I count?"

Eirunn shook her head rapidly. "No!" The child walked over and sat down with her hands folded. "You're mean! Time out sucks!"

Loki bit his lip to keep from laughing. She sounded like Aleta. "Don't throw a tantrum and hit people and you won't have to worry about it."

Loki timed her on his watch.

"Lady, your hands." Balder teased Rhiannon and she let go of his arm. She watched, Halgran putting an arm around her and smiling at her ring.

Rhiannon looked on in shock at the sight, amazement crossing her face and Halgran walked over to Loki.

"Why don't I send the Healer to take the little ones to breakfast?" She leaned close. "I need to speak to you."

"Okay." He nodded. Then he said to Eirunn, "When this is over you tell Healer Rhiannon you're sorry and go to breakfast. But after breakfast you come straight back here and clean up this mess. If you do a good job you will get a sticker at lunch. Don't and you will be right back in time out."

"Yes Prince Loki." The girl said, taking the dress from him.

His watch beeped. "You can come out now, spitfire."

She stood up, wiping her face on her sleeve and hugged the dress. "Sorry Healer."

"I... I accept." Rhiannon said, shocked near to fainting.

Eirunn ran to Loki. "I'll be good, sir!"

He hugged her. "All's forgiven. Now go get dressed. Your breakfast is waiting."

"Yes Prince Loki." The child said, trying to put the dress on herself.

"Do you need help?" he asked kindly.

"Yes." She said, wiggling a hand at him.

"How do you ask?"

"Please help me put this on, Prince Loki."

"Very good!" He moved so he is standing in front of her blocking the view. "Arms up, darling!"

"He is so wonderful with children." Rhiannon said to Halgran, the woman smiling back at her.

The child obeyed and he whisked her shift off and put the dress on, fixing it so it hung correctly. "How pretty you look, princess!"

She curtsied to him. "Thank you, My Prince."

He gestured and her shoes appeared on her feet.

Then he combed her hair. "All done."

"Do you wish anything of me, sir?" Rhiannon asked, and he saw Aleta and Max holding onto her skirts.

"Would you mind taking these three to breakfast? I need to discuss something with Halgran."

"Yes My Prince." She said, curtsying politely and she smiled at him softly.

Eirunn tapped his arm. "Prince Loki, I don't want the frownie sticker on the chart." She pointed to the large chart on the wall with her name, Aleta, and Max's names on it and stickers next to them. Beside Eirunn's there was a frowning face.

"You clean this mess up and that will have a smiley face.

"Yes Prince." The child said, running to catch up to Rhiannon.

She left, Balder following her and staring at the braids that made up her bun. Aleta and Max each took one of her hands, the little red haired girl holding her skirt.

"I saw a lovely ring on her finger. Should I assume who put it there, boy?" Halgran asked him, picking up a doll.

"I think you know exactly who put it there, Madame." Loki smiled.

"You put it on the wrong finger, Slippy." She sighed. "It goes on the other hand."

"I know. But that's a pledge ring for now. Until I can ask her properly. But first I need to speak with my father. There are several laws that need altering."

"I know, and I hope you get them changed. I like her, she is a sweet girl." Halgran said, grinning. "Virgin as well."

Loki flushed, nodding. "Of course. Father should be receptive now that I have cured him."

"I will hope that you did cure him. I would hate to see the girl hurt." She replied, nodding. "Such a pretty thing." Halgran said to herself.

"He's cured. I spent last night battling my grandfather's revenant and freeing him " Loki told her softly.

"Yes, Slippy. May I suggest that you hurry before our new friend throws another fit?"

"I'm going!" He blinked away to the dining hall.

He saw Rhiannon helping the children with their morning meal, cutting their food for them into pieces. Aleta giggled and tugged her skirt, reaching up and hugging the Healer. Loki gazed for a moment, and he saw a bit of shock in her eyes. Belle glared at a noble who was talking to Odin.

 _What's wrong, little Raven?_ He sent to his daughter.

 _That man ordered Rhiannon to be his mistress, starting tonight. She can't say no because of the laws._ Belle sent back, anger in her words.

The Nobleman started to leave, grabbing Rhiannon's arm on the way past.

"Tonight. Make sure you are clean." He ordered her and she shook.

"Yes. My Lord." She said, tears on her voice.

"No." Loki said coldly. "She wears my pledge ring. And is promised to me." He made a gesture and the Noble paled and said, "Forgive me, My Prince. I was unaware. I will seek elsewhere."

Odin looked up in shock, glaring at Loki. He returned to his meal, and Frigga looked afraid for a moment.

"Thank you My Prince." Rhiannon said, hurrying to the Servant' s table and taking her spot.

"Are you going to eat, Loki? Or are you going to stare at pretty girls?" Odin asked, his voice calm.

His son blinked. Then he sat down, saying, "Father, I need to speak with you after breakfast, if you are not busy."

"Of course. I feel very well today, my headache is gone and has not come back." Odin said, eating heartily.

Loki smiled. "That is good news, Father." He began to eat also, though rather distractedly.

Vince nudged the salt shaker by him and he nearly put it in his coffee before he realized what he was doing.

His son snickered.

"Nice try," Loki smirked.

"Who was that girl who tended to your youngest?" Odin asked, pointing at Rhiannon.

"That is Healer Rhiannon, my family physician. She has also agreed to wear my pledge ring." Loki replied.

"She has? A Commoner?" Odin said, looking at the girl.

Then he added, "You know her, Father. She saved Fenris' life. And you sponsored her to the Academy."

"I remember her now. Clever girl, but an awful mark on her face, you might enjoy her company for a while but that will fade." He pointed to a noblewoman. "That one is a nice girl as well. High born, and wealthy."

Loki shook his head. "No, Father. I've gone that route once. You know how that ended. But can we discuss this in private?" He felt himself flushing and cursed his pale skin.

"You're embarrassing your son, dear," Frigga whispered in Odin's ear.

"Very well, but I think you could do so much better than a maid." Odin said and waved a page over. "Where is her father? That girl over there?"

"Released, My King. Yesterday." The Paige replied and Odin nodded.

"Released? Why was he held again?" Odin asked the boy.

"He was drunken and disorderly."

Loki frowned _. And soon enough he'll go right back where he came from_ , he vowed. "He also insulted me and Thor, Father," Loki added. "So we locked him up."

"I see. Poor stock that girl is from, a drunkard father." Odin said, finishing his meal.

"Sir, that is not her fault. Once her father was one of your elite guards. But he was injured in your service and was retired." Loki began. "Her mother was an Ambassador's daughter."

"I am weary Loki, meet me later and we will discuss this." Odin said, standing and leaving.

"Of course, Father. In an hour?"

"I have meetings, I will see what I can do." Odin said and left. A page whispered something to Rhiannon and she nodded, excusing herself from her meal. She left, nearly running through the halls.

"Excuse me," Loki said and shifted into a large dog, a shepherd, and ran after Rhiannon. _Gods and hells, she is going to see her father!_

She hurried through the halls, running to the gate and her Father stood in the street. She shook in fear, taking her wages from her pocket and offering them to him.

"This all of it?" He sneered, taking the coins from her hand.

"Yes sir." she replied, and he grabbed hold of her hand.

"It does not seem that way. I gave you no permission to be courted! Turn him away, or I will tell them all your secrets." He growled, ripping the ring from her finger and throwing it in the grass. "No marriage until I allow it!"

Rhiannon threw herself after the ring, picking it up and shaking. She pleaded with him, begging him to allow a contract and he shoved a finger in her face.

"I warn you, you little bitch. Break this off, or I shall tell everyone what you did." He hissed at her and she trembled.

"Yes Father." She whispered, a tear falling down her cheek.

She sat in the grass, holding the ring to her chest as her father turned away. He counted the money in his hand and smiled in satisfaction, licking his lips.

Suddenly the dog was there, snarling. An instant later the dog became an angry Loki. "Do not threaten my betrothed, Rurik."

The man froze. "Prince Loki! _You_ are her betrothed?" A greedy look stole over his face. "I assumed it was a stupid man . . .I mean . . ."

"You assume much."

"Please, he is hungry My Prince." Rhiannon said, on her knees and still holding the ring in her hand.

Rurik sniveled, seeing his ticket to Easy Street walking away. "Please, your pardon, My Prince. I did not mean to offend."

"Sir?" Rhiannon looked up at him, offering him back the ring. "I am sorry My Prince." She said, another tear falling.

Loki closed her hand over it. "Put it back on. I meant your father assumed I was stupid."

"No, My Prince. I spoke in haste. Please, accept my apology," Rurik stammered.

"Accepted. Have I your permission to court your daughter?" he asked shortly.

"Yes! Court her, marry her, I care not!"

"Heard and witnessed!" Thor said from behind them.

"Stupid girl! Throw away such a smart match?" Rurik said, grabbing her arm and lifting her to her feet. She winced at the rough handling, not able to believe her ears and she was shoved at Loki like a doll. "Take her, she is a generous girl. She gave me her wages so I would not starve."

Her head spun, her balance off and she fell into Loki. The ring slipped out of her fingers, and she turned pale suddenly.

"Don't kill the poor girl." Thor said, helping Rhiannon to stand and catch her breath.

Loki caught the ring and slipped it on her finger. "I will come by and draw up a contract soon," he replied, longing to throttle the man.

"I will be ready to negotiate her dowry. My sweet, little Rhiannon." Rurik said, patting her cheek.

She cringed at the touch, looking scared for a moment.

"What just happened?" Rhiannon asked, looking very confused.

"Your father has agreed to our betrothal," Loki said.

"He has? I may marry you then?" She smiles, wrapping her arms around Loki.

Something in her eyes told Loki that she did not fully trust her father, but he was happy otherwise. He made a promise to draw up the contract that night, after he talked to Odin and convinced him of her being the perfect woman for him.

"Yes, you and I are going to be married," he said and she placed her cheek against his chest.

"Never let me go." She said softly, feeling safe in his arms.

"I never shall." He promised, his green eyes glowing with tender passion.

"Go on and kiss her, Loki," Thor chuckled. "I promise I won't give you pointers."

"Shut up, Thor!" Loki ordered.

She blushed, stepping up on her toes and laughed.

He dipped his head and their mouths met in a kiss that was the stuff dreams were made of. Sweet, enchanting, and passionate enough to take her breath away.

"I will raise a toast to you both, and wait for that contract." Rurik said, turning a coin in his fingers.

She stepped back, frowning a bit and nodded at her Father.

"I will be off then, I need to celebrate this event." Rurik said, thinking about the prostitute he was going to pay for with the money in his pocket.

Loki gave him a mock-salute, which made Thor start laughing.

"Laugh and you will not have my daughter." He warned, walking away.

"Should I go back to my duties sir?" Rhiannon asked, her voice small. She cursed losing the money, thinking about the lovely hair comb she wanted to buy.

"How much did you give him?" Loki asked, only then realizing what she had done.

"I..." She looked down at her feet, afraid she was going to get into trouble. "I gave him all that I had silvers and four coppers."

Loki reached into his pocket and gave her three silvers. "Here. You shouldn't have to give him all your pay."

"This is too much sir." She said in shock, trying to give him back the money.

Loki shook his head. "That extra is for helping me last night. Consider it a bonus."

"What if you need it for your children?" She asked, thinking about the amethyst and silver comb. She would wear it in her hair and hold her head high

"Love, I have more than enough money for them if I need it. I make so much money as Archmage that I just save it and I have vaults full."

"Yes sir." She said, putting the coins in her pocket. "May I run a short errand?"

"Sure, darling. I will meet you later, after I speak with my father. In the garden. We can have a picnic."

"Yes. My Prince." She smiles, kissing his cheek and running for the jeweler.

"I hope she keeps that for herself." Thor said, watching her run.

"Me too." Loki said. "I really need to speak with Father soon. Now that he's no longer ill I think many things will begin to change around here."

"I hope so, you also need to write a contract her Father will agree to. I wager her dowry will be a barrel of Dwarven Whiskey."

Loki snorted. "That and probably a willing woman as his mistress!"

Rhiannon ran to the jeweler, finding the comb with a butterfly still in the window. She squealed in joy, admiring the sparkling purple stones and composing herself before entering the shop. She walked in, the old woman taking two silver coins from her and wrapping the beautiful comp in a velvet pouch. Rhiannon runs back to the Castle, her smile wide and she hurries to her rooms to slip the comb into her hair near her bun.

"It is so beautiful." She breathed out, turning her head so that she could admire it in the vanity. She then walked to the infirmary, maids gaping at the smiling woman and whispering about her new comb.

Stefan looked up from writing something on a patient's chart and whistled in admiration. "Is it true that my friend gave you that?" He indicated the diamond ring.

"It is." She blushes. "He will put it on the other hand soon. I am so happy, Lord Stefan." She beamed.

"Loki has good taste," Stefan said approvingly. "I wish both of you every happiness, Lady." He bowed and kissed the air above her hand. "Don't want Loki to impale me." He joked.

"He is too kind for that, honestly." She smiled. "I actually came for a length of bandage. Aleta used some of mine this morning when she came to me with an injury."

"The little spark is injured?" Stefan said. "What happened?" He signed the chart and gave it back to his medical assistant.

"Another child bit her. I bound it with some medicine and made sure it was clean," she said, taking a roll of bandage from a cabinet.

Stefan's eyebrow climbed into his hair. "Norns, Loki must have had a fit. What did he do to the other child?"

"He made her sit quietly, with her hands in her lap for several minutes. She calmed, and said she was sorry."

"That's amazing! But then, all little children love Loki. Probably because he likes to play as much as they do," Stefan chuckled. "When we were in the Academy together, he used to give candy to all the little ones, and pull taffy out of their ears and peppermint sticks from their sleeves. It was great fun to watch."

"I have yet to see that. He did turn my tear into the diamond in this ring." She laughed, looking at her hand.

Stefan laughed. "He's such a romantic!"

"He is. I have to hurry, he wants to have a picnic with me." She said, her eyes shining with joy. "I don't want him to wait on me."

"I have a feeling he would wait forever if he had to," Stefan said.

"It still would be rude of me to leave him waiting." She replied, starting to leave.

Stefan watched her leaving as he smiled and went back to work.

Loki walked to Odin's study, men passing him in the hall as they left another meeting. All of them seemed to be in a good mood, talking amongst themselves as they walked.

"I can't believe the change," one of the men said.

"Yes, it is good to have the All Father back to his old self," the other man said.

"It is a good day for all of us." An old man said, carrying a bundle of papers.

"If you don't mind, I have a daughter to marry off. I gain twelve acres of land from this arrangement." A man said, walking past them.

Loki walked to the door to the study when he knocked on the door and heard Odin's voice telling him to enter. Loki came into the study. Odin sat at the large desk. For the first time in his long life, Loki didn't feel terrified or angry as he walked to the desk and Odin looked at him.

"Father," Loki said with a nod.

"Hello, my son," Odin said, nodding. "What brings you here?" He asked, looking up from his reading.

"I wish to talk to you about Rhiannon."

"Your betrothed?"

"Yes," he said and Odin saw the look in his eyes.

"Please sit," he said and Loki sat on the high back chair. Odin stood then he went to look out the window for a few minutes then he turned and looked at his youngest son. "I know better than most about marrying someone who is not the same class as we are..."

"Are you speaking of you and Mother?" he interrupted and Odin shook his head.

"I am speaking of your mother and father."

"I have heard people were not happy about him marrying an Asgardian."

"Not happy was the least of it. She was common blood, no lands or anything to speak of." Odin said, sighing. "Her grandfather lost all the Winterfrost lands and the title in a card game. Then her father married a Horse Folk Seer and they lived in the vardo and travelled all over Asgard with their magic show. It was a good life, one that I might have preferred had I not been the heir to the throne, but that did not stop my friend from marrying her."

"Even so, they were happy," Loki argued.

"She was not groomed, taught how to live in the manners of our world. She is not ready to be the Wife of a future King." Odin sighed. "She may never be."

"Are you speaking of my mother or Rhiannon?" Loki asked.

"Both of them. Monarchy is a dangerous game to enter. One moment you are the King, the next, the Pawn. Do you want to see her assassinated because she did not watch herself? Or do you want to see her live in peace? She is a farm girl, she may be able to read, but you throw her into a wolf's den by bringing her into a marriage to you."

"You would be surprised with how well she can handle herself if needed."

"Astra was a kind-hearted girl, always smiling. I wept when I found her dead, Loki! Do you want to find Rhiannon with a sword through her heart?" Odin pressed, needing to know if his son had thought this through.

The old man returned to his seat, looking at him as a father looks upon a son.

"I just want you to be completely sure this is what you want. That this is what she wants," Odin said with soft eyes. "The truest pain is seeing one you loved ripped from you, it scars deeply and you always blame yourself." Odin sighed, wiping at his good eye.

He looked out the window, his thoughts turning back a thousand years and he let out a long breath.

"You still miss Astra, don't you?" Loki asked intuitively.

"I will always do so. There will never be another woman like her," Odin said softly. "Long ago I thought I might marry her, but her heart was always Laufey's. She introduced me to Frigga, and then I realized that my heart did not commit to Astra for a reason. Think carefully, son, before you choose a wife. You have given her a good position in your household, I am sure she will remain happy. Is there anything else you want to discuss?"

"I wish to discuss the law about people who have magical powers or use magic."

"What about it? The law has been a lasting peace for us." Odin replied, looking at Loki.

"Did you know magic welders are being killed?!"

"I did and I am ordering a halt to executions however, and lifting some restrictions on it." The king said, handing Loki a page drafting a new law. "That was never my intention." He looked guilt-ridden. "My father hated mages. There were times I think he hated me for inheriting the Gift that ran in my mother's line. He made those laws, not me. But I amended them.

"I think you will find the section I added for all persons showing talents in magic to be educated in the Academy regardless of birth, satisfying. There is a young common girl in the city that may surpass you in her gifts." Odin laughed. "Formal education is what they need, and free reign to practice their gifts. The only executions I deem just now, are ones who use their gift to harm others. But then you know that already, Archmage."

"Like the Enchantress?"

"Do not remind me of Amora, we are still hunting her." Odin sighed, a page led in a young girl and her parents. He smiled at the child and laughed.

"This little one is who I was speaking of. What is your name. child?"

"Lillibeth." The girl replied, bowing politely.

"You know Loki, don't you? Would you like to show him your talent?" Odin asked and she smiled. Odin handed her a seed and she held it in her hands, before their eyes it sprouted and grew into a seedling and soon bloomed into a daisy.

"Very good child!" Odin said, praising the girl. "Imagine her gifts at work and ending hunger by her touching the soil and growing surplus crops."

"Can I learn at the school, King Odin?" The child asked, still holding the flower.

"Of course you can," Odin said and Loki nodded. She smiled when the leaves of the daisy grew longer and longer and started climbing up the wall.

"Oooops!" she said and Loki knelt next to her.

"It's fine," he said and she looked at him.

"Sorry My King. I got too happy." Lillibeth said, her parents and the page laughing.

"We're not angry with you. Now, just calm down and bring them back to the daisy."

Nodding, Lillibeth closed her eyes when the leaves shimmered in a green light then returned to the daisy.

"Well done!" Odin said, clapping his hands and she smiled.

"Can I help the hungry people?"

"Yes, but only after you have a little more training," Loki said while he stood and she nodded.

"Yes sir. I promise to learn everything."

"Just don't forget to go out and play. Studying is fine, but you need to enjoy your childhood."

"Yes Prince Loki." She said and gave him the daisy.

The little girl giggled and touched a wilting rose in a vase, making it perk back up.

Nodding, Loki took the daisy as Lillibeth left with the page and her parents and Loki looked at Odin.

"Is there anything else you wish to speak to me about?" Odin asked.

"There are quite a few things," Loki said and Odin looked down at the papers on his desk.

"I have been going over the laws my father had issued and there are so many which need to be rewritten or made void," Odin said with a sigh and Loki walked closer.

"Would you like me to help you?" Loki asked.

"Believe it or not, yes, I would," Odin said and Loki smiled.

Rhiannon tidied up her workspace, checking her hair and dress before running to the garden, she found a bench to wait on for Loki. Hours passing while both men worked in Odin's study. Soon the afternoon turned late and she debated leaving and going back in.

She stood eventually, straightening her uniform and walking back to her room. "He must be very busy." She thought, walking in and preparing for supper.

Suddenly, she heard a knock. Opening the door she saw Loki standing in the hallway. She thought it was sweet with how guilty he looked and he looked down at his feet.

"My Prince. I was not expecting to see you until the hall for supper." She said, smiling gently. "You must have been terribly busy, there is so much to do. Is there not?"

"Yes, and I want to tell you how sorry I was for being late," he said, looking up.

"It was fine."

"No, it was rude."

"Why were you so late?"

"I was helping my father with something."

"And it took longer than you thought?" she asked and gave him a hint of a smile.

"Yes," he said with a nod. "Am I forgiven?"

"Yes."

"Then I will see you at supper," he said then vanished and she leaned against the doorway.

"I suppose that is life when you are married to a King." She said smiling. Then she closed the door and went to get ready for supper

She washed her face and hands, putting her hair into a neater bun and slipping the comb back in her hair. She smiled at herself, leaving to walk to the Hall. She entered and took her seat at the usual table, waiting for everyone to be seated.

Loki and Odin entered after his children arrived, plates set in front of everyone and all beginning to eat. Loki talked intently with Odin, not seeing her smile at him. She turned to her own plate, taking the comb out of her hair and slipping it into her pocket.

She jumped when the comb floated out of her pocket then was placed neatly in her hair again and she saw Loki smiling at her.

She blushed, smiling to herself and other maids stared and whispered to one another. No one else at the table talked to her, her meal taken alone and she sighed at her end of the long row.

"Let them stare and whisper," a voice in her head said. "You know they are just being rude and what they say doesn't matter. You know the truth and that is all that matters."

Max picked up his plate, walking over and sitting next to Rhiannon. The little boy smiled at her, eating his food and talking to her.

Soon Aleta followed her brother then the rest of the children joined them and Rhiannon noticed the other maids had stunned looks on their face.

 _You're right,_ she thought and laughed at something Sam told her.

Fenris reached over, stealing a piece of meat off Vince's plate. All of them laughing and soon the table is so loud they have attention of the entire hall.

"Keep it down." A maid hisses, glaring at the group at the other end of the table.

"I cannot believe they want to be seen sitting with...that," a maid whispered.

"She is a beast that should have been strangled at birth." Her friend whispered back. Loki watched Rhiannon twist Serena's hair into a bun, securing it with her comb and the two laughed.

"We should prank those maids, they are rude." Hunter said, grinning.

"And nasty," Belle added. "What shall we do? Spiders in their hair?"

"Oh, I don't like spiders." Rhiannon said, shivering. "What about honey in their beds?"

"A waste of good honey." Fenris said. They all debated for a long moment, and Rhiannon clapped her hands.

"There is a certain herb, when you put the oil on your skin, it smells horrid. We can put it in the cistern for the dormitories and when they shower the next day, they will stink terribly because of it.

"That's perfect!" Sam whispered.

"Where do we find the herbs?" Belle asked.

"I have some in my chambers. I extracted the oil for medicine, and I should warn you all. The maids will stink for two days." Rhiannon whispered, giggling.

Loki looked over at the suddenly quiet table, recognizing a plot for a prank beginning. He laughed to himself, noticing Rhiannon whispering to the boys.

"What are you up to, Goldenwing?" he thought and sipped on some wine.

"We can just drop the jar into the water." Fenris suggested.

"Hold your nose, it is truly awful smelling in concentrate." Rhiannon replied. The children giggled and everyone looks at one another.

"Who gets to put it in the water?" Sam asked.

"Water is my specialty, so I'll do it," Jorgy said, grinning.

"I can give you a handkerchief with some lavender oil on it so your eyes don't burn." Rhiannon said. Everyone giggled suddenly, Loki noticing a sly grin on her face.

"Go by her room after supper and get it Jorgy, then I will keep watch while you drop it in." Fenris laughed.

"Is there something wrong, son?" Odin asked.

"I think there is some mischief afoot and I'm not included," Loki said.

"Who is planning such a thing?" he asked and Loki nodded toward the kids and Rhiannon. "Ah!"

"You will not be angry if they do it?"

"I will be a little cross, but, as long as no one is badly hurt, I will allow it."

"You really have changed," he teased and Odin laughed.

"This is going to smell like victory." Sam whispered.

"Or Uncle Thor's socks." Lucy giggled.

"What do you think they are planning?" Frigga asked, grinning at her son. "I do like her by the way, she is good with the children.

"With my kids it could be almost anything." Loki replied. "But I do know one thing. Whoever they are planning to prank most likely deserves it."

"Oh. I hope they don't hurt anyone." Frigga said, sighing.

"My kids know better," Loki reassured her. "Their pranks don't harm, they just humiliate a bit."

The table laughed again, all of them getting loud and a maid stood up and hit the table.

"Quiet down! We are talking over here!" she said, sitting again and sighing.

He saw Max crawl into Rhiannon's lap, she letting him and rocking him gently as he sucked his thumb. Fenris smiled at them both, nudging Hunter and Serena giggled at the scene.

Sam laughed, pointing at Max and Rhiannon looked down at the sleeping child in her lap.

"Oh dear. I cannot move," Rhiannon chuckled.

Loki looked over and smiled as he saw Rhee rocking his youngest son. Then he thought _, Look, Father. There is the woman I will marry. Because she loves me and she loves my children. And that is what truly matters. Everything else . . . is window dressing._

She looked back at Loki, waving at him and trying to get his attention. She pointed at Max, waving again and Frigga laughed.

"Now that is darling. He fell asleep in her lap." Frigga said.

"And that is not something Max does to just anyone. Not after what he's been through with the woman who bore him." Loki murmured. "I'd better go and rescue her."

Rhiannon smiled tenderly at the child, thinking to herself how wonderful it felt to be a mother. She smoothed his hair, cradling him in her arms and smelling his shampoo.

"Looks like my little imp needs to be put to bed," Loki said. coming to stand next to her. "I guess you've joined the Circle of Trust."

"Circle of Trust?"

"Yes. That's the few people Max trusts to fall asleep on."

"He is such a sweet child. He is so very tired though. Do you want me to walk with you, My Prince?"

"Indeed, my lady." He gently lifted his sleeping son and placed him on his shoulder. Then he held out his arm to Rhiannon.

She took it, smiling and said goodnight to the rest of the children.

"They are all so happy and well mannered, you are a wonderful father to them... if I may speak freely." She said, walking with him.

Serena ran up, giving Rhiannon back her comb and she slipped it in her pocket.

"You may. You may always do so," Loki murmured.

"I enjoyed holding him sir, he is so very sweet." she said, opening the door for him. "I am sad I cannot bear children though."

"You don't know for sure yet," Loki soothed. "And until you do there is still hope. In fact I have known couples who were told they could not have kids who actually proved doctors wrong and had them."

"Yes sir." She sighed, turning down the bed for Loki. "I will still enjoy being their mother however."

Loki laid Max in his bed and tucked the covers around him.

Rhiannon stood back, smiling and folding her hands quietly. She waited, watching Loki care for his son.

She was struck by the resemblance between them. They looked like blood relations. She would bet that Max looked very much like Loki at that age.

"He looks so much like you, sir." She said, looking at the child and him.

"I know. Everyone says so. Thor thought at first that he _was_ my blood son when I first brought him home. But the truth is that he just resembles me." Loki told her. "His mother . . . she was a prostitute and she died of a drug overdose. She never knew who his father was. It says on his adoption papers Father Unknown."

"Could it be another relative, sir?" Rhiannon asked, looking concerned.

"I . . . don't know of another relation. I was the only child that Laufey and Astra had. And I have cousins but none that I know of that would have gone down to Midgard. Unless . . .my father had an illegitimate child and he fathered Max." He shook his head. "Anyway, it doesn't matter to me. Max is my son now."

"Yes sir." Rhiannon replied, picking up the stuffed wolf and putting it in the bed next to Max. She smiled at the child, trying to push away any suspicions of Loki being his actual father.

"Shall we go My Prince?" She asked, waiting for him patiently.

"Yes. Let's go. I believe they are serving dessert now."

"Perhaps it will be something delightful."

They begin to walk down the hallway.

"What's your favorite dessert?" he asked. "Mine is anything with strawberries, chocolate, or peanut butter."

"I never received one enough to find a favorite, sir." she said, laughing.

"Oh. Well . . . maybe one day we will have a dessert lunch and you can find out. Unless you think that's silly."

"I enjoyed the cake last night, and the baked apples the night before. Please don't think me ungrateful." She said, shaking her head.

"I owe you a picnic," he murmured.

"I am not offended that you were busy." She reassured him.

"I should have sent word that I was unable to come. But I just . . . lost track of time. My father and I were redoing all the laws that the revenant had made. There were a lot of them."

"Please, don't fret sir. I understand, and I was not hurt at all." She said, resting a hand on his arm.

"Loki. Call me Loki when we're alone." He entreated. "I like it when you say my name."

"Yes Loki." she laughed, teasing him a bit. "Loki! Loki! Loki!"

She did a silly dance as she said his name, making him laugh.

She loved the way he laughed. It was like someone took all the joy in the universe and put it inside him and when he laughed it all spilled out.

Thor and Balder walked out of the dining hall, seeing Rhiannon dancing about and chanting his name.

"Lo-ki ha!" she said and swung her hips. "Lo-ki hoy!" She said and turned on her toes and made like she was casting a spell.

"Is this a Jotun mating ritual?" Balder asked and Rhiannon turned bright red.

"It was a bit erotic in a way." Thor said. Especially the part with the hips."

"It's called none of your business, brother!" Loki frowned. "Now scat!" He waved them away. _Dammit, why do they have the worst timing?_

"Oops." Rhiannon said, turning even more red.

"How did that go? Lo-ki Ha!" Balder said, Thor nearly falling over laughing.

Loki put his arm around her. "Come on, darling. Let's go and leave the hyenas to their carcass of mead."

"As you wish." She burst out laughing. She had to hold her stomach, the muscles aching from the motion.

Loki laughed too and their laughter mingles together like the finest symphony.

"I did not mean to look so foolish." She said, gasping for air, they both entered the hall and she headed back to her seat.

"I enjoyed it," he grinned. "It's good to be silly. It means you're happy."

"I have no reason now to be sad."

Loki returned to his seat where he found a bowl of chocolate strawberry trifle waiting. His eyes lit up. "Mmm! One of my favorites!"

"How is little Max?" Frigga asked, handing him his spoon.

"Sleeping like a baby," Loki said, taking the spoon and starting to eat.

"I saw that. She was very patient with him, and it seems another has her lap now." Frigga said, pointing at Rhiannon as she carefully ate her mousse around a sleeping Aleta.

"Oh, Norns! I should have made Aleta come to bed when I took Max. Eirunn too." Loki said ruefully.

"She does not seem to mind dear. Enjoy your dessert." His mother said, looking at him. "What were you both laughing about so loudly?"

"A joke," he said, his emerald eyes twinkling. He ate another mouthful of trifle, savoring the delicate and sweet flavor.

"It was good to hear you laugh. You have not done that in a long time." She remarked, watching Rhiannon and Aleta.

"I have not found much to laugh at . . . until now," he admitted.

"I am glad you did." she said, turning toward him. "I do support this union, if it is what you want."

"It is," he replied calmly. "No other woman has ever made me feel the way she does. Because she does not love what I am or what I have, but she loves the man. And I love her the same way."

Rhiannon ate half of hers, wiping her mouth neatly and pushing the bowl back. She rocked Aleta gently, smiling at a noblewoman who walks by.

"And she seems to enjoy the children as well dear."

"She does. She loves them. And that means the world to me."

"If you do love her that much, I will speak to your father."

"Thank you, Mother. I did try and tell him but . . . he worries that I do not know my own mind. I always do. Especially after my first marriage. And if it will help, I have approval from Valhalla." He sent to her. _Last night Astra and Laufey came to me in a dream. We spoke of many things but they showed me my future with Rhiannon. We are happy, Mother. We will have six children, and two will be twins, as far as I was shown._

The maids leave, Fenris taking Aleta from her and Rhiannon leaving with Jorgy. Loki watched them both, wondering what they are going to do.

"Twins! You must be ecstatic." Frigga said.

Lok nodded. "Yes. Laufey said twins run in his family. He said he was one but his twin sister died when she was a baby."

"I am sorry for his mother. It is no easy thing to lose a child." Frigga spoke quietly.

Fenris handed Aleta off to Sam and leaving, Jorgy waved at him while hiding something in his clothes.

"What are they up to?" Frigga asked, watching Rhiannon return.

"Some kind of mischief." Loki mused. "Sometimes . . . I wonder what it might have been like if Lanie was here." He said this half to himself, not realizing he had spoken aloud.

"I would probably be wondering if she were part of the mischief." Frigga said, smiling sadly.

He blinked. "Did I just say that out loud?" He laughed softly. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to make you sad."

"It is fine Loki, I will mourn her, mentioned or not. Are they going to steal shoes again?" Frigga sighed, pointing at the giggling group.

"Oh Norns, I hope not!" He chuckled. "Let us pray they are not stealing anything."

"I will do that." Frigga said. "You did bring her out of her shell."

"And she brought me out of mine," Loki admitted.

"You were good for one another then." Frigga concluded, watching the group laugh as Jorgy and Fenris returned. "I am now nervous."

The next morning, Loki woke and smelled something awful in his room, he groaned at the pungent odor and thought for a moment the dog left a mess on the rug. He opened his eyes, seeing the canopy of his bed and remembered he was in Asgard, a gagging sound leading him to the cause of the stench.

"Sorry sir. It is in our skin. The whole castle smells because something was wrong with the water in our showers." The maid said, unable to stand her own body odor.

Loki gasped and cast a spell to deaden his sense of smell before he threw up. Then he thought this must be the prank the kids pulled last night.

"It is awful, My Prince. I am terribly sorry." she muttered, just as Balder burst into the room.

"Nine Hels! They all stink!" He groaned, gasping for air. "Open the window!"

Loki waved a hand and the window flew open. Then he cast the same spell on Balder as he had on himself.

"Thank you, Brother. We need to burn that cistern." Outside, he heard the distinct sound of Odin pacing. His staff striking the ground.

"Father is pacing," Loki said. "He only does that when he is thinking. Or worried about something."

"He has the culprits lined up in the hall." Balder said. "All of them."

Loki sighed. "I had better get down there then." He got out of bed and his clothes flowed onto him. Then he teleported into the hall

Lined up were all of his children, Rhiannon at the end. They all looked at the floor, trying not to laugh.

"By the Nine, ALL of you?" Loki exclaimed.

"Good morning, My Prince." Rhiannon said, curtsying.

"Sleph was not in on it." Hunter said, and he looked worried.

"That's good to know," the Master of Mischief laughed. "I should be glad they don't think I was in on it."

Several smelly maids glared at the line, all of them furious. Flies buzzed around their heads, and they all crossed their arms.

"She should be dismissed and thrown into the streets." One said.

"Punish them!" Another shouted.

"We should throw them into that shower and let them stink too." Another Maid said, pointing at them.

"Oh pipe down!" Loki ordered. "What did you do to earn this?"

"Nothing!" The Maid shouted, waving her arms and Loki cringed from the smell.

"You were mean to Rhiannon!" Aleta shouted, crossing her arms. "Now you are a stinky boo meanie!"

"Sweet Valhalla!" Loki coughed. "Stop! You're spreading it! This is as bad as the time my dog got sprayed by a skunk."

"Punish that child! She has no right!" The Maid shouted.

The entire line began giggling, pressing cuts of bandages with lavender water spray on them to their noses.

Half-covering his nose, he asked, "Spark, what did you hear?" Aleta heard everything. especially things she wasn't supposed to.

"They said that Rhiannon was nasty and you could do better." Aleta said, handing her father an extra cut of the bandages. "And they called her a dirty whore."

"They smell awfully dirty now." Sleph said, breathing through the cloth.

Frigga held a handkerchief to her nose, spraying it with perfume.

"I beg your pardon?" Loki snarled, taking the bandage and spinning around to confront the maids, who backed away from him.

The old adage came to their minds, be wary of rousing a wizard's wrath.

"It was all my idea to use the extract of skinkweed." Rhiannin said, spraying her own piece of bandage again."I did not know that hot water would make it more pungent though."

"Hmm. I thought I recognized that," Loki said. "Thor and I used to prank Fandral with stinkbombs with that in it."

"What are we to do with all of them?" Odin sighed. "What punishment would be fair, Loki?" Odin paced, studying his son for a moment.

"Sleph is innocent." Fenris said.

"Well . . . since the maids cannot perform their duties this morning, I think these pranksters should do their jobs for them. Until I figure out how to neutralize this."

"That is fair." Odin said, the line looking shocked.

"Even Rhiannon?" Fenris said.

"You were the mastermind?" Loki asked her, sighing.

"Yes My Prince. Max, Aleta, and I can make the beds and distribute fresh linens." Rhiannon said, lowering her eyes.

"Good. You do that." He looked at Nate. "Nate, you can set the table in the dining hall. The rest of you, pick a chore and do it. Sleph, you're excused."

"Hunter and I can mop the floors." Vince said, sighing.

"Jorgy and I will collect the dirty linens." Fenris said.

"Serena and I can sweep the floors," Belle volunteered.

"Sam and I can wash clothes." Lucy said.

"Just remember to sort the color clothes from the white ones," Loki said,

"Yeah. Last time we didn't, we all wore pink underwear," Vince said and the kids laughed.

"When we finish, we will help fold." Jorgy said.

"Nate, can you dust the furniture in our wing?" Loki asked his son.

"I can Dad." Nate said.

"We will help dust when we finish." Rhiannon said.

"No favors for his wench." One maid laughed.

"Mind your mouth." Loki ordered the maid. "Before you open it and frogs fall out of it."

The maid crossed her arms, a bit of silver peeking of her pocket.

"Good," Loki said then walked to the maid. "Mind showing me what is in your pocket."

"I found it on the floor this morning." She takes out Rhiannon's comb.

"Why didn't you return it to her?"

"I did not know it was hers. " She said, looking defiant. "Too fancy for her type."

"Really? Don't lie to me. Everyone saw her wearing it last night in the hall."

"I did not see it." She replied, handing it to him. "Cheap garbage anyways."

"I had that on my vanity, sir. I put it there last night." Rhiannon said.

"Was it there when you woke up this morning?" He asked.

"No, sir. I thought Serena borrowed it, it does look pretty in her hair and I said she could."

"I would have asked first, Rhiannon." Serena said. "And it's not cheap. She told me it was real silver with amethysts and twilight quartz."

"I paid three silver for it, sir." Rhiannon said.

"I can tell. I know something about gemstones since they are a favorite medium for us mages to enchant," Loki replied.

"Where did she get the money to buy it?" one of the maids asked.

"In his bed," the other maid said and Loki's eyes flared red.

"If you can't say something nice, then you shouldn't say anything at all," Loki growled at the maid. "I find that usually when one says something insulting to someone it's because they have done that very thing they accuse the other person of."

"I helped the Prince with an important matter and he paid me." Rhiannon replied.

"How could you help? Did you open your legs?" A Maid shot out. Rhiannon clenched her fists, shifting into the hawk and flying to Odin's throne.

One of the maids opened her mouth to speak then closed her mouth from the angry looks from Loki and Odin

"Enough!" Loki snapped. "Cease thy words, evil tongue!" He made a discreet gesture and the maid's tongue was frozen.

Odin walked over to the throne when he held his arm out and Rhiannon flew to his arm. He walked back to Loki when he placed the hawk on the floor and Rhiannon shifted back.

"My lucky charm! It was Rhiannon?" Odin said.

"Yes My King. I did it because it made you so happy. I liked seeing you smile when I flew past your windows."

"I should have known. Most hawks are not so tame. Thank you, dear lady," he said and Rhiannon blushed.

"Thank you, My King. For sharing your meal."

"We have to race in our shift forms Rhiannon." Fenris said, laughing. "I bet I am faster."

"No wonder he wants her," one maid muttered. "She is a beast like him."

Odin's good eye narrowed. "What did you say?"

"She said Rhee was a beast like Daddy and that's why he wants her," Aleta replied.

"Thank you, spark," Loki said, trying hard not to smile.

"Rude." Serena said, crossing her arms.

"Excuse me?" Aleta said and Serena groaned.

"Not you. Her!" Serena said pointing.

"She needs her mouth washed out with soap," Max said.

"That is for saying bad words," Aleta said.

"Yeah, but she said something mean."

"Is that why, sir?" Rhiannon asked, wringing at her hands.

"No," Loki said and she saw the sweetness in his eyes.

"Dad loves you!" Belle said and giggled.

"He is over the moon!" Sam said.

"He has it so bad for you," Vince said and Hunter nodded.

"Thank you. That's enough," Loki said and Rhiannon saw the blush moving over his cheeks and the tips of his ears were pink.

"I have it bad for him." She repeated, laughing. "That is good right?"

"Yes, that's good," Sam said and Rhiannon gave Loki a sweet look.

"Disgusting," one of the maids said.

"Silence!" Odin said and his voice echoed around them.

"Y'all messed up now." Vince said.

"Now you did it," Aleta cried. "Bestefar's mad."

"Man, I guess you really can't fix stupid," Nate said.

"They did quite poorly!" Rhiannon said, shrugging as she tried to play along.

"Good try." Vince said, patting her on the back.

"Maybe we should let them do their duties then," Odin said and the maids gasped. "It will warn the others they are nothing, but rumor mongers."

"What about Rhiannon and my children?" Loki asked,

"I said as long as no one was hurt, their prank would be forgiven."

"Yes! No chores!" Hunter said.

"I don't think it is that easy." Sam said.

"You're right," Loki said, looking at them. "You will still be setting the tables in the hall and will help serve today's breakfast, lunch and supper. And Rhiannon can make the beds with Max and Aleta."

"And cleaning up afterwards," Odin added.

"Sounds fair," Sam said and the kids nodded.

"We will go get started on the beds." Rhiannon said, taking Aleta and Max.

"Just keep an eye on them," Sam warned. "They like to pillow fight."

"Do not!" Aleta said, folding her arms over her chest and pouted.

"Yeah, we do," Max said and she hushed him.

"So do I," Rhiannon whispered and they giggled.

Loki knew she didn't know what they were talking about, but the thought of her making things easy for the toddlers made his heart soar.

"Hurry up then Rhiannon! Let's go!" They pull her hands, and she lets them lead her.

"I cannot! someone put glue on my shoes!" Rhiannon said, pretending to be stuck. Both children pulled at her legs, trying to free her.

"Daddy! Help!" Max said and Rhiannon laughed.

"Is that the Asgardian version of too much gravity?" Sam asked, laughing.

"Maybe," Hunter said as he giggled.

"We need to play the Floor Is Lava," Lucy said.

"Yeah!" Vince said.

"What game is that?" Fenris asked.

"You pretend the floor is made of lava so you gotta climb on things to get away from it. Like the wall and furniture and window ledges and stuff. And if you touch the floor you're out."

"I'm really good at the game," Vince said,

"Yes, you are, Daredevil. I'm amazed I don't have white hair like Bestefar from what you do to prevent from falling into the lava," Loki teased.

"Rhiannon can play." Sam said.

"We can all play," Loki said,

"But only after you finish your punishments," he added.

Suddenly they heard an angry little voice yelling, "Prince Loki! Something died in here and it stinks!"

"Oh great," Loki said and Eirunn walked in.

"Phew! They stink!"

"Yes, I know, Princess," Loki sighed.

"They need to take a bath!" she declared haughtily.

"They did, that is the problem." Vince said laughing.

"They smell worse then my daddy's boots!"

Loki smothered a laugh.

"You little brat!" one of the maids shouted and Eirunn hid behind Loki.

"Mind your tongue! That is the Princess of Alfheim you're addressing," Loki scolded.

"Yeah!" Eirunn said and stuck her tongue out at them.

"Don't do that," Loki whispered to her. "Your tongue might get smelly."

The child giggled and pulled her tongue in,

"Prince Loki, I want my breakfast,"

"We will have breakfast as soon as the tables are set."

"I want it now!" she shrieked and Loki sighed.

"We better set the tables. And fast!" Belle said.

"Feed me!" Eirunn shouted.

"Is she that plant from Little Shop of Horrors?" Hunter asked and Sam giggled.

"Perhaps you would like to practice being a queen, Eirunn?" Frigga suggested. She gestured and a child sized throne appeared, along with a fake crown and scepter. "Look, here is your throne."

"Ooooooo!" Eirunn said with wide eyes.

She ran and put the crown on and sat down on it. Then she pointed her scepter and pretended to judge people.

"Brilliant, Mother!" Loki mouthed.

Frigga smiled. "That usually worked with Thor."

"Kneel!" The little girl shouted, waving her scepter.

"Now she sounds like you," she teased and Loki rolled his eyes.

Odin noticed the stunned and confused looks on the maids faces while they watched what was going on when he sighed and shook his head.

"Return to your duties," Odin demanded and the maids nodded, walking away.

"Maybe you could practice being a noce queen?" Rhiannon suggested and the little girl glared.

"Kneel!" She demanded, pointing at Rhiannon.

"I beg your pardon Lady?" Rhiannon said.

"KNEEL!" She screamed. Rhiannon dropped to her knees.

"Wait," Odin said as he walked to her and Eirunn looked up at him. "Tell me."

"Kneel," she said and Odin slowly knelt next to Rhiannon. Eirunn smiled as he gave her a wink and she giggled. "May I stand now, My Queen? My old knees can't take much more."

"Yes!" she said and he slowly stood up.

"May I stand as well?" Rhiannon asked.

"Yes!" she said and Odin helped Rhiannon to her feet.

"He did that with Thor, too," Frigga whispered to Loki.

"All, but King Odin and the nice lady kneel!" Eirunn yelled and Loki gave her a look. "Please."

They all knelt down as she gave a pleased look and folded her arms over her chest.

"You may stand," she said and the kids smiled at each other.

Aleta walked over to Eirunn. "You can't forget the magic words," she whispered loudly. "Or else nobody wants to play with you."

"Yeah cause if you're rude and nasty you end up like those stinky maids!" Max said.

"No!" Eirunn yelped in horror.

"Please jump on one foot." Eirunn said, and everyone started jumping up and down.

"Quack like ducks!" Eirunn said and everyone groaned.

"You forgot." Aleta said.

"Please quack like ducks."

They started quacking as she giggled and Rhiannon covered her mouth with her hands to hide her laughter.

"Quack." Rhiannon said, waving her arms not to fall as she jumped. "

"I did not know I would have an exercise regiment today."

The kitchen staff, who did not stink, carried their breakfast in and gaped at the sight.

"My word," one of the servers said,

"Reminds me of when Prince Thor was a lad," the oldest server said with a shake of her head.

"Which one are they indulging now?" The young one said.

"None of Prince Loki's children. It's that little princess of Alfheim Loki is watching for her father. Prince Tavi's child."

"She is a horror." The young woman said, setting out the food.

"That is just a rumor," the server said as they went to set up the tables.

"Excuse me, Your Highness," Sam said as she saw the servers setting the tables. "My siblings and I need to help set up for breakfast. May we be dismissed?"

"Yeah!" Eirunn aid with a wave and the kids ran to help.

"My lady and I need to go there," Odin said and she looked as he pointed to the golden thrones.

"You may leave," she said and he took Frigga's hand, leading her to the thrones.

"Remind me to tell Thor of this," Frigga said.

"Yes, he will find it amusing," Odin said as he helped her sit then sat down.

Rhiannon still jumped, accidentally colliding with Loki and the both of them fell over. He rolled mid fall, and she landed on top of him.

"Oh dear, are you hurt My Prince?" She asked him, moving a stray hair in his face.

"Just my pride," he said and she blushed.

"Kids present!" Sam reminded them and Loki laughed.

"I should get up." She said, blushing and found herself unable to move. "Sir, my skirt is caught in your belt buckle."

"Hold still," he said as he moved his fingers and the green light moved over her skirt and freed her.

Her eyes went wide, shocked for a moment and she stood up.

"It is good to be freed. sir." She said, dusting herself off.

They went over to the breakfast table and Eirunn soon followed. The child seemed hungry this morning, cleaning her plate and asking for more. Loki was careful though to give her more eggs and bacon than pancakes because Eirunn on a sugar high was a nightmare waiting to happen.

After they had all eaten and cleared away the dishes, Aleta, Max, Eirunn and Little Loki went to play outside. Loki went to his workroom to figure out an antidote to the smelly maids. He decided to try something similar to neutralizing a skunk odor and mixed some baking soda with hydrogen peroxide and dish soap.

He then called one of the affected maids and asked her to try some on her hands. The solution worked and he made several batches of it after he threw five more concentrated ones into the contaminated cistern to neutralize the plant odor. He then used magic to clean and refill the cistern so the maids could shower with their solution.

Everyone was grateful for this.

About two hours had passed and he decided to call his toddlers in for a nap. Eirunn especially grew cranky if she didn't have one and Loki was not in the mood to deal with it. He went out to the lawn near the Queen's Garden where he knew the small ones played. He saw them playing a game of hide and seek.

He saw Aleta, Max, and Loki but no Eirunn. He assumed she was hiding.

"Hi Daddy." Aleta said.

"Hello. It's nap time, spark." He greeted his daughter.

"Good, cause I'm sleepy." His youngest said. Then she ran around calling the others.

Max and Loki came out, but not Eirunn.

"Eirunn, ya can quit hiding now!" Aleta yelled.

"Maybe she fell asleep?" Kara's son suggested. "I did that when I was small and my mama found me asleep in a cabinet."

But they looked in all the hiding spots and couldn't find her. Loki tried not to panic. "Maybe she went to use the bathroom?"

But a search of the nearest one revealed nothing. "Go and see if she's in the nursery and didn't tell you."

However, Halgran had not seen her. A concerned Loki asked Halgran to put his two down for a nap then went and called Fenris, Sleph, Jorgy, and Rhiannon to search in their shift forms.

Loki blurred into his ebony wolf form and tried to track the little girl at the edge of the lawn.

He could smell the little girl had wandered into the woods and he slowly began to track her.

Rhiannon had shifted into hawk form and called, "I will search from above, My Prince!"

She flew off through the trees, her superior eyesight alert for any sign of the child.

"I will search the northwest part," Jorgy said, and walked off through the trees calling Eirunn's name.

"I'll take the west!" Sleph said, and shifted into his stallion form, as he could cover more ground that way.

"Father, she went through here," his wolf son reported, his gray coat blending with the underbrush. "There's no sign of a struggle, so she must have wandered off."

"That's what I think too," Loki whuffed. "I found her scent over here."

Just as he was about to go deeper into the forest, he heard a familiar voice call, "Loki, I'm back early! Is my daughter behaving for you?"

Loki froze. Ah, Nine Hells! Tavi's home! He shook himself. Fenris, keep tracking her. I need to tell Tavi what has happened.

Feeling slightly sick, he shifted back into his Aesir form and went to meet his friend.

Tavi greeted him with a smile. "Loki, there you are! The servants said you were out here. I got out of my conference early and decided to head back. I hope my little princess hasn't been too much trouble?"

"No more than most toddlers," Loki said quietly.

Tavi bit his lip. "I hope . . . she didn't grow angry and throw things."

"Of course she did," Loki said with a brief nod.

"Oh Norns! Sometimes she . . . has these flare up and I . . . I don't know what to do so I . . . usually just give her what she wants," his friend coughed uncomfortably.

"That's not how I dealt with it," Loki said. He explained what he did and why.

"That really worked? I'm impressed!" the skald said. "Truly. I . . . didn't want to mention that before in case you . . ." He flushed. "I will have to try that. I would rather do that than resort to a whipping like the ones my father used to give me."

"It's the same with me," Loki murmured. "But Tavi, right now we have a bit of a problem. Eirunn is missing."

"Missing? What do you mean?" the skald stammered.

Loki explained that the children had been playing hide and seek and when he called for them to come and take a nap, Eirunn had not come out.

"She hates naps, maybe she's just hiding," Tavi said. "She does that with me."

"We checked everywhere on the lawn." Loki told him. "Now we're searching the woods. I smelled her scent over here." He indicates the strip of brush.

Tavi frowned, looking alarmed. "You can track her, right, Loki?"

"Fenris and I were doing that," Loki reassured him. "I'm so sorry."

"The important thing is that we find her. She can't have gone far." Tavi took his lute off his shoulder and removed it from his case. "You track her as a wolf and I can track her with Lady Songbird." He strummed a certain set of notes on his lute and the air around him glowed.

Above, the hawk circled and gave a cry, she dove into the woods and returned with something in her talons. Flying over Loki, she blurred back into Rhiannon and in her hands was the doll Amy.

"I saw this on ground in the woods, it was near the river. Is this hers?" Rhiannon asked.

"That's Amy!" Tavi gasped. "She must have dropped it." He played a rapid arpeggio and the doll glowed and he set it down and it began to run through the trees. "Follow it!"

"At least we know where to narrow the search, My Prince." Rhiannon said, running into the woods

Loki blurred into his wolf form and ran ahead, his paws soundless on the soft ground.

Tavi ran too, his hands never ceasing their playing.

Rhiannon returned to her hawk form, taking to the sky and following the river. She dove into the trees again, returning with a shoe and dropping it near Loki.

"Is that beautiful creature available for courting?" Tavi asked. "She has the sweetest voice I have ever heard, and the most beautiful eyes!"

"Sorry, old friend, she's my intended." Loki replied, sniffing the shoe.

Tavi picked the shoe up. "We're getting closer." He pointed to the doll. She returned to the sky, circling from above again and riding an updraft.

Fenris ran out of the trees. "Father! I think she has climbed an oak tree!"

Loki and Tavi followed Fenris and Amy to the base of a rather large ancient oak tree.

"Eirunn! Princess, you can come down now!" Tavi called.

There was a rustling above and a red head peeked out. "Daddy? You found me!"

Tavi looked green. "Yes, you have the best hiding places. Now come down from there."

"I can't!" she cried. "I'm stuck!"

"Uh . . . all right . . ." the skald looked ill. "Loki, I can't climb trees. You know heights make me sick."

Rhiannon landed on the ground next to Loki, blurring back into herself.

"Don't make her nervous, she could fall." Rhiannon said.

The child started to cry, not a tantrum, but fear. She started weeping and shaking, calling for her father.

"Daddy! I don't want to be stuck anymore!" She whimpered.

"Loki, can you climb up there?" Tavi asked. Then he called, "Hold on, Eirunn! We'll get you down!"

"Yes, but that oak is old. It won't hold my weight in this form. Rhee, can you climb up there and get her? Here's my dagger."

He gave Rhiannon one of his daggers.

"Yes, I am lighter." She lakes the knife, holding it in one hand and carefully climbing the tree, when she reached the child, she cuts the piece of dress free and lowers the child from the perch.

"Here, take her." Rhiannon said.

Tavi reached up and took his daughter.

"Are you okay, _alskling_?" he asked, hugging her. "Why did you run so far?"

"I w-was trying to find a good hiding place," the little girl sniffled. "An' then I got lost!" She began to cry again. "Daddy, I lost Amy."

"No, sweetie. We found Amy and she brought us to you." Tavi picked up Amy and Eirunn hugged her.

"She did?"

"Well, I enchanted her to find you," her father said.

"I knew I heard Lady Songbird," Eirunn said, wiping her face with the handkerchief Loki gave her. "How did you know to come find me?"

"My conference ended early and I decided to come home because I missed you, princess."

Loki sent to Jorgy and Sleph that they had found Eirunn and she was all right so they could stop searching.

Above them, the branch cracked and snapped, bringing Rhiannon crashing down. She landed hard, striking her head and lay still.

"The pretty lady!" Eirunn said. "Daddy! Fix her."

 **A/N: Yes, I know an evil cliffie! But I will try and update soon!**


	20. Gentle Hands, Warm Hearts

**20**

 **Gentle Hands, Warm Hearts**

 _I know you, I hid you in the library, once upon a dream~ Loki_

"Rhiannon!" cried Loki. He knelt beside her, terror surging through him, but his EMT training taking over. He felt for her pulse and was relieved when he found it strong and that she was breathing. He cast a diagnostic spell to see what it revealed.

He found a concussion, her leg and wrist horribly sprained, and two cracked ribs. His heart sank at the injuries, but he was glad they were not worse.

"She needs a Healer, Prince Loki. Be glad she did not land on that dagger." Tavi said, holding his daughter and cradling the child in his arms.

"I am. I can heal everything but the concussion," Loki said. He healed the ribs, ankle and wrist.

"What do we do then?" Tavi said, looking at Rhiannon. "She is beautiful, the Norns blessed her."

Loki conjured up a foam collar and put it on her. "That will immobilize her neck and head. Conjure me up a stretcher, Tavi."

"Yes, My Prince," He played a short riff on his lute and a stretcher appeared.

Loki used his telekinesis to levitate the unconscious woman onto the stretcher and then he made it float.

"Where are we taking her?" Tavi asked, carrying his daughter as she dozed on his shoulder.

"I'm going to blink back with her to the infirmary. Do you know the way back?"

"Yes. My magic will guide me." Tavi answered. "I think my little one is falling to sleep friend."

"All right. I will see you at the palace." Loki put a hand on the stretcher. Loki looked at Rhiannon, laying her hands on her stomach and picked up his dagger. She looked peaceful, her hands so neatly folded and he used his magic to teleport them to the infirmary.

Tavi hummed a tune and his magic tugged him in the right direction.

Against his shoulder, Eirunn yawned. "Love you, Daddy," she said, the first time she had ever told him that since her mother had died.

The skald prince found himself blinking back tears. "Love you too, sweetheart." He began to jog, hurrying as fast as he could. He prayed Rhiannon was going to be all right. He also marveled at the change in his small daughter. _I must thank Loki for whatever he did._

 _Castle infirmary:_

Loki reappeared with Rhiannon in the infirmary and snapped, "Get me Stefan, STAT! Rhiannon fell from a tree rescuing Eirunn and has a concussion."

"She can wait! My daughter was here first with vomiting." A noblewoman exclaimed, her daughter holding a bucket.

The medical assistant ran for Stefan, knowing full well what case took priority.

Another nurse ushered the noblewoman and her daughter into a cubicle, saying a Healer would be with her shortly, then went and got Healer Martin.

"My daughter is more important than some Commoner! The King will hear of this!" The woman shouted, standing up and waving her finger at Loki. "She is a nothing! My daughter is cradle promised to one of your father's Councilmen!"

"Shut up! Go and tend your daughter, and mind your tone, before I fine you for speaking like a fishwife to me, you arrogant trull!" Loki growled. "You forget I am your prince, lady! Now go!"

The woman paled and backed away, right into Healer Martin. "Watch where you are going!"

"I am going to tend your daughter, Lady," Martin said crisply. "Come with me, please."

"How did she fall? Bring her this way." Stefan said, running toward them.

"She climbed a tree to get little Eirunn down, she was stuck. The branch broke and she landed hard and hit her head." Loki said, floating the stretcher along.

"I saw her just yesterday, she was so happy and nearly dancing with joy. Hurry with her." Stefan replied, taking them to a diagnostic bed. "I believe it was you who put that smile there."

Two nurses brought in a cotton shift, laying it on the table and one pulled out a pair of scissors to cut her dress off.

"I pray she will smile again soon," Loki murmured and he levitated her onto the bed. "I healed what I could, but I dared not touch the concussion. Head wounds are tricky to mend, even with magic."

"Good thinking, friend." Stefan said, turning around as the women took her corset off and set it aside. Loki saw them cutting the petticoat, tearing the fabric the rest of the way and turned, his cheeks scarlet.

"She is in a shift." The nurse said, and both men could turn back. The nurse went to remove the foam collar, her hands searching for a clasp.

"Should we leave this on?" She asked, looking confused.

"I'll show you how to remove that," Loki said. "I put that on her to keep her head and neck immobilized when I transported her. You can use it again for any patient with head or neck trauma."

He showed the nurse how to remove the collar.

"Very clever." Stefan said, listening to her heart and lungs. Frigga burst into the room, worry on her face. She saw Rhiannon on the table, and froze.

"Is she going to recover?" Frigga asked, her eyes filling with tears.

"Who told you? Is Tavi back?" Loki wanted to know.

"He just arrived." Frigga said. "I had a gift made for her. My poor son."

She ran over and hugged Loki, one of her maids entering with a wooden chest. She set it next to Rhiannon's corset and left with a bow.

"Will she recover?" Frigga asked again.

"Stefan hasn't examined her yet, Mother," Loki said, hugging the distraught queen. His emerald eyes were full of worry and he longed to pace up and down.

Stefan turns on the machine, hiding his amusement at Frigga and studied the image. He focused in on her head and neck, nodding and taking notes.

"She will recover. But she will need rest." Stefan said, smiling. "Her spine in her neck is bruised, and she has a good lump on the back of her head. It is her aura that concerns me. Is she a shifter?"

'Yes. She can shift into a hawk." Loki replied.

"Any more forms?" He said, showing Loki a bright light around her heart. The glow intense, indicating that she was also a very powerful mage.

"She has never told me of any others. But most half-bloods have more than one form. Especially if their Jotun parent was a noble, which I believe her mother was. She has the gift too, a strong one. But suppressed because of the laws."

"I wonder what other magics she can do?" Frigga said, looking at the aura. "It looks like yours Loki, but stronger."

"I do need to have her moved. Is there a room for her?" Stefan said, sighing.

"We will see if one is available," his nurse responded. "Or we shall make one."

"If you don't, take her to my chambers." Frigga said. "I will nurse her there myself."

She turned toward Loki, smiling.

"Only true happiness can make an aura that strong dear." She whispered. "A heart loved, tends to shine."

Loki examined her aura with his Sight. "She is strong, yes, but normally not at this level. Her aura is being boosted by her joy. However, she does possess a great Gift for song magic, similar to a skald's and frost talent. There is also a form that she can shift to that is very powerful."

"Can you tell what it is?" Stefan asked.

Loki shook his head. "No. Shifter magic isn't as easy to detect with Mage Sight. It's an innate skill and one that can mask itself, even to a master shifter like me. Unless . . . I administer the test for a potential shifter using my shifter blocks. That would tell me what her other form was."

"Or forms Loki, don't sell her short." Frigga chided, she stroked Rhiannon's hair. Producing a comb from her pocket and straightening the soft curls.

"Always the mother." Stefan said.

"Mind yourself, Stefan. I am still your Queen." Frigga warned, then she gave Loki an excited grin. "Your father had a dream last night, he said it convinced him to allow your union to occur."

Loki looked delighted. "He did? That is wonderful!"

"He did, I had a new dress made for her to celebrate. She does need lovely things so that you don't outshine her, Loki." She said indicating toward the box.

He knew she was teasing him as he nodded and opened the box.

Inside was a dress of sky blue silk, the Empire waist flattering and the off shoulder cut, alluring. The overskirt drabed over a cream-colored underskirt of the finest embroidered silk, and one sleeve was adorned with stars.

The tiny silver stars winked, and next to it was a pair of matching silk slippers. Loki's mouth opened as he looked at it, his mind trying to picture her in the dress.

"It's beautiful," Loki said and closed the box.

"She will make the gown even more beautiful." Frigga said, containing to comb her hair.

"Thank you, Mother."

"I love her as your wife Loki, and I look forward to calling her daughter." Frigga said, smiling.

"She will be happy to hear that, considering she lost her mother when she was a little girl." Loki said. "I believe she was five. when her mother died protecting her from a vrekat."

"Is that how she got the scar?" Frigga asked, her hand resting on Rhiannon's hand. Frigga's maid returns, bowing.

"We made a bed for her lady." The maid said.

"Yes. But I healed the scar when I asked her to be my escort to my welcome ball."

"She was so very beautiful that night." Frigga said. "Thank you dear, we will take her to my chambers soon."

"Now would be good." Loki said.

"Let us get her into bed," Frigga said. Loki carefully lifted Rhiannon into his arms when he followed the maid and they stopped at the bed. The bedding had been moved down as he placed Rhiannon on the bed and the maid covered her with the bedding.

She lay on the pale blue bed, she hands folded gently and Frigga claimed a seat near her and held her hand.

"You may go," Frigga said and the maid nodded then left the room. "I like her better than Jane, that girl is awful at times. But Thor adores her." Frigga said, her fingers massaging Rhiannon's hand. "I think it is because Rhiannon taught you how to laugh again dear."

"My children had a hand in that as well," Loki said with a grin.

"Of course dear." Frigga replied. "Do you want to sit, or shall you wear a hole in the floor?"

Loki gave her a wry glance. "You know how I get when I worry, Mother. I need to move around, I cannot sit still."

"You get that from your father. He does the same thing." Frigga laughed. "He wore holes in the carpet when you were ill or your brothers."

"I am not... boy." Rhiannon muttered in her sleep. "Two... copper... will feed my belly today."

Loki looked at her, concerned.

"Prince... not a boy." She whimpered again.

"Hush dear, it is only a dream." Frigga soothed her gently, looking at Loki.

Loki smiled when he realized Rhiannon had said something and sat on the other side of her.

"Rhiannon?" Loki asked, but she didn't answer and he saw the pain on her face.

"Not a boy... a girl... I'm a girl." She muttered. "Hide... did not tell...library."

"What does that mean dear?" Frigga asked.

"Loki...hide...he's coming."

"Hush now dear, you are safe child." Frigga said, carding her haor gently. "Poor dear is having a nightmare."

She stirred slowly opening her eyes and blinked around the room.

"My Queen? What am I doing here?" Rhiannon asked.

"You were injured faling out of a tree rescuing Eirunn. You hit your head. Do you remember that?"

"Some of it. I had a strange dream, my lady." She said, not noticing Loki in the room.

"What sort of strange dream?"

"It was from when I was a child. My father would sell my hair so he could drink and pay for women." Rhiannon said.

"The only clothes I had were from the neighbor's son and I wore them. Most thought I was a boy. My father sometimes said I was. He would leave me alone in the city when he went to the houses, and I would sneak into the library to read. I knew I would be beaten if caught, but the books were so nice, and it was always warm." She recalled, nearly crying at the memory.

"Go on dear, it is only the past." Frigga said, holding her hand.

"I was under a table one day, reading poems, and Prince Loki came in. He was so young and handsome, my heart jumped seeing him." Rhiannon smiled.

"He took down a book, and he sat at my table. I pushed myself against the wall while he read, I was so afraid I would get caught.

He just read, and I hugged the book to me like a shield."

"Oh poor dear, Loki would never have hurt you. Probably recommended more books, but never hurt you." Frigga said and smiled.

 _She's right,_ Loki thought while his mind drifted back to the day he met a very shy boy, who was hiding under the table.

"A librarian came over, they were looking for me and they asked Prince Loki if he saw a commoner boy in the Library." Rhiannon shivered. "I was so scared he would tell them, I shook with fear. But he lied, he told him that he had not seen a boy at all. After the librarian left, Prince Loki ducked down and told me to come out from under the table. I was so scared, but something in his eyes assured me it was alright."

"He knew you were under that table?" Frigga asked, her hand stroking Rhiannon's cheek.

"Yes My Queen. He sat reading for a bit longer, and he got up. Before he left, he dropped two copper coins on the ground near me. He said: "Eat something boy, you are too thin, and next time hide near the history section. No one goes back there."

Loki blinked as the memory moved through his mind and Rhiannon sighed.

"He put the book back and I grabbed those coins off the ground. I ran from the library, forgetting I had the book in my arms and ducked into an alley. The coins fed me for two days." Rhiannon said, her chin quivering. "I loved him since that day. Two years passed, and my hair grew back, I ran to the library after my Father left me to get a whore, I wanted to see him as a girl. To tell him I was the boy and confess that his kindness brought me to love him. But he was not there.

"I asked a Guard, and he told me it was his wedding day, and that the carriage would be passing soon with him and his bride." Rhiannon said, a tear falling from her eye.

"Oh my dear. That was a nightmare for everyone. She was drunk through the entire ceremony, and she had to be propped up in the carriage. She was an awful woman as well, I believe you know the stories." Frigga said. "I have never tied a bride to a board of wood before in my life, and hope never to again."

"I don't drink to excess My Queen. I prefer pear juice and peppermint tea with honey." Rhiannon replied.

"Why Loki likes those too! See, you have much in common. I actually liked that story very much, dear. And I am glad he found that boy again, after all this time." Frigga said, and laughed.

"My Queen? Does it hurt terribly the first time a man has you?" Rhiannon asked, her eyes innocent as a child's. "Forgive my question. I should not ask that of you Lady."

Frigga saw the blush moving across Loki's cheeks as he shrugged then she looked at Rhiannon.

"Well, it has been some time since I was a maid, but, to answer your question, yes, it does hurt. But, if the man you love is gentle, the pain does not last long."

"I am nervous about that part My Queen, I have never even kissed a man... until Loki." Rhiannon blushed deeply.

Frigga arched an eyebrow at Loki as he shrugged again and she softly laughed. "I am sorry to laugh, dear. I was thinking about the first time Odin kissed me. His lips were so soft, but his beard was itchy."

Rhiannon made a little giggle and Loki rolled his eyes.

"A beautiful girl like you? Never even kissed? Now that is hard to believe." Frigga said, laughing.

"There was a boy who kissed my cheek, but Father caught me and beat me for it. He said if it happened again, I would be sold to a brothel." Rhiannon replied, shivers taking over her.

Loki wished he had throttled her father after hearing that _. That disgusting man,_ he thought, incensed.

"That will never happen to you dear, you have my promise. I must go see my husband now, I left you a gift over there. I do hope you like it." Frigga said, smiling at her.

"A gift? I really don't need much, My Queen." Rhiannon said, her eyes closing again.

"Don't be silly dear, you deserve so much." Frigga said and stood. "Go on and rest, I will bring you a pitcher of pear juice later."

"Yes, My Queen," she said and closed her eyes. Loki watched her drift off to sleep when he carefully took her hand and wrapped his fingers around hers.

"Let her rest, and don't shower her with kisses when she wakes." Frigga warned her son.

"I won't," Loki said and she patted his shoulder before leaving the room.

"I also have other dresses to see made for her. I am sure you will enjoy seeing her wearing them." Frigga said, kissing his forehead.

He watched her sleep, keeping the soft blankets over her to protect her modesty. Her soft breathing was a relief, as she did not snore like his terrible first wife. He remembered helping his mother prop Boda against the board, tying her head back so that she seemed awake after she passed out. Carrying her passed out form to his chambers and laying her on the bed, her snores echoing through the room as she slept off the four bottles of wine she drank before and after the ceremony.

"I do. I really do!" she slurred her vows, swaying in her spot and nearly fell over.

He recalled the sympathetic glances of the servants and his brothers after the ceremony and how dreadfully embarrassed he had been.

He remembered the drunken fight, how she threw a glass at him after Fenris was born.

"Monster!" she shouted. " You made me birth another monster! I am so glad I faked my maidenhood on our wedding night! And you were a fool to believe it! Chicken's blood on the sheets, and you thought you were my first!" She screamed, her eyes filled with rage. "You will never touch me again you Jotun bastard!"

She never held Fenris or Jorgy in his lap, never rocked them or said kind things to them. Her hands always cruel, striking the children and calling them harsh names.

She had hurt Sleph also, his gentle horse shifter son, calling him freak and hitting him with a switch once when he asked for a piece of fruit before dinner. But she had done so when he was not there, for she was a sly thing and knew better than to do so when Loki was around to stop her.

Frigga had detested her, and had shielded the children from her as much as she could when he was away serving as Asgard's Ambassador, and again when he was sent to Vanaheim with Thor to help quell a usurper revolt there.

Rhiannon was so different from her, her soft voice and sweet smile instantly put his children at ease. The way she patiently held Max and Aleta in her lap and encouraged the children to be free and mischievous. There was a perfect wife for him, and it was Rhiannon.

He felt a fear in himself though, what if he caused her pain on their wedding night? He couldn't bear the thought of hearing her whimper in pain while he enjoyed the evening in their bed.

He made a mental note to write to Aldrich, who was destiel courtesan he had met in Vanaheim. A destiel was half-incubus, and by nature knew all the ways to pleasure a woman and this one owed him his life when he saved him from a demon-hunting mob during the war. Aldrich took energy from those he bedded but never killed them, just exhausted them. He was handsome as sin, a touch arrogant, but not evil.

His thoughts were interrupted by Rhiannon stirring, she opened her eyes and her hand lifted from the bed. She moved a stray bit of his hair back, her fingers being so gentle.

"My Prince? Why do you look so sad sir?" She asked him, her voice gentle.

Her hand closed over his, her ring shining on her finger. He still had not moved it to the correct hand, but he would soon.

"Sir?" She said softly, her eyes filled with worry and fear.

"Forgive me, I was just fretting over your injury," he said, which was true. "I should not have asked you to climb up there."

"I was the lightest out of all us, My Prince. I would happily do it again to save a child." She replied, her cheek petal soft in the glow of the lamps.

"Are you thirsty? Or in any pain?"

"My head hurts a bit, and I could do with some water, sir." She replied, the hair falling back again over his eyes and she moved it away.

"Of course," Loki said and reached over for the pitcher and cup which sat on the small table near the bed.

He handed it to her and murmured, "Let me help you sit up." He gently propped her up on the pillows. "Please call me Loki. Otherwise I feel like I am back in the army again." He teased.

"Is everything well S-Loki? Is the child safe?" She asked him, making him smile.

"Yes, she is fine. Though I think she aged her father a few years," he teased and held the cup to her lips.

"Oh dear," she said and took a sip of water. "I am still glad she is safe." She said and giggled, he helped her sit and the blanked shifted to her waist. He noticed then how crushed she was in a corset, her breasts being larger than he thought.

He waved a hand and she was now wearing a pretty pink nightgown with soft lace and ribbon trim.

She blushed, pulling the covers back up and covering herself.

"It must be torture for her to wear that damned thing." He thought, his eyes falling in the offending article of clothing.

"May I have some more water Si... Loki?" She asked him, she arranged the blankets so they would not fall again.

Nodding, he poured some water into the glass and handed the glass to her.

"Thank you." She said, closing her eyes from the pain in her head.

"Are you in pain?" he asked, placing the pitcher on the table.

"My head aches, and my shoulders. It is irritating to look at light." She said and tried to appear brave.

Nodding, Loki used some magic to close the curtains and lit another lamp and the room was bathed in a warm glow.

She watched the candlelight flicker in his emerald eyes and his features were softer.

"Thank you." She said, blushing because she stared at him.

"It will all pass soon, please don't worry."

"If you promise to stay awake, I will go get something for the pain," he said.

"I promise."

She watched him get up then leave the room and returned a few minutes later with two Ibuprofin tablets.

"Take these. It will make the pain go away," he said and she took the tablets from him. She took the tablets as she washed them down with some water and leaned her head against the pillows. "It will take a few minutes to work."

"What were they? A medicine?" She asked him.

"Yes," he said.

"Oh. Do people on Midgard use them from their Healers?" She asked him, curious. He remembered her story, and saw the same wondering look on her face as she had so many years ago.

"Yes, they do, but the tablets are also sold in markets."

"They must cost a fortune!"

"No, they are available to everyone."

"The wonders that Midgard must have." She said softly, her voice filled with amazement.

 _She waited for you, her heart set to love you all those years._ He thought, sitting back in the chair and trying to relax. _She wanted you, and no one else, Laufeyson. Even after you broke her heart by marrying that bitch out of duty._

She looked at him, his thoughts his own, and she worried. Her heart sank, and she touched his hand gently.

"Loki, does something trouble you?" she asked, studying the look on his face.

"Just thinking, about a boy I saw years ago." Loki said, putting his other hand over hers.

"Was this one you saw in war?" She asked him, her eyes sad.

"No," he said with a shake of his head.

"I know you are a War Mage, and I do not blame you for anything." She said, lowering her eyes. "I don't like wars, they are terrible and awful things. They only lead to pain and suffering for the innocent. And it all could be avoided by talking." She said. "Forgive me for saying that, I am a woman who prefers peace."

"I may be a War Mage, but I prefer not to have to fight at all," he told her. "I have seen too much war."

"Where did you meet him?" she asked.

"We met in the library," he said and her eyes slightly widened. "I was sitting at one of the tables when I felt something near my foot. He was reading his book as I ducked down to see what it was and the poor boy was thin, wearing rags and was dirty."

She hid her expression, afraid of how he would react to her confession.

"He was...? He was a commoner?"

"Yes. I went back to my reading when the librarian approached me and asked if I had seen him. I told him I did not and the librarian walked away. I was done with my reading and gave the boy a few coins then told him a safe place to read."

"Only Nobles were allowed into the library then. He would have been flogged for being there." She said, remembering the book she accidentally stole and was now hidden in her room under her clothes. "That was most kind of you." She said, her voice nearly a whisper.

"If I had known his name, I would have sent him to my school."

"You had a school?!" she gasped and he nodded.

"How? It was forbidden to teach commoners, unless they had the blessing of King Odin?" She asked, her heart soaring.

"I know, but I could not stand the fact that Commoners were left uneducated. They had the right to improve their minds as much as the Royals and nobles."

"You will make such a good King one day. How did you hide this school?" She asked him.

Her compliment shocked him, he took a moment to process her words. No one had ever told him anything like that and it took the wind from him, she sat forward and touched his cheek.

"I picked an old temple on the outskirts of the city and used runes and spells to protect the students as well as the teachers. The teachers disguised themselves as traveling priests, who were holding "prayer classes"."

"Odin would have had them flogged if he found out. And you too." She murmured, in awe at his daring.

"What happened to the school?"

"It was closed down. I had to stop helping with the school due to my being the Ambassador to Jotunheim and Boda would have told Odin what I was doing if she had found out."

"She would have told?"

He nodded. "She would have been happy to see me in trouble." He shook his head. "I prefer not to speak of her too much. I always wonder what happened to that boy."

"I accidentally stole the book." She whispered, sadness filling her eyes. "I was too scared to take it back, so I hid it and kept it safe."

She hid her face in her hands, trying not to feel shame. Stealing was an awful crime in her mind, and she still had the evidence of it.

"I was the boy, and I was so small and scared." She whimpered.

"Do you think me wicked?" She asked him. "My father sold my hair to a wigmaker, I am nothing but the daughter of a drunkard who spent all our money on whores."

Loki carefully moved closer as he slid his arms around her and felt her freeze up a little. Sighing, she leaned against him and he brushed the hair from her face.

"No, I don't think you're wicked," he said.

"I am still his daughter." She said softly.

"You are not responsible for what your father is or does. Most of my children came from parents who were just as bad and I never hold that against them. Just as I do not hold it against you."

He took her hand as he placed her hand against his chest over his heart and she felt the gentle rise and fall of his breathing.

She smiled, her heart soaring and Frigga walked back in. She saw them both sitting on the bed and backed out silently, setting the pitcher of pear juice on the counter. She pointed to it, closing the door softly.

Rhiannon buried her face in his chest from embarrassment and he softly laughed.

"There is no need to be embarrassed. She likes you, remember?" he said and she nodded. "Do you want some juice?"

"I do suppose I could return the book now. The author would appreciate it fully." She said. "Yes please, I love pear juice. I did not expect the Queen to bring it."

"I'll buy the book from the library so you can keep it and, as I said, she likes you and is happy to help take care of you," he said as he slid out from under her and went to pour her some juice. He walked back to the bed with the glass in his hand when he sat down and handed her the glass.

"I really don't need the book, seeing as how the author of it is sitting here." She said and blushed.

"You... You read my book?!" he asked. He had forgotten all about it as she nodded and took a drink of juice.

"Yes, and the poems were very beautiful." She said, blushing harder.

It was his turn to blush.

Suddenly the door opened and Eirunn, Max, and Aleta ran into the room and each had a piece of paper in their hands.

"Hi, Daddy!" Max said when they climbed onto the bed and went to sit next to him.

"What are you three doing in here?" Loki asked.

"We came to see if the Nice Lady is awake," Eirunn said,

"And we drew her some pictures so she'd feel better," Aleta said.

"I put stickers on mine!"

The children handed Rhiannon the pieces of paper while Loki smiled and Eirunn gave her a sad look.

"I'm sorry you got hurt," Eirunn said.

"These are lovely, I like them very much!" Rhiannon said, smiling at the children. "I am glad you are safe and back with you Father Princess. I would love to visit you again and play the game we played earlier again."

"I drew you and Daddy holding hands!" Max said, showing her the picture.

"I see that, and you are very talented, Prince Max." She said, kissing his forehead.

"Mine is you and Daddy getting married!" Aleta said.

"That is a very nice picture, Princess Aleta. And my dress is my favorite color, lavender." She said, hugging the girl.

"I drew a picture of you, me, Daddy and Amy," Eirunn said,

"Thank you Princess, it is a very nice picture. I will keep all these on my wall on my chambers." Rhiannon said.

"I didn't tell Daddy that we jumped on his bed when we made it." Aleta said, and Rhiannon blushed.

"Aleta!" Max moaned.

"We took our shoes off." Aleta said, planting her hands on her hips.

"It's fine," Loki said.

He had noticed Eirunn hadn't demanded to go first and was actually behaving herself. She then handed him a piece of paper and he looked at it. The drawing was of him and her papa and he smiled.

"Do you like it, Price Loki?" Eirunn asked.

"Yes, I do," he said and she held her arms out for a hug. He gave her a hug as she sat on his lap and he saw Rhiannon smiling at him.

"And we folded the sheets so Uncle Thor could not get into his bed." Aleta said, Loki realizing that they pranked him by short sheeting the Crown Prince of Asgard.

"Yeah. It was fun!" Eirunn said.

"I probably should not have done that, My Prince." Rhiannon said, shrugging.

"No, you are allowed to smile," Loki said.

"I meant, the prank on Prince Thor." She said and laughed. "I may get in trouble for that one."

"I've done worse to my brother," Loki smirked. "I put molasses on his pillow one time. "

"And turned into a snake then stabbed him." Max said.

"How did you know about that one, Imp?"

"He told me."

"You stabbed him?" Rhiannon asked.

"Yes, but it was with a toy dagger," Loki said and the children giggled.

"Oh my." Rhiannon said, covering her mouth.

"Was he angry?" She asked him

"No, not really."

"It was also after three of his friends hung me upside down in a tree and left me there saying that if I was a real magician I could get myself down with my magic. I was eight and only an apprentice."

"That was mean." Eirunn said, placing her thumb in her mouth.

Rhiannon looked shocked, her mouth falling open and she hugged Max and Aleta close.

"It was. I got dizzy and sick and I finally managed to shift out of desperation into a snake. I got out of the rope and I fell onto the ground. I was bruised and sore and that was when I went and found Thor and did that."

"Oh. I hope they never did anything like that again." She said.

"They did, but I was able to free myself."

"I am sorry they did My Prince." Rhiannon said, biting her lip.

Eirunn crawled into Rhiannon's lap, sucking her thumb and curling into a ball. Rhiannon was surrounded by children, and the smile on her face said she did not mind at all.

A nurse entered, carrying a tray and laughed. She set the food on the table, and stood back.

"You always had a gift with children, Healer Rhiannon. I am afraid your supper is infirmary food, and it is awful as usual." The nurse said, laughing to herself.

"Always was, Magda. More patients complained about that than anything else." Rhiannon replied, the nurse leaving.

Rhiannon lifted the cover on the tray, revealing a watery vegetable soup with a lump of undercooked meat in it. A mash of noodles and potatoes that looked like it was made a week ago, and a dry biscuit that could double as a doorstop. Rhiannon cringed at the food, her face saying everything. Aleta and Max held their noses and made sounds that said they wouldn't look at the food, let alone eat it.

"Ewww! That looks nasty!" Eirunn said, and crossed her arms. "Don't eat it!"

"It looks like barf!" Max giggled, and Rhiannon covered the tray again.

"I will get you food that's suitable to eat," Loki said, and he went down to the kitchens where Kara was and asked her to make a tray up of beef noodle stew, bread with butter, and some vegetables.

"Is this for the Lady I keep hearing about?" She asked him, waving her spoon at him.

"Yes. Her name is Rhiannon. She is in the infirmary with a concussion from falling out of a tree rescuing Princess Eirunn. The food is inedible so I'm coming to get your stew and bread."

"Why didn't you tell me about her! I had to hear it through rumors that you wanted to get married again!" She shouted, hitting him in the shoulder with her wooden spoon. "We are friends! Why was I not told by you?"

"Hey! I had to keep it a secret. You know the laws that used to forbid any noble from courting a commoner. And she is a half-blood and sanctioned because my father was possessed by the spirit of my grandfather and he would have harmed her if he knew. But now I freed the king so we can be together. I was going to tell you but then that prank was played on the maids, and Eirunn got lost and Rhee got hurt."

"I can keep a secret you know."

He ducked as she swung the spoon again, rubbing his bruised shoulder and rolled his eyes. _Just like her mother, wielding a deadly spoon!_ he thought.

He shook his head. "Now quit it, you know that could be classed as a deadly weapon."

She put out a tray, filling it with warm, soft bread, a boy of beef stew, and some pan fried potatoes.

"I am glad she is now safe from that old bastard, but I want an invitation to the wedding." She said, handing him the tray. "My best friend finally finds someone decent, at least that is what one kitchen maid said, and I am the last to hear it from you."

"I will send an invitation especially for you... and your spoon." Loki teased, picking up the tray and grinning at his friend. He backed out of the kitchen, nearly dropping it when she tucked it into the sash of her apron like a sword.

"Shoo, Lord War Mage!" she laughed. "I need to get these pies out of the oven before they burn. And don't look at me like that, you will get a slice."

He ducked out of the kitchens, laughing to himself and partially pitying her husband. He walked back to the infirmary, finding Rhiannon alone again and laying against the pillows.

"Your dinner is served, my lady," he said, imitating Siegfried, his father's valet. He placed the tray on her lap.

"Thank you, the children ran off to play a bit with others." She said smiling. "They are so sweet and wonderful."

He smiled. "I am very happy to hear you say that. They can be very sweet and loving and then there are days when they can drive you to drink. But I would not trade any of them for anything."

He removed the cover from the tray. "There! This looks much better!"

"It does, thank you so much." She said, slowly picking up her spoon. "I think that patience is best with children. If I may say so."

"I agree with you. Only some days they require lots of it," he chuckled. "My best friend Kara made that. She is Head Chef and cooks for the royal table. She would like to meet you when you are well again. I have invited her to our wedding. Her husband is Father's Lieutenant in his private guard and her son is my godson and named after me."

"Have you known her long?" Rhiannon asked. "I would like to meet her."

"Since we were children. I think we were six or around there. I often played with the servant children when I was little because my brothers were older and they wanted to play at soldiers and I preferred to read and do other things. I also had no one my own age among the nobles that I liked so I made my own friends."

"I never had friends to play with. Father was afraid... He was afraid that what I was would be found out." Rhiannon said, her eyes low.

She ate quietly for a moment, Loki feeling sad for her lonely childhood. She looked up at him, hissing in pain as she turned her neck.

"I'm sorry, still a bit sore there."

She said, finishing her meal and laying back down.

"You should rest. I will come see you after supper." He told her quietly.

"Yes Loki, enjoy your meal." She said, smiling at him.

He recalled his green salve and decided to bring some back with him for her neck after supper. "I will , , , darling," he said, using the endearment for her for the first time. "Do you . . . mind if I call you that?"

"Not at all, My Sweet Prince." She replied, blushing.

He gave her a smile that made her head spin, then he kissed her hand and departed. She listened to the echo of his footsteps until she could no longer hear them, then closed her eyes and dreamed of dancing with him at their wedding.

He entered the dining hall, noticing the Maids all at their table and away from one seat in particular. It remained empty that night, and the lack of the person who occupied it saddened him slightly. Frigga stood, smiling at him as he sat down.

"How is she dear?" Frigga asked, letting him push her seat in for her.

"She is resting comfortably, Mother. I brought her dinner before I left."

Loki sat in his own chair, noticing that there was a new place setting next to him and he wondered what it was all about

He stared at it and then realized that it was on his right, where a wife would sit.

Frigga smiled at him, taking a sip of wine. "I do hope she recovers soon. I am anxious to see her wear her gift."

"As am I. She will look stunning in it," her son said, imagining it.

"Your father wishes to make a sort of announcement before we dine. I forgot to tell you earlier." She said and the maids whispered among one another.

Loki nodded. He thought it might be something about the new laws they had drafted. "That's fine, Mother."

Odin entered, everyone standing and waiting for him to sit before taking their own seats. He waved his hand, and the people returned to their conversations.

Loki saw Tavi sitting next to Eirunn, the skald prince was beside Balder.

"Loki." Odin said, looking around Frigga. "Is it truly what you and your lovely young lady wish?"

"Yes, Father. We both have considered things carefully. And we have come to realize that apart we are only half of a whole and together we are complete. She holds my heart as I hold hers."

"Then I believe I have several announcements to make." Odin said, standing again. The room fell silent, and everyone looked up from their conversations.

"I don't know what else he has to say." Frigga said.

"I am sorry to say that one member of our staff is injured, but these announcements need to be made nonetheless." Odin said, clearing his throat calmly.

Everyone in the room turned and stared at the king, waiting to see what he would say, like hounds awaiting their master's command to hunt.

"First, I would like to announce that thanks to the valiant actions of my son Prince Loki and my granddaughter, Lorekeeper Belle Laufeyson, I have been freed of the possession of a vile spirit, he who was once warlord king of this realm. For centuries he lurked within me and caused me to act counter to all that I believe in, but now a new day has dawned-a day of freedom for me and for Asgard.

Loki and Belle freed me at great cost to themselves and for that I salute them. I will also be rewarding them for their deeds."

He raised his goblet. "To Loki and Belle!"

The Hall broke into applause, everyone cheering and raising their goblets.

Both Belle and Loki flushed and wore identical smiles.

Odin raised his hand for silence and the hall grew still again.

"Second, because of this you will all notice that several old laws have been revoked and rewritten. This I did because Asgard should be a realm that is free from oppression and tyranny, as I swore it would be when I took the throne. Over the course of this next month there will be several necessary changes and reforms, which I will implement gradually. For his help in this matter, again I thank Loki."

More cheers followed this statement and people banged their goblets on the table in approval.

"Go Dad!" Sam shouted, the kids cheering.

Loki inclined his head, proud and yet humble.

"Daddy's a hero!" Max cried and Loki smiled.

Odin lifted his hand a final time and once again silence reigned.

"Finally, I wish to announce the betrothal of Prince Loki to Healer Rhiannon Lyr, a union that celebrates the freedom of choice and unites royal and commoner as I hope to see Asgard united one day! This betrothal has my and Queen Frigga's full approval, now let us all toast to the couple's happiness!"

He lifted his goblet and cried, "To Loki and Rhiannon, may the Norns bless them forever!"

"To the woman who help my son find happiness." Frigga said, her smile bright.

"Dad is getting married!" Lucy shouted, cheering.

"We get a Mom!" Hunter cheered.

"To my brother and his lovely betrothed, may they have a glorious future!" Thor yelled, and then he drank his entire goblet of mead in one draught.

"Uh oh! Uncle Thor is gonna pass out on the couch again!" Aleta blurted.

The kids all howled with laughter.

The entire hall burst into laughter, Thor sitting down quietly. Balder followed suit, the Warriors draining their tankards.

"And many children!" Volstagg called out.

"That won't be too hard!" Fandral hooted.

"May she be honest and true." Hogun said.

'May you both be blessed with patience and understanding," Sif said, smiling. "According to my mother those are the building blocks of a good marriage."

"She is going to be our Mommy!" Aleta said. "Daddy said that any lady who marries him will need that!"

The hall burst out laughing again.

"By the Nine, spark!" Loki muttered, but he was grinning.

The kids looked excited, all of them laughing and cheering about Rhiannon becoming their mother. He smiled at the table, reminding himself to tell her about it when he saw her that evening.

He sent to Belle, "Your grandmother Astra and grandfather Laufey wanted me to tell you they are proud of you, little raven. They came to me last night in a dream and told me so."

She grinned, giving him a thumbs up and smiling to herself. She went back to telling everyone about how Dad made Rhiannon's ring, Serena smiling at the story.

"That's so romantic!" the little girl sighed. "I hope you wrote it down."

"Of course I did, number cruncher! That's what I do!" Belle laughed.

"As you have noticed, we added a seat at our table. This is to allow for our new member of our family to sit with us. She will be joining us soon, after she has recovered from her injury." Odin said, sitting back down. The Maids poured in, placing plates and one lingered for a while in front of Loki.

He looked at her and asked politely, "Was there something else?"

"No My Prince, I was wondering if I could do more for you." She giggled, flirting with him.

"No, thank you," he responded and then turned to eat his dinner.

She walked away, huffing and pouring wine elsewhere. Frigga glared at the woman, still looking proud as Queen.

"I ordered her a few more dresses made, I hope you don't mind dear." Frigga said and smiled. "I do want to spoil her "

"No, Mother. She needs clothes and it is right that you give them to her." Loki answered with a grin. "But I want to make her wedding dress."

"What do you plan dear? Perhaps I could at least help you select fabric?" Frigga said and looked excited.

"Lavender silk, with a pale blue petticoat or two," Loki replied.

"When you draw the design up may I see it?" Odin requested. "I confess I would like to help also."

Frigga gaped at him. "Dear, you haven't designed a dress in centuries, Not since . . ."

"Then I believe it's time I did!" Odin laughed. "You can make a thread mage king but you can't take the thread mage out of the king."

"Bestefar, you used to make clothes?" Sam gaped at him.

"He did! And he was good at it!" Belle said, grinning.

"Before I was a king, yes. Your grandmother has a few I designed for her, don't you, dear?"

"The next chore is getting a contract signed by her Father." Thor said, drinking more ale.

Loki grimaced. "Will you be my witness, brother? So I don't punch my new father-in-law into next week?"

 _"Thor_ is going to stop you from punching someone out?" Balder laughed. "He might send the man into next month!"

"I agree Brother, I also found some interesting information out for you and our beloved sister." Thor said, grinning.

Loki smirked. "Something to trap the weasel?"

"It is very good, and it will humble him for sure." Thor said and laughed.

"I look forward to you revealing it." Loki said, and ate some more mashed potatoes and chicken.

"Will you tell Rhiannon about it tonight?" Frigga asked, smiling at Loki.

"Yes, I will. I promised to see her after supper." Loki answered, looking excited.

"I am glad. Is she in much pain dear?" Frigga asked, her face a knot of worry.

"I gave her some of my pain medicine from Midgard and she fell asleep."

"Oh good, there is no need for her to suffer dear." Frigga said and relaxed. "I will send some flowers in the morning if she is not able to leave."

"I hope she feels better soon," Loki said. "I'm bringing my green salve to see if that helps her."

"The Miracle in A Jar?" Thor queried. "That stuff is incredible."

"If anything will help her that will." Balder agreed.

"Is it that medicine that stained your skin blue?" Frigga asked. "It did work wonderfully, but the staining was awful."

"No Mother, he perfected it." Thor said and laughed.

"Use lots of it dear, I would like to have a ball to celebrate the both of you." Frigga said, patting his hand and smiling wistfully.

"The Green Goo?" Fandral asked. "That stuff looks nasty but it cured my sprained wrist in a few hours."

"The sprained wrist you moaned over for a week?" Sif snorted.

"Hey, it got me some pretty girls tending me," the rogue winked.

"Nine Hels." Sif groaned and drank her wine.

"Hopefully we can have an engagement ball once everything is settled with the contract." Loki suggested.

"That is what I hope for dear. She will need a new gown." Frigga said and laughed. "Something grand, that accents her natural beauty."

"There had better be plenty of mead and maids at it," Fandral remarked.

"Is that ALL you think of?" Sif rolled her eyes.

"No," Fandral looked insulted. "Sometimes I think about matching outfits with my hair."

Sif face palmed herself.

"We can tie Fandral up and leave him in his chambers." Thor said and laughed.

"You wouldn't dare!" He huffed.

"Try us." Balder said and grinned.

"And we'll take away his mirror!" Sif threatened.

"No!" Fandral gasped.

"He will die, Lady!" Volstagg chuckled.

"And take away his mustache wax!" Hogun said with just a hint of a smile.

"You plot against me, too?!" Fandral gasped.

Everyone laughed and made merry, the children planning to fill Rhiannon's room with flowers and Frigga thinking of new gowns. Loki, however, just thought of her and how she was alone at the moment in the infirmary.

Tavi thought about a new song he was composing for the betrothed couple.

"Go," Frigga whispered.

"I beg your pardon?" Loki asked.

"I know you wish she was here. Go and tell her we are celebrating your betrothal."

"She would want to join us,"

"True, but tell her there will be other feasts and celebrations." Frigga whispered. "I will tuck the children in for you."

Loki picked up the piece of strawberry pie and took it with him, figuring they could share it since it was a large slice.

He wiped his mouth, smiling, and snuck out of the room. By the time he returned to his chambers to get the salve, he was nearly running.

He ran to the infirmary then slowed to a quick walk and entered the building.

 _Please let her still be awake_ , he thought.

 **A/N: So here is a sweet romantic chapter to make up for that cliffhanger! Hope you all liked! And there is more still to come.**


	21. The Jewel in the Box

**21**

 **The Jewel in the Box**

 _Happiness is a warm soft kitten ~ Loki_

The night nurse on duty at the desk nodded and gave him a genial smile. "Come to see your lady, My Prince?"

"I have, and I bring her good news." He said and walked calmly to her room. He paused, making sure he was presentable first.

He opened the door, she resting against the pillows and watching the stars in the dim candlelight. Her face calm turned to the door and lit up in a smile brighter than the sun and she blushed.

"Hello My Prince. Why do you smile so?" She asked him gently.

"I have news for you," he said.

"Oh?" she asked and he saw the worry in her eyes.

"It is not bad news," he said as he placed the plate with the pie on it down on the small table then sat on the stool near the bed,

"My father gave his blessing tonight to our betrothal at dinner." Loki told her happily.

"He did?!" she asked, wide eyed.

"Yes!"

"How...? How did everyone take the news?"

"Everyone was delighted, especially the children."

"I am so happy!" She said, trying to sit up and hug him, but weakness forced her back against the bed.

"Easy, darling!" he crooned.

"I'm sorry. I just get a bit dizzy." She said, rubbing her head.

She lay still, her eyes pinched shut and waited for the dizziness to pass.

"Which is why you shouldn't move so quickly. "

"Agreed." She said, folding her hands.

"I think I can help with your neck," Loki said, picking up the jar. "Stefan said your neck and spine were bruised. My green salve can heal bruises."

"I was going to ask for more of that medicine from Midgard. I ache terribly." She said, looking pained.

"I will give you some after I use the salve."

"Thank you." She said. "My head hurts terribly as well."

"I believe that's the concussion. I shall massage your temples with it."

"Will it help?" She asked, tears of pain carried on her vioce.

"Yes."

"Please. I beg you to use some then." She replied.

He opened the jar, the smell of rosemary mixed with coconut drifted out. It was a deep green color.

"It smells lovely." She said and smiled weakly.

He gently brushed her hair away from her neck as she shivered and he wondered what was wrong.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said and blushed.

"It has coconut oil and rosemary in it, among other things." He scooped up some on his hands and gently rubbed it in.

"Upon gentle slipper'd foot she walks, upsetting no drop of dew. Gentle as a moonlight kiss, and sweeter than a rose's first bloom." She said softly, quoting the poem he wrote about Frigga from his book.

"That is my mother's favorite poem," he said and gently rubbed the back of her neck.

"I memorized the whole book, your words were so beautiful." She said, blushing and trying to hide her face.

The salve soothed and numbed on contact, bringing instant relief from the throbbing ache.

He moved her forward a little so he could apply the salve to her back and Rhiannon made a soft sigh.

"I feel much better. Thank you." She said from behind her hands. "Will you return that book for me?"

"Of course," he said as he moved her back against the pillows. "After I add a poem about an accidental Book Thief."

"Please don't tease, I felt such guilt about that."

He laughed, showing her the pie and she looked at it while licking her lips.

"It is the first of many poems I wish to write about my soon-to-be wife," he said, picking up the fork.

"Please, be flattering. I do not know what anyone would say about me." She said and watched his fork. "May I taste that pie?" She asked him, her voice small.

"That's why I brought it, darling. To share."

"That was most kind of you." She said and smiled, laughing a bit.

He waved his hand as a napkin appeared on her lap then he scooped some of the pie on the fork and she opened her mouth.

"This is Kara's famous strawberry pie. It's a recipe handed down for generations."

She accepted the bite, making a pleased sound and savoring it. "It is wonderful."

The taste exploded on her tongue. It was summer sweetness rolled into butter pastry and it melted in her mouth.

He handed her the fork as she scooped some of the pie onto it then he opened his mouth. She fed him as he smiled and she wiped his lips with the napkin.

"That is my favorite so far." She said and blushed.

"Mine too."

They took turns feeding each other until the pie was gone and he placed the napkin and the plate on the small table.

He grinned. "Once when we were kids, Kara and I snuck a whole pie from Grisel's window sill. We ate half of it each."

"Did your stomach hurt after that?" She asked, giggling.

"A bit but it was worth it."

"Was Grisel angry?"

"Yes," he nodded. "She gave us a swat on the behind with her spoon."

"She hit you with a spoon?" Rhiannon looked shocked.

"It was a wooden one and it really didn't hurt much," Loki recalled. "She didn't hit hard, just enough to make us ashamed we had stolen her pie. It was for some tea my mother was hosting and then she had to make another one, so we deserved it."

"Will you tell me more of Midgard? I have never left Asgard, and have only known this realm." She asked him.

Her eyes filled with peace and she laughed slightly, feeling silly for asking about Earth.

"Well, there are buildings that are higher than the palace. They reach up so high, they nearly touch the sky," Loki said and she gasped.

"Wouldn't they fall?!"

"No," he said with a shake of his head. "The tallest building I have seen belongs to a friend of Thor's."

She saw something in his eyes as he shook his head then held up a hand.

"I'm fine."

"Tell me."

"It was a lifetime ago."

"Please."

Pressing his lips into a thin line, he told her about what happened and she placed her hand on top of his.

"I should not have pressed. I am sorry." She said and looked down. "You are not that person anymore, that is the gift The Norns give us. The ability to change and become better people." She said softly. "And you have become a better person, all that has happened has changed you and made you a good man."

"Like I told you, it was a lifetime ago. I am now friends with them and Thor's friend is the one who made the improvements for Nate's wheelchair."

"Is that the man with the suit of Iron?" She asked. "I heard Thor speak of him one time."

"Yes. His real name is Tony Stark."

"Do you think they would like me?"

"They will love you," he said and lightly kissed her lips. "Though they might tease you about getting involved with me."

"If they do, I will tell them they are being rude. And I mean to tell Thor and Balder how cruel they were to you." She said, holding up a finger.

He looked astonished. "You don't have to," he said.

"They were unfair to you as children, and that is hurtful." She argued gently. Her face turned firm, and he saw a queen in her features. "They were supposed to protect you instead they let their friends bully you. Your children would not do that."

"Never. They might quarrel sometimes but nobody hurts a Laufeyson." He told her about how Vince defended a Muslim girl and got attacked and Hunter defended him.

"He is a good man, like you." She said.

She sighed, sadness filling her eyes and she lay back against the pillows.

"I have only Father as family. All Mother's family died in Jotunheim." She said.

"How do you know that?" Loki asked.

"Father told me. He was drunk one night, and he was angry that I did not finish my chores. He told me that they were all dead and he was all I had." She said, shivering at her memory. He guessed from her expression that he had beaten her, and anger surged through him.

"What if it wasn't true? Do you know what your mother's family name was or her clan?"

She shook her head, her eyes sad.

"Now you have me and my family. We will love and protect you always."

He moved her forward a little as he stood then sat on the bed and leaned her against him.

"I like that." She said and smiled. "I hope Father is sober for the wedding."

"I will make sure he is."

Loki didn't say so but he wished the bastard didn't come.

"Do you need to care for the children?" She asked him, snuggling close to him.

"Mother is doing it for me tonight."

"She does love all the children." She said with a smile and he held her hand gently.

"Yes, she does. It doesn't matter to her who or what they are, where they came from or if they have magic or not. They are her grandchildren and the rest doesn't matter."

"She is so very kind, and giving." She said. "Who is this Jane that she does not like?

"She is Thor's mortal woman."

"She comes from Midgard?"

"Yes."

"Why does Queen Frigga dislike her?"

"She treats my brother poorly. She believes her career is what matters. And she yells at him and calls him filthy names. Throws things too. Tony says they do two things well fight and have sex."

"That sounds awful. He should be careful to not get her with child." Rhiannon said and looked up at him."Queen Frigga would die."

"He can't . She has a device in her called an IUD that prevents it. She told him she didn't want any of his brats."

"How dare she! Many woman would love to have a child with him!"

 _Or you,_ she thought and he gave her a puzzled look.

"Not her. She told him she wasn't giving him any little green men from Asgard."

"Are Asgardian babies green?" she asked and he softly laughed.

"No, they are normal color. Though I hear Jotun babies are blue," he teased.

"I am a bit nervous about some aspects of being married." She said, shifting shyly. "I have never... well... oh dear."

She covered her face, going bright scarlet and trying not to shake. _You fool! What does he care about your maidenhood!_ She thought and beat herself mentally.

"That is normal. I still am sometimes. Boda was . . . she liked to humiliate me. She told me the reason she cheated on me was because I was half a man. And she wanted a whole one." He looked away.

She turned his face toward her and she gently stroked his cheek.

"She was a fool. You are whole. I mean . . . I am still a maiden." She blurted out and yelped, embarrassment creeping into her body.

"I am glad. It shows that you have pride to save yourself for one you love. I am honored."

"You don't think me silly?" She asked him, surprised he was not teasing her.

"No, I don't," he said with a shake of his head.

"I am nervous... because I was told by a Healer that it hurts terribly... the first time. Like you are being ripped open." She said and blushed

"If . . . ahem . . . the man does not prepare you then yes it could." Loki coughed.

"And you...? You would prepare me for it?"

"Of course. I would never forgive myself if I hurt you in any way."

"I love you." She said, her eyes shining.

"As I do you."

She snuggled closer when her head came to rest on his chest and his heart thumped softly in her ear.

She rested her head on his chest, her fingers playing with a bit of her hair and she relaxed. The rhythm lulling her and making her feel safe, her eyes closed gently and she drifted.

Soon, her breathing found a rhythm, and Loki realized that she had fallen asleep. He gently stroked her hair, and she dreamt of a sunny day in a warm field of wildflowers.

They were sitting on a blanket while the children played among the flowers and Loki was holding her.

He loved holding her, she made him feel complete, two halves of a whole.

She smiled as they ran, chasing butterflies and her heart soared as he kissed the top of her head.

"My Prince," the nurse whispered from the doorway and he looked at her. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine. Thank you," he said and she nodded.

"There sir, do you need help standing?" She asked and he looked down at Rhiannon.

He looked at Rhiannon then at the nurse when he nodded and she walked to the bed. She helped him gently move out from under Rhiannon then he tucked the blankets around his betrothed and kissed the top of her head.

"I will send someone if she wakes," the nurse said and he nodded.

"Please." Loki said and moved Rhiannon's arm gently. The nurse shifted her gently, tucking her in on her side and smiling.

Loki sighed reluctantly. "I don't want to but I suppose I ought to get some sleep."

He paused, return g to the bed and tracing a thumb across her forehead, casting a spell to give her pleasant dreams. He sealed the spell with a kiss, standing and not wanting to leave.

"Pleasant dreams, sir."

"She will have them." He said, and gave the woman a silver coin for her help. "Good night Madam."

He walked down the hallway when he went to check on the children then headed for his bedchambers.

The guards saluted him as he went by.

 _Back to my empty bed_. He thought, lamenting that he did not stay, but he feared that the gossip would cause trouble for her.

He entered the room and shut the door.

He sighed, picking up his pajamas and smelling a fragrant bloom of a rose. He smiled, shaking his head as he changed.

He walked to the bed and stopped.

"What?!"

Laying on his pillow was a shimmering pink rose, the ever blooming flower left neatly and he smiled.

He picked up the rose, holding it so he could smell it and the sweet scent reminded him of Rhiannon.

Under it was a handkerchief, embroidered with a "R" and he held it to his chest.

"My love is like a red red rose," he murmured. "Norns protect that woman." He said, putting the rose beside him on a second pillow.

He got under the covers, relaxing against the pillows. Reaching over, he picked up the rose and looked at it.

The soft pink petals reminded him of Rhiannon's cheeks when she blushed.

He moved a finger over the petals and the softness of the petals reminded him of her skin.

"So delicate," he whispered when he placed the rose on the night table then picked up the handkerchief.

The soft shimmer along the petals reminded him of the stars in her eyes when she smiled, his fingers playing with the lace on the edge of the handkerchief. He soft perfume drifted up to him from it and he brought it to his nose, breathing deeply of her scent.

He felt himself start to drift off with the handkerchief over his face.

His eyes closed, and he tucked the cloth under his pillow. Keeping it safe and as his thoughts drifted to her as he fell asleep, he said another prayer that she would be happy with him and never feel harm come to her again.

He woke to tiny claws kneading his leg. He opened his eyes to see a pretty calico kitten lying on the bed.

"Hello ," he said in felinese. "What's your name?"

"I am Jewel. Who are you?"

"I am Loki."

He reached out to pet her and she climbed on him. "Do you belong to any one?"

"No, this seemed like a nice place to rest." She said and rubbed her head in his hand.

He purred at her, something only a cat shifter could do in human form.

"Why don't you climb onto the pillow then and rest," he said and Jewel purred. She climbed off of him as she went to lay on the pillow and curled into a ball, folding her tail around her.

"It is nice and soft here." She said, snuggling down and kneading at the cushion.

He noticed she had a set of markings on her neck like a necklace.

"Is this marking why you are called Jewel?" He asked her, and she regarded him as cats usually do.

"Yes," she said with a flick of her tail.

He smiled at the kitten, wondering why and how she had come to his room. She was a mystery, and he watched her for a long moment.

"Why are you here little cat?" He asked her and she blinked at him, resting her chin on her paws.

"You felt lonely," Jewel mewed. "The Eldermews said you are the Prince who likes cats. So I came to you."

"I am lonely because my bed is empty without my dear love in it with me." He replied and the cat regarded him.

"Your mate is not here?"

"No, because we are not properly wed." He sighed, thinking of how badly he missed her. It was as if a knot tightened around his heart and threatened to strangle it.

"That is sad," she said and made a sad mewing sound.

"I will go to her soon." He said and an idea crossed his mind. "How would you like to be a gift for her?"

"A companion? Will she treat me nicely? Rub my tummy and feed me tuna? My mother's companion does that."

"I think she would do that," he said and Jewel purred, her tail swishing happily back and forth.

"She does not have a cruel bone in her body, and I believe she would do all that and more." He replied, petting the tiny head.

"Then I choose her for my companion. What name did her mother call her?"

"Her name is Rhiannon."

"It is pretty." The kitten said, purring loudly.

Loki smiled. "I love it when a plan comes together."

He summoned three items from his vault and used his magic to set one of them in a white gold setting.

"When will I meet her?" The kitten inquired, cleaning her fur to look presentable.

"In the morning," Loki said.

He strung one and then summoned a pretty empty box Frigga had let Aleta play with. He placed silver tissue inside it.

"Oooh!" The kitten spied the box and jumped in it.

"Too soon Little Jewel." He laughed and picked the kitten up. "In the morning, we will need you in there."

The kitten licked him.

"We sleep now then?" The kitten asked and stretched her paw out.

"Yes," he said and she closed her eyes.

 _In the infirmary:_

Rhiannon didn't know why she woke, but she opened her eyes and felt something under the covers with her. She looked down to see Max sleeping on the bed beside her and she blinked.

"Where did he come from?" she thought and Max sighed, snuggled closer.

"Max?" she whispered and he made a little moan.

"Wha'?" he asked, only waking slightly.

"How did you get in my bed?"

"I dunno."

"Did you have a bad dream?"

"Yeah."

"What was it about?"

"There was this bad man and he was hurting you."

"He was hurting me?"

"Yeah. I didn't like it and wanted to protect you."

"You did?"

"Yeah. No one hurts my mama," he said then drifted back to sleep and Rhiannon felt the tears in her eyes. She kissed the top of his head as she moved the top blanket over him, closed her eyes and went back to sleep.

 _Loki's chambers:_

He woke the next morning with the calico on his chest, in a multi-colored ball of fur, her jewel-bright green eyes peering at him.

"Hello." The kitten said. "Do I get to meet her now?"

"Yes, but I need to get dressed and feed you first." He removed Jewel from his chest and set her on the bed.

After dressing, he reached in his backpack, which could hold an infinite amount of things due to the spell upon it, and pulled out a package of tuna. He opened it and placed it in a dish he summoned from the kitchens.

Jewel meowed happily and jumped on the table to devour it. He poured water in another smaller bowl he summoned and set it beside the dish. Then he went to comb his hair, which was sticking up like he had been electrocuted by Mjolnir.

"May I have more?" The kitten asked, climbing his pants leg. Loki jerked and yelped in pain, tiny kitten claws pricking his skin. He removed the feline from him.

He looked down, amused. "What, does no one feed you around here?"

"I am fed, but Mama has little time for kittens anymore." Jewel said, waving her paws. "I really liked that food."

"Okay, I will get you more. But do not climb me, I'm not a tree." He placed her back on the table and got another package of tuna.

She meowed happily, purring and dancing around his feet. The kitten nearly tripped him once, and she gazed up at the man with the food in adoration.

He laughed and picked her up so she could eat it. Afterwards he placed the delicate gold chain with the Frost Opal upon it around her neck. "This is for my mate, but I need you to wear it for now. The gem, I mean. The collar is yours to keep."

She preened happily. "Bastet's Eyes, I look like a Queen!"

He scratched beneath her chin. "All cats are queens and kings."

She paraded in front of the mirror, swishing her tail back and forth. She raised one paw delicately, posing and purring.

He snapped a picture with his phone, chuckling.

"All right, little goddess, into the box with you. Just be quiet until she opens it. You're supposed to be a surprise."

 _The infirmary:_

Rhiannon opened her eyes, all the pain gone and tried to stretch. She felt something against her and peered under the covers, smiling at the sleeping child.

"Prince Max? What are you doing here?" She asked, gently waking the child.

"I had a bad dream, and I thought really hard about you." Max said, hugging against her and snuggling close. "It scared me, and I wanted to protect you."

"Protect me? From what, Prince Max?" She asked, arranging the covers around him so he would not smother.

"The bad man," he whimpered. It was all he could remember.

"So you walked all the way here?" Rhiannon asked, blinking back tears.

He shook his head. "No-o-o. I wished myself here."

"Wished? You can move yourself about like your father?"

"Umm . . . I guess so," the little boy said. "I did it before when I dreamed about me and Daddy playing hide-and -seek. I woke up in his bed on him."

"Oh. Why did you want to protect me so much, My Prince?" She asked him, smoothing his hair.

"Cause I love you an' that's what you do when you love someone," he replied honestly. "Like Daddy does."

"I see." She said, hugging the child close and blinking back more tears. "I will protect you as well then."

The child and she fell back into sleep, her arms around him and both dreaming peacefully. "So much like his father, there has to be a connection." She thought as she fell deep asleep.

Jewel sprang into the box and curled up in the silver tissue. Loki put the lid on loosely after making sure there was enough air inside for the kitten to breathe. Then he teleported to the infirmary.

This time Stefan's new Head Nurse, Gretta, was on duty at the desk. "Hello, Prince Loki." She greeted him with a twinkle in her eyes. "I see you come bearing gifts."

The other nurses giggled, whispering and pointing at the box. All of them wondering what was inside it, their guesses wrong of course.

"Yes, is Rhee awake?" he asked, looking hopeful.

"She was still sleeping, last I checked, and she has a visitor." Gretta said, pointing to Rurik who was sitting on a chair. He was passed out, his chin nodding and his clothes a mess.

"We thought it best not to let him in, he is rather drunk." She said.

A nurse walked around him, carrying a tray and giving him plenty of room.

Loki looked appalled. "By the Nine! Please keep him away until he sobers up." He was concerned what Rurik might do before the contract was signed. He concentrated and sent the drunken sot into a deeper sleep, ensuring he would not wake until Loki wished.

"Yes, My Prince." Gretta said, smiling at him and letting him pass.

One of the assistants passed by Rurik, she was buxom and scowled at the snoring man. "Rude lout! He pinched my bottom!" she huffed. "Healer Stefan will have something to say about that!"

"He is very . . . uncouth," Loki coughed. "But he is asleep now, so you are safe from his attentions, miss."

"He will, and he looks like he will be keeping his hands to himself now." Gretta sighed. "Continue with your work."

"I will see you ladies later," Loki said, and waved a hand. A box of chocolate popped up on the desk. "Enjoy that. You need it after putting up with that one."

"Thank you, sir." Gretta said and the Nurses hurries over to taste the treats.

Loki bowed and continued down the hall to Rhee's room.

Before entering, he stopped and checked himself in the mirror, making sure he looked presentable again and smiled at his own reflection. He straightened his belt, smoothing his hair back and entered the room quietly to be greeted by a sweet angel cradling a small boy in her arms. Her cheek rested on the top of his head, and he curled against her. The scene made his heart ache suddenly, the soft bed keeping them both in comfort.

He fished his phone out and took another picture, wanting to preserve this moment.

The two slept on, Max clinging to Rhiannon in trust and Rhiannon shifting to hold him tighter. She sighed in her sleep, her face pinching and she trembled in fear.

Loki suspected his spell had worn off and he approached her, touching her lightly. "Wake up, darling."

She opened her eyes, looking up at him and smiling as she fully woke. He looked down at the child and then at the cup of water, she licked her lips and slowly came alive.

"Good morning. May I have water, My Prince?" She asked, her voice dry.

"Of course." He handed her it. "What's Max doing here?"

"I woke and he said he had a bad dream. He moved here the way you do, and he told me he wanted to protect me from a bad man." She said, looking nervous. "He has gifts so much like yours, sir." She finished, her voice sad.

Loki smiled down at the boy. "That must have been some nightmare, to trigger latent teleportation ability this young. I didn't learn how to blink until I was ten." He gently carded his son's hair. "I think I need to teach him how to consciously blink himself places. With a strong Gift like that it's best."

"If you think that is best." She said, her eyes falling on the box.

He noticed and removed a lovely gold chain from his pocket. "I brought you a get-well gift. May I put it on you?"

She smiled and nodded, sitting up the best that she could with the child in her arms.

"I have never been given gifts before. I know they are pleasant things."

He waved a hand and Max was now sleeping beside her. Then he placed the chain around her neck. "But wait, there's more!" He looked very excited. "The jewel that goes with it is in this box." He put the box upon her lap.

She smiled brightly at the box, touching the ribbon and bringing it closer to her. She went very quiet, her dreams of getting such a pretty box as a child coming true.

"Thank you, My Prince." She said and blinked at it.

Loki grinned. "Go on, open it." He urged.

Suddenly Max sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Ooh, Daddy brung you a present!"

"Brought not brung." Loki corrected.

"He did. It is so pretty." She said and untied the ribbon, lifting off the lid and setting it aside. She began to reach into the box, but a small head popped out and blinked at her. The kitten scrambled over the box, purring and rubbing against Rhiannon.

"Oh, how sweet!" Rhiannon giggled, and picked up the small calico. "She is for me?"

"Yes! Her name is Jewel." He indicated her collar. "And the jewel on her collar is for you."

She touched the pendant, her eyes going wide in shock.

"It... it is the same stone as Mother's bracelet." She said and blinked back tears.

"But I want something pretty on my collar." Jewel mewed.

"I know. That's why I picked it." Loki smiled. Then he meowed at the kitten, "Fear not, little one. I will give you a new jewel to replace it." He conjured a pretty teardrop shaped emerald and on the back of the setting was the kitten's name and his phone number.

"Pretty." The kitten said, batting at the stone.

"I do not know what I did to deserve such nice gifts." She said and smiled at him. Max petted the kitten nicely, and dangled the ribbon to play with her.

"You don't need to do anything. I like giving people presents. This little kitten wanted a friend and I thought you would be perfect for each other. She is very sweet and likes to be petted and given lots of tuna to eat."

"I will make sure she is well cared for." She said, watching Max play with her.

The kitten wiggled her backside, pouncing on the ribbon and tangling herself in it.

"Help!" Jewel wailed, wiggling about to get herself free.

"Easy!" Loki said. He touched the ribbon and it untangled.

"I thought I was trapped forever!" She pouted, shaking out her fur.

"Is she well?" Rhiannon asked, picking up the kitten and taking the collar off to remove the pendant.

"She's fine. Just a bit annoyed," he laughed.

The kitten reached for her collar, Rhiannon accidentally dropping it and a tug of war breaking out.

A nurse entered with a tray, the contents of it not smelling appetizing at all and everyone in the room cringed.

The kitten wrinkled her nose. "Smells like week old dead rat!" She ran and hid under the covers, forgetting the jeweled collar.

"I must speak with my father about getting better food served here," Loki grimaced. "This is unacceptable."

"Gross!" Max cried.

"I agree." Rhiannon said, grimacing at the cold porridge and the browning apple slices.

Loki snapped his fingers and the food was transformed into fresh apple slices with peanut butter and steaming oatmeal with cinnamon, brown sugar, and raisins with a touch of honey. "That is my oatmeal. I make a whole pan of it on cold days for my kids for breakfast."

"It looks delicious." Rhiannon said, fishing the kitten out from under the blankets. She set her on the bed and Jewel pawed at her collar, giving a mournful mew.

"What's wrong, kit?" Loki asked her.

"My collar. It has no jewel, and she did not put it back on me." She meowed back.

"Your cat wants this jewel on her collar." Loki said, handing Rhee the jewel name tag.

Rhiannon looked at the kitten, noticing the necklace marking. "How lovely! I see why she has that name." She took the emerald and put it on the collar and slid the collar over the kitten's neck. "Don't lose it now."

"I am a Queen!" Jewel purred, lifting her paw daintily and posing.

"Look at her! She is so darling!" Rhiannon said and gave the kitten some cream from her nearly empty bowl.

"Adorable little scamp," Loki chuckled, petting her back. Jewel arched into his hand, her tail coming up.

"She gave me cream! I do like her!" Jewel said, purring.

Frigga entered, followed by two of her maids. She smiled at the trio on the bed, petting the kitten.

"I see I am not the only one to spoil Rhiannon." Frigga said and the maids giggled that the kitten.

Loki looked up at her mischievously. "That's my prerogative as her betrothed."

"Well, I bring good news. I saw Stefan and he said she may leave today, but is to relax foe the time being. I brought my ladies to help her dress." Frigga said and Rhiannon blushed.

"I think that means we have to wait outside, Daddy." Max said.

"I think you're right, scamp. Shall I take Jewel with me?"

"If it pleases you, My Prince. Prince Max seems to enjoy playing with her." Rhiannon said and smiled at the boy.

Loki made a smooching noise and held out the box and Jewel ran and jumped in it. "Come on, Max. Let's leave so the ladies can help Rhee."

Max took his hand and they left the room.

"Daddy, why does she need help getting dressed?" Max asked, playing with the kitten in the box.

"Because she hurt her head," Loki explained.

Several nurses and assistants saw the kitten in the box and went over to pet her, exclaiming over how adorable she was.

Stefan came down the hallway with a clipboard under his arm. "Causing a commotion again, Loki?" he teased. Then he saw the kitten and smiled. "What a pretty calico."

"She's not for you, Stef," Loki told him.

"And here I thought you liked me," the Healer made a face.

"I do, but I love my betrothed more," he shot back.

Stefan picked up Jewel. "Now you're a sweetheart."

"This petticoat is a luxury." Loki heard Rhiannon say through the door.

"Yes dear, it is the finest silk." Frigga replied. "Made by the Elves themselves."

Jewel purred in Stefan's arms. "Where did you find her, Loki?"

"She found me." Loki answered. "Do you have any siblings?" he asked the kitten.

The maids giggled, and he heard them all shuffle about. The sound of clothes being changed and more giggles.

"Interesting birthmark, dear." Frigga said and he heard Rhiannon giggle.

"I wish I did not have it." Rhiannon said, and he heard Frigga laugh.

"It is endearing dear, and very sweet." The Queen replied, Loki feeling a blush creep across his face.

"I do, they are in the garden with the statue of a Golden Lady." Jewel replied. "All six of them."

"Hey, Stef. Jewel told me she has six siblings and they all need homes. They are in the garden near the Golden Lady statue. You could go see them."

"I shall, maybe two of them will allow me to adopt them." He said and smiled.

"Can I hold the box, Daddy?" Max asked, reaching up for it.

Loki handed him the box.

The door opened slowly, and Frigga stepped out. Behind her stood Rhiannon in the blue silk gown, and she was gorgeous. Her graceful neck and shoulders bare, the soft curls of her hair laying over one of those perfect shoulders. The gown flattered her, accepting her curves perfectly. A touch of pink shimmer dusted her full lips, and she blushed as Loki stared.

He felt his knees buckle, the angelic vision of beauty fading to black and he heard gasps.

"Norns, Loki!" Stefan cried and went to catch his friend.

His eyes opened moments later, Rhiannon looking down at him in worry as she touched his cheek. He put his own over hers and savored the warm softness. _I think this is how all those ladies felt when I made them faint_ he thought, staring into her clear sky colored eyes.

"My Prince?" She asked, worried and she lifted his head gently.

"Should I find him a bed?" Stefan asked, handing her a cool cloth and she pressed it to his forehead.

"I'm fine," he muttered, sitting up.

"Are you sure? You collapsed!" Rhiannon said, her beauty drawing his attention again.

"I forgot to eat today," he said, then whispered, "And breathe."

"Maybe he hit his head, he seems to have lost his senses." Stefan teased and Rhiannon threw the cloth at him.

"Don't tease!" Frigga said, helping Rhiannon to stand.

"You should eat My Prince, your health is important." Rhiannon said, her smile gentle.

"Were you spellcasting again on an empty stomach, Loki?" Frigga queried with a mock-frown.

"Only a little," he admitted.

 _Smooth Laufeyson, very smooth_. he thought, standing up and his eyes falling on Rhiannon again. He saw the delicate lace along her neckline, his eyes lingering as he followed it to her heart.

She was wearing the Frost Opal pendant, it went perfectly with the gown.

"The gown is made from Elvish Silk. Isn't it lovely?" Frigga said and got his attention off Rhiannon.

"It is gorgeous!" he replied.

"I told you it would be a vision." Frigga said and smiled at Rhiannon.

"You did My Queen." Rhiannon agreed.

"Sir?" A nurse said, peering around the corner. "Her father is snoring loudly."

Rhiannon froze, panic on her face.

"Father?" She said, her voice a whisper.

"He's passed out in the waiting room," Loki sighed.

"I will take Rhiannon to my chambers." Frigga said. "We can look at fabrics and have tea."

"Thank you, Mother," Loki said.

"Here is your kitten." Max said, handing over the box.

"Thank you, Prince Max." She said, looking at Loki. "I don't know what he wants."

"I will ask him when he wakes up," Loki said and she nodded.

Frigga led her away, he watched her walk. He worried about the fear she showed, and hated the man more.

"Daddy, is her Daddy mean to her?" Max asked.

Loki nodded. "Yes. Like your old mommy."

"Are you going to make him go away, Daddy?" Max asked, looking up at his father.

"I might."

"Good. No one hurts my mama and gets away with it."

"You like the idea of her being your mama, imp?"

"Yep!"

"He fell out of the chair." The nurse sighed, staring down the hall.

"Norns," Loki sighed while rolling his eyes.

"I will go get dressed Daddy, then I can go see Mommy some more with Bestamor." Max said, running away.

"This way, sir," the nurse said as Loki followed her and tried hard not to ball his hands into fists.

Loki stood next to the nurse while he looked at Rurik lying on the floor and Rurik snored loudly.

"He is disrupting the other patients and healers," the nurse said.

He walked behind the nurse, looking at Gretta.

"Have the guards come and take him to the dungeons, he may go after he sleeps off his stupor." Loki said and Gretta nodded.

"Yes, My Prince." She said and ran her errand.

"Stay far away from Rhiannon you shiftless bastard." He hissed, smelling vomit on the man's clothes. He scowled, pitying Rhiannon for her childhood.

"Stupid whore...," Rurik mumbled and Loki knelt down next to him. "Should have let her mother's family have her."

 _What?_ Loki scowled, wondering about the man's rambling.

"Sweet hands... so very sweet... my Rhiannon." He continued, making Loki's stomach churn.

"You lowly worm," Loki whispered while Rurik rolled over into the vomit and Loki sighed.

"Come here... Rhiannon... I'll tell ye... a story." He muttered, and started to vomit again.

"What does that mean?" Loki said, something about his words making him feel ill.

The guards arrived, one of them cringing at the mess, a nurse brought over a bucket to clean it up, her eyes rolling as they lifted that man off the ground and dragged him unceremoniously away.

"I just cleaned that floor too." The girl said, wringing her mop. "Disgusting man."

"Thank you, My Prince." Gretta said, indicating to the empty candy box.

"You're quite welcome," Loki replied, giving them a quiet smile.

The words the drunken man spoke made his trouble radar buzz. He recalled another man who had done that. Mr. Grimes, the orphanage manager, who had been running a child slavery ring through the orphanage and also targeting young girls for his sick pleasure. Loki had assisted undercover office Frank LaRusso in bringing Grimes in and sending him to Riker's-after he beat the spit out of the pedophile.

 _Where evil walks, you shall feel it in your bones_. He remembered one of the Powers telling him that before he had been sent to Midgard after his rebirth. It was one of their gifts to him-like his ability to detect lies and speak only truth.

He knew without being told that the man he had hauled off was one of those evil things. And he vowed Rhiannon would suffer no more at his hands.

His lip curling in revulsion, he headed back to the palace.


	22. To Dance With a Prince

**22**

 **To Dance With A Prince**

 _My feet had wings, as I danced with my love. ~ Loki_

He approached Frigga's chambers, hearing someone tapping a rhythm. He remembered his mother's dance master, and heard giggles from her maids.

"The Volta is the dance of lovers, and is one of trust. Since we have no men here, ladies will hop on the third beat." The dance master said and began tapping the rhythm, the giggles filling the hall.

He entered, seeing Rhiannon dancing with a mouse haired girl and smiling. She gave a small hop and all the ladies stopped, all giving a curtsey as he entered

"Loki! Wonderful!" Frigga said, clapping her hands. "We are learning a new dance today!"

"Perhaps the Prince can help us demonstrate it?" The tutor said, and the girls giggled.

"I know who he will dance with." One of the ladies whispered to Rhiannon.

He saw her giggle, blushing a sweet rose pink and he smiled.

He approached her and held out a hand. "May I have this dance, my lady?"

"If it please you, My Prince." She replied, taking his hand and Frigga stood by.

"Do you need instruction, Loki?" Frigga asked, Rhiannon looking into his eyes.

"We could demonstrate, My Queen." The dance master said, smiling and pairing the girls up.

"It is an easy dance, you take her by the hand, and on the third beat, you lift her into the air. But be careful not to drop her." Frigga said.

"I believe I know this one. But demonstrate anyway," Loki said.

He began to tap out the rhythm, and the girls danced around. He learned the steps quickly, Rhiannon laughing with her partner.

He and Frigga watched in amusement, Rhiannon smiling as the kitten grabbed at the ladies skirts.

"Now for a better practice." Frigga said and the girls clapped their hands. "Go on Loki, dance away."

He remembered learning how to do the court dances as a twelve-year-old with Thor and how his brother would step all over his partner's feet because he was too busy looking at her chest. Loki had actually paid attention, however, and his innate agility and shifter grace enabled him to dance like a leaf on the breeze after only a few lessons.

Rhiannon laughed, one lady picking up the kitten and petting her. The girl glanced at Loki, blushing as she left the open space.

Loki took Rhee's hands in his and led her onto the floor. "Shall we?" he queried, smiling.

"Yes My Prince. It is so much fun." she said, her eyes shining.

They began to dance and she soon discovered that dancing with him was exciting and fun. He led with an easy grace that relaxed her and made her laugh, and when he lifted her into the air she felt as though she had wings again. His hands held her securely and she had no fear he would drop her.

"You are as graceful as at the ball."

"Shifter grace," he murmured, and twirled her, laughing.

"I wish I had such a grace." She said as he lifted her off her feet again, her hand brushed his neck and he shivered in delight at the touch.

"You do. You simply need to relax." He held her up for two beats and then lowered her to the ground again.

"I shall try, sir." She said and her feet met the ground again. Her toes barely met the floor as she danced across it with him, a lightness taking her. Suddenly, she stopped and gasped for air.

He halted. "What's the matter?"

"I just need to catch my breath. I overexerted myself." She gasped, nearly falling forward. He braced her by her waist, Frigga running over to help her stand.

"Is your corset too tight dear?" Frigga asked and Rhiannon turned scarlet.

 _Bloody torture device!_ he thought and wriggled a hand to loosen the infernal thing.

"Magda, take her in the other room and help her loosen it." Frigga said, Rhiannon still pale.

"I am well now." Rhiannon said, her color improving.

"Do you wish to continue, or shall we rest? Stefan did say you should. Perhaps later we can go on that picnic I promised you before," he suggested.

"I would like to dance more." Rhiannon said, and she smiled at Loki.

"All right," he agreed and they continued gliding across the floor.

"I did not mean to worry you." She said, her cheeks coloring again.

"It's all right. Let's dance."

She began to glide over the floor, her toes barely touching the marble as she danced with her prince. Her slippers making the tiniest of sounds at she laughed with him.

He looked deeply into her eyes while they danced and felt himself getting lost in them.

"Loki, the practice is over." Frigga said, Rhiannon blushing.

"Uh... Yes," Loki said as he moved back and made a bow.

"Are you alright?" Rhiannon asked.

"I guess I got caught up in the moment."

"Thank you for the dance, My Prince." Rhiannon said, giving him a graceful curtsey.

"You are welcome."

The ladies giggled again, whispering amongst themselves how romantic it all was. She followed him to the side of the room, the ladies practicing their dancing.

"Where shall we go on the picnic? Or shall I wait in the garden until dusk again?" Rhiannon teased.

"I know the perfect spot," he said with a grin.

"Aren't you going to tell me?"

"No, it is a surprise."

"I pray I did not offend you." She said, looking at the polished marble under her feet.

"No, you didn't. You are a very good dancer."

"As are you, My Prince." She replied, she longing to say more. Her soft smile glowing as the girls continued to practice.

He fought the urge to pull her close and kiss her as she shyly smiled and he placed his hands behind his back.

"Are you both back there whispering sweet nothings?" Frigga asked, the kitten in her lap.

"No, My Queen." Rhiannon replied, laughing behind her hand.

"No, Mother," he said and Rhiannon liked seeing him blush.

"Then you better go," Frigga said and Jewel hopped off her lap and headed for Rhiannon. Rhiannon picked up the kitten as she nodded to Loki and left the room. Loki waited a few moments before leaving the room and saw her waiting in the hallway.

"Hello, Loki." She giggled, stepping out from behind a pillar.

"Hello. Do you normally hide behind pillars or are you waiting for someone?" he teased.

"I am waiting for my love," she said and he felt his heart jump. She walked to him when he held his hand out and she took his hand, wrapping their fingers together. "We really shouldn't do this."

"We can always drop hands if someone sees us," he said.

His height made her feel a shiver of fear, his intense gaze taking her in. His hand cupped her cheek, her breath catching as his lips claimed hers. Her breath caught, and she felt her heart skip.

A slight shiver overtook her, but the fire in their kiss awakened a spark in her that would not fade. He pulled back, and she braced her hands behind her on the smooth stone column. Her breath caught, and he smiled.

"You stole my breath." She whispered, her eyes finding his.

"Shall I give it back?" Loki said and she closed her eyes.

"Please do." She replied, and he claimed her lips again. Her hands laying on his arms, and a tremble running through her. She returned the kiss, barely aware of anything around them.

Loki enjoyed the taste of her lips as he gently held her head in his hands.

He withdrew, the sweetness of her still on his lips and his passion running wild.

"I stole your breath again, I am sorry." He said, and she swallowed hard.

"I could never... I could never hold a grudge against you. I forgive you fully."

"Are you sharing food?" Jewel mewed from the floor and Loki realized they had forgotten she was there. She sat at their feet as they looked at each other and Loki gave a small laugh.

"No, we're kissing. It's how humans show affection," Loki said.

"Oh," she said then shook her head. "Looks silly."

He moved her hair over her shoulder, and his fingers ghosted over the smooth, pale skin. Her blush returning, he marveled at the silky smoothness of it and she gazed at him.

"I need to feed her before we leave." She said, her cheek turning into his hand and he kissed hers.

"Yes, feed me. I am hungry," Jewel said.

"Say please," Loki said and the kitten's tail flicked up.

"No. I do what I want and I want to be fed," she said and they laughed.

"Come to the main gates?" he asked, and she nodded.

"If it pleases my Loki." She whispered and he smiled. Leaning in close to her, and placing a kiss just below her ear.

"I am always and forever yours." He whispered and her knees almost gave way.

Rhiannon picked up the kitten as she walked away and Loki leaned against the marble column.

 _I need to calm down. I am stronger than this_. He thought to himself, watching her turn the corner and pet Jewel.

Taking a few deep breaths, he pushed off the column and headed down the hallway.

"You look flustered Brother, already fighting with the betrothed?" Thor said, walking with Balder and the Warriors.

"Perhaps, she desires a real man." Fandral said, twitching his moustache.

"I beg your pardon?!" Loki growled and Fandral went to hide behind Volstagg.

"I was merely thinking that you might want to see if the girl is a good fit before the wedding." Fandral said, Hogun laughing.

"She is the missing piece of my soul," Loki said and they saw the truth in his eyes.

"That is good to hear, Brother," Balder said.

"Apologies, but I would have had her by now." Fandral said.

"Stop hiding behind me. I don't want to die." Volstagg sighed.

"Ignore him," Sif said as she walked to Loki and he was surprised when she hugged him. "I was very happy for you."

"We all are," Thor said.

"Now women fall at his feet." Balder teased, he was laughing. "Where is the sweet girl? I heard Mother... by the Nine!"

Rhiannon walked toward them, Fandral removing his hat and staring. Even Hogun looked as she carried a basket toward them.

"Max and Aleta have agreed to care for Jewel while we are gone. I hope that does not cause trouble." She said and Fandral looked lovesick.

"No, they love playing with Mischief at home," Loki informed her, looking at her admiringly.

"Who is Jewel?" Sif asked.

"Who is Mischief?" Rhiannon asked him.

"My cat the kids rescued from a shelter that was going to experiment on her," he answered.

"Jewel is my new kitten. Loki gave her to me," Rhiannon told Sif.

Sif sighed in longing. "He gave you a kitten?" She shot a glance at Thor. "I have never had a man give me a pet."

Her face fell, and Rhiannon nearly dropped her basket. Fandral ran forward, holding her and smiling into her face.

"Don't faint dear lady, I have you if you do. I shall lay you on pillows made of clouds and cover you in rose petals." Fandral said, laying a hand on her forehead.

"Fandral, go get your own betrothed," Loki ordered. "What's wrong, darling? Does your head hurt?"

"No. I was upset thinking about how animals are tortured by mortals." Rhiannon said, Fandral dropping her. She yelped, hitting the ground and her basket scattering.

"The fruit." Rhiannon said, getting up and chasing an apple.

"Brilliant, Fandral." Hogun said stoically.

"You drop all the girls you hold, Butterfingers?" Loki asked sarcastically. "Rhee, don't worry about that apple. We'll feed it to the birds or the deer."

He picked up the basket and fixed the rest of the fruit inside.

"I am sorry, were the strawberries crushed? Serena said you favored them." She said and fixed her dress.

"No, they're fine," he assured her. "I'm sorry I upset you talking about those scumbags. We put people like that in jail over there. And shut down their shelter. The Avengers helped."

"You did so well by them." She said and he saw the large bowl of the fruit in her basket.

"I hate people who harm animals. I always have," Loki said modestly.

"I saw your horse saddled for two Loki, do you plan to go far?" Thor asked, Sif looking at him and grinning.

"Far enough to be alone with her?" Sif asked, making Rhiannon blush.

"We're going on a picnic. I was supposed to do that a day ago but I was busy with Father," Loki replied.

"You ignored her? How could you!" Fandral said, kneeling at Rhiannon's feet. "Fear not lady, he was a fool to ignore such a beautiful..."

"Enough of that." Volstagg said, pulling him back to his feet by his collar.

"Take a sword, there are raiders on the road." Hogun said.

Loki summoned Laevateinn to him and buckled her about his waist.

"Better." Hogun said.

"Much." Sif agreed. "They are slave traders, we have been tracking them for days."

Loki scowled. "Did they have any prisoners with them?"

"Mostly young girls for auction in Vanaheim." Volstagg said. "They took them from a village."

"Did you get them back?"

"We are riding to the North Woods, they were seen there. We will get those girls back." Thor said. Balder nodding, and Sif drawing a dagger.

"Good. If you need my assistance, call me." He patted the communication amulet around his neck, which Thor's own was paired to.

"We shall, just show care out there. I am told these girls are meant for pleasure slaves," Thor warned.

Rhiannon went pale, her lips shaking at the thought. She stood quietly, praying that they were all found safe.

"I will, thanks for the warning." Loki nodded. He whistled and Starflight cantered over to him and squared up. He patted the beautiful dapple gray mare with the flaxen mane and tail. "Ready to go for a ride, my lovely girl?" he crooned in Equus.

She flipped her tail in agreement, Rhiannon walking up to him quietly. He petted the horse, smiling at her.

"She is beautiful, My Prince." She said and scratched the mare's chin.

Starflight whinnied softly and nudged her.

"Thank you. This is Starflight, daughter of one of the best mares I ever rode."

"Does she like me?"

He laughed. "She does. She also wants to know if you have a treat for her."

"I have the apple I dropped. Is that pleasing to her?" She asked and the horse ate it without hesitation.

Loki patted Starflight. "Apples, carrots, sugar, and bread," he told his betrothed.

"She likes all of those?"

"Yes. But not all at once. I usually give her two treats a day when I see her."

"I do hope she does not mind both of us on her. I have only ridden an old plow horse, and that was many years ago." She said, the horse nuzzling at her hair.

"Starflight can easily carry us both, she's a strong mare." He knelt and cupped his hand so Rhiannon could mount.

She stepped her foot up into his hands, holding onto the saddle and seating herself sideways in it. She smiled down at him and he gazed up at her.

"Shall I ride in front of you, or behind?" She asked him.

"It's better in front of me. That way if I stop suddenly you won't fall off." He said. He put a boot in the stirrup and swung aboard easily. He wrapped the reins in one hand and his arm circled her waist with the other, holding her firmly yet gently against him. He made a clicking noise with his tongue and Starflight walked out of the courtyard.

"You care so much for me. I find it sweet." She murmured and giggled. She leaned into his chest, his arm giving her a soft squeeze.

She hummed to herself as they rode, the sun warming them both and her voice was lovely. She soon sang a song about lovers, lost and found again when they came to a path at the side of the road.

Loki nudged Starflight down it and the mare stepped out smartly. The path ended at a secluded meadow filled with wildflowers and a stream running through it.

"Where are we?" She asked, a bit nervous. She loved being alone with him, but this was a bit much.

He stopped the horse, removing the bridle to let her drink from the stream. He helped her off his horse, guiding her to the ground and saw her blush as he moved her hair out of her face.

"Someplace beautiful." He said, his voice soothing. "I wanted to give you time away from the cruel stares and whispers of the castle. I also wanted to just talk, freely and without you worrying that you would be punished."

"Thank you. I... I am sorry."

"Why would you apologize?"

"I judged your intentions poorly for bringing me here." She said, guilt filling her eyes. "Please don't be angry with me."

"I'm not angry. Only sad that you would think I am like Fandral, who thinks first of getting a woman in his bed and only afterward about anything else," Loki said quietly.

"I don't think that, My Prince." She said, hanging her head in shame. "I... I am just unused to the attentions of men."

She turned, hiding her face and trying not to cry. _You fool!_ She cursed herself, _You ruined everything._

"I understand. I just want you to know that I would never presume to take liberties with you before we are wed. That is not how I was taught to behave. I believe that a woman has the right to choose, and if she chooses to remain a maiden until her marriage then that is her right."

Rhiannon turned around, nodding at him. Her smile returned and she took the blanket from him, she looked at him with adoration for a moment and hugged the blanket.

"I am still sorry. I should not have assumed." She said. "Do you want me to spread this anywhere?"

He shrugged. "Wherever you like. I will find some rocks to weight down the corners." He rose and began to look for some.

She lay the blanket under a cherry blossom tree, the breeze floating some into her hair. She sat in the middle of it, holding it down and smiling as he returned with the stones.

"Is this a good place?" She asked him, wrapping her arms around her knees.

"Yes. The tree will give us shade and is pretty to look at." He placed the stones down at the corners.

He admired how the sun fell upon her hair, making it gleam like precious gold. "Shall we see what Kara packed for us? It was a surprise."

"I am glad you find it agreeable." She said and began setting out the food. She set out some biscuits he had never seen before, and small meat pies.

She smiled a secret smile, and blushed.

He sat crosslegged on the blanket, watching her put out the food and thinking how different she was from Boda. Boda would have never come on a picnic with him, and sat upon the ground like a commoner with a plate in her lap. Boda always wanted china and crystal and silver and servants. She would have sneered at this.

"I packed this basket, My Prince." She said, taking out a beautiful apple pie with slices arranged into a rose.

"You did? What a lovely surprise!" he exclaimed, touched.

"I made these honey biscuits for you myself and the meat and vegetable pies." She flushed a becoming rose and offered him one.

He took the biscuit and bit into it. It was light and fluffy and had just the right amount of honey in it. "This is delicious!" he praised. "You cook very well!"

"Thank you. I had to cook often for myself on the farm as a child."

Loki nodded, eating the biscuit and then taking a meat pie. He found this was delicious as well, the meat inside tender and accompanied by carrots, peas, and potatoes in a flavorful brown gravy wrapped in a flaky pastry. "Mmm!" he said and licked gravy from his fingers. "You will have to show me how to make these. I cook also, I enjoy it. I first learned with Kara's mother Grisel. But it had to be secretly because my father believed princes shouldn't be cooking, but hunting."

"Father said that hunting was not ladylike, but I had to sometimes. It was either that or go to bed with an empty belly. I would be happy to show you how to make them." She murmured then added, "I would enjoy cooking with you."

"That would please me very much," he said, his eyes soft. "I know what you mean. I hunt well in any form I choose, but I prefer to cook what I catch."

"I knew a lady in the woods, she taught me how to make snares and use a sling." She said, hoping he did not find it unattractive.

She sat quietly, thinking about the woman with the strange mark on her arm, the one who taught her how to wield swords and make fire, she taught her so much and nurtured her magic, letting her practice making forms of ice and teaching her how to catch food. The woman vanished one day, and it broke her heart that her friend was gone.

"She was a very nice lady, she wanted to be left alone. Nothing more." Rhiannon said, feeling a lump in her throat.

"That is a good thing to know. I taught some of my children how to gather plants, fish, and live off the land. Such things aren't really necessary over in Midgard much, but still if they ever found themselves alone in the wilderness they could survive."

"I see. I suppose you learned much more than I did however." She said, looking at him.

He sensed she was sad and asked, "This woman, did she pass away?"

"No, she just vanished. I went to meet her with my stick and sling and she was just gone. Her camp was there, but nothing else." Rhiannon said. "It was as if she never was."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "Did she tell you her name?"

"No, but she had a strange mark on her arm. I just called her Madam."

She remembered the lesson the woman taught her. "Bring your enemy in close and use their size against them. They may have muscle, but you have quickness and they will underestimate you because of your size. Bring your sword and use it as an extension of your body." She said, showing the child with her how to strike.

Loki put his chin in his hand. "What did this mark look like?"

"It was most strange. Like a burn." She took a stick and drew it in the loose soil near the stream, adding the details.

Loki's eyes went wide, recognizing the mark of a Valkyrie. He looked at Rhiannon, and she searched her memory for any more details.

"That... That is a mark of a Valkyrie," he said and Rhiannon frowned.

"Weren't they all killed? I thought... how could I have known one?"

"I have no idea. Do you remember what she looked like?" Loki asked.

"She had darker skin and eyes, her hair was long and black as well. She was very strong, and I remember her beating a group of men with a staff when they tried to hurt a band of travelers."

"Did you happen to see if she had a white winged horse?" Loki asked.

"I saw a horse, but I was very young."

"How old were you?"

"I visited with her from my twelfth year to my seventeenth." She replied, looking at her feet _. Please don't ask if she taught me how to fight. I promised her I would not tell,_ she thought.

"There is clever, and there is Warrior Smart, girl. Know when to back away from a fight and keep in mind that you may be hit a few times." The woman said, making her practice with a staff and strike at a makeshift dummy. Her arms ached with each strike, but she hit the right spots every time.

Loki saw her get lost in her thoughts and he looked at her, she shook her head and smiled at him.

"Did I do wrong not telling anyone?" She asked him.

"No," he said with a shake of his head.

"I wonder . . ." he paused, remembering. "As a child I was small and skinny. My brothers teased me and their friends mocked me because I could not use the large swords and other weapons or their heavy armor. My father believed I would never make a good warrior. But then one of the Valkyrie took me for a ride on her steed and she taught me how to fight with a light sword and two daggers. And to wear lighter leather armor with dwarven made steel, which is stronger yet lighter than our steel. Her name was Brunhilde."

"Oh. She probably was not even a real Valkyrie, perhaps a clever mockery."

"No. No one would dare wear the brand of a Valkyrie if they were not of the sisterhood. The brand is magical, it is only given after a secret ceremony."

"I did not know that." She replied, both of them hearing a girl scream through the woods. Rhiannon jumped, running over to Loki. "What was that?"

 **A/N: Hope you all liked!**

 **What did you think of my surprise with the Valkyrie?**


	23. Warrior Smart

**23**

 **Warrior Smart**

 _"It is brains, not brawn, which wins nearly every conflict. A cool head will prevail over an adversary hot with anger." ~ Loki_

Loki was on his feet in a flash. "It came from that way!" he pointed to the trees to the left. "Stay here! I will go and see." He gave her one of his daggers.

"I want my mama!" A girl cried and Rhiannon clenched her fists.

"Shut up, girl!" A rough male voice shouted back.

Loki put a finger to his lips. "Slavers!" he sent. "Quick! Shift to your hawk form!"

She sat on the blanket, watching Loki leave and concentrated on shifting. Suddenly, she felt a rough hand on her shoulder.

"Hello pretty. You will fetch a good price."

He clamped a hand over her mouth, pulling her to her feet and pulled her along. She saw the wagon with bars, the poor, crying girls in it and hid the dagger in her dress. _Use this against them Rhiannon_ she thought.

"Please don't hurt me! I am only a woman." She whimpered and trembled.

"Find us another one? This one is nice." The man driving the horses said and another opened the cage.

"Don't mark her face Malek, we need her pretty." Another one laughed, the one called Malek shoving her in the cage. She lay on the floor, huddled and pretending to cry. The other girls looking at her, they cried around her. And she lay still.

Loki saw all this and his rage boiled.

Loki slipped through the trees, quieter than the wind, and the slaver never heard or saw him. He crept up behind the ugly man who reeked of cigar smoke and alcohol, who was dragging a young girl in a muddy yellow dress by the arm. The girl wept.

Suddenly an arm shot out and grabbed the slaver by the collar. He yanked the man back into the trees and slammed him in the head with Laevateinn's hilt.

The slaver fell to the ground while Loki ran to the girl, she was on her knees, her face in her hands.

"He wanted me. I want my mama!" She cried.

Loki looked at the girl, her dress torn, but she was not hurt. "Shhh, little one. I am here to help. But you must be quiet so they do not know I am here." He murmured. He traced the rune for invisibility and the girl vanished from view.

"Let's move on, the secret way to Vanaheim is just ahead. These girls need to meet their new masters." One laughed, Rhiannon pushing off the floor. She reached out, looking through the bars and seeing a shadow in the woods. She reached through the bars and the man laughed, swinging a staff at her arm. She caught it, pulling hard and dragging the man off his horse.

Rhiannon pulled the wooden staff through the bars, tying her hair back and handed it to another girl. She let out a scream, hoping Loki would hear and turned back to the girls.

"SOMEONE HELP US!" She screamed and Loki heard it.

"Rhiannon!"

He drew Laevateinn and raced towards the cart. In his other hand was a glowing ball of purple light.

"Oh Hel!" one of the slavers said when he saw Loki and made the wagon move faster.

She screamed again, moving the girls away from the bars as she had planned, she kept screaming and reached through the bars again.

The slaver recovered, mounting his horse again and he hit the bars again. He did not see the blade until it was in his heart, Rhiannon letting the man fall again. Smiling, she grabbed the bars and held them tight. The bars froze under her hands, cracking with the cold and she took the staff back. She hit the bars, shattering them and breaking a hole large enough for the girls to escape.

"Loki! Make them stop! We can run from here!" She shouted, making the hole larger.

Loki whistled and called in Equus, "Halt, friends!"

The horses came to a dead stop. Then he threw the ball of magic at the slavers on the cart and they were encased in triple thick strands of magical spider webs, holding them fast.

"You can't do this!" one of the slavers shouted.

"I just did!" Loki snapped.

The girls ran through the hole, a slaver trying to stop them, but Rhiannon used the staff to knock him in the temple. He fell like a sack of bricks and the girls ran toward the woods.

Loki saw the girls running and Rhiannon knocking the straggler out. He then saw the frozen bars, and wondered what he was seeing.

Another slaver on a horse charged at Loki but he sprang out of the way and shifted into a black panther. He roared in rage and the horse reared and knocked the slaver off his back.

 _She... She can use ice magic?_ he thought after changing back.

The slaver climbed to his feet and Loki spun and magically repelled him into a tree. He hit the oak hard and was knocked out.

Rhiannon guided the girls to the woods, checking them for wounds and hugged them. A slaver chased after them, drawing a sword and she pushed a girl behind her.

"Should not have done that, girl." He said and she made a blade of ice.

"I am no girl." She said and parried around him. She used the blade as a Valkyrie would wield a sword. The dangerous dance of a skilled warrior.

She blocked a swing, forming a second blade and stabbed him in the leg. He screamed and she backed away, calling her magic and froze the man in place. The girls cheered her, and she blushed.

A large man built like a brick shithouse lumbered out of the trees towards Loki. He bellowed, "I am Vorn!" And swung a huge double-bladed axe at Loki's head.

"Thrilled!" Loki sneered and then shifted into his Jotun form. He caught the axe and bent it in two. "Nice toy!"

"Frost Freak!" Vorn bellowed and swung his fist at Loki's face.

"She saved us!" One girl shouted and the girls hugged her.

"Find stones! If anyone comes, throw them as hard as you can." She said and ran across the field to help Loki. She grabbed the staff, breaking it so it was sharp on a rock. She ran, throwing her weight forward and drove it into the ground to drive her feet into one man's face. She turned on her foot, a blade of ice in her hand and stabbed at the man's sword arm. She picked up the staff, running at Vorn. She stabbed with the broken staff, pinning his foot to the ground and kicked him in the groin.

He crumpled and slammed his head into the ground, passing out.

"Nice shot!" Loki said in approval.

"He was really big." She said, shrugging at Loki.

 _What happened to my shy flower?!_ Loki thought then grinned for he now had a battle companion like Sif.

A man ran at her from behind, raising his sword to stab her.

Suddenly the man was dragged off his feet as a huge hand made of air grabbed him and started to choke the life from him.

"Ack!"

Rhiannon ducked, falling to the ground and felt magically drained. She shivered with cold, smiling at the sun.

"He needs to go before the King!" Rhiannon shouted. "He needs to answer for being a beast."

Loki looked at her then at the man and fought hard not to kill him.

"You are right," Loki said as he dropped the man to the ground and the man was bound in unbreakable chains.

"I left the girls in the woods. Be careful or they will pelt you with stones." She said, sitting up.

"So I see your friend did more than teach you to hunt," he said in approval. "Rest there, darling. Using battle magic exhausts you."

She nodded as he gently kissed her lips then headed for the woods.

"I should not have fought like that." She said and hid her face.

The man with the blade of ice in his arm screamed, trying to remove it and hissing in pain. "Norns! She maimed me!" Loki found his dagger in the chest of another.

"I left that there. He was beating the girls." Rhiannon said, feeling sick that she killed someone.

"You will die for this!"

"Not if you die first." Loki sneered, the man groaning at the pain in his arm.

He heard gagging behind him, and saw Rhiannon getting sick next to the wagon. She looked at him weakly, and smiled as she coughed again.

Loki ran to Rhiannon as he knelt next to her and held her hair back.

"I... I have never... He is dead because of me." She said, coughing. "I was Warrior Smart."

Loki froze hearing those words, Brunhilde's teachings in his mind. "Be Warrior Smart boy, that is strength."

She coughed again, and he heard horses in the distance. Rhiannon turned, looking back and he squinted to see Thor and the Warriors in the distance.

"About time!" he muttered. "You okay, Rhee?"

"Don't tell them I fought. They may not understand."

"No, they will understand you were helping me," he said, brushing some hair from her eyes.

"You look shaken. Do I appear that terrible?" She asked him.

"No. You aren't the first soldier's head I've held after a battle," he replied. "That phrase you used-Warrior Smart-my old teacher Brunhilde used to say that to me."

"She did?!"

He nodded. "Be Warrior Smart, boy, that is strength," he quoted.

"That is what the lady in the woods told me. When she taught me to fight." She said. "I know my friend's name now."

"She was my friend too." Loki smiled. "She let me ride on her Pegasus, Stormwind. No one is supposed to ride a sacred horse except a Valkyrie. The Mistress of Swords beat me once for even touching one when I was nine. But Brunhilde said I was worthy."

"She let me pet her white horse and we rode her together." Rhiannon said, smiling and laughing as a girl threw a rock at Fandral.

"Loki!" Thor called out as he and the Warriors approached them and he looked at the man lying on the ground. "What has happened?!"

"Fear not girls! We have come to save you." Fandral said as he rode up. One girl crossed her arms.

"We were already saved! By her!" The girl shouted, pointing at Rhiannon.

"Loki? What happened exactly." Thor said, Hogun looked at the cage and saw the frozen bars starting to thaw.

"Be at ease, maidens. Fandral is harmless," Volstagg said and Fandral glared at him.

"These girls must be mad with fear, they claim Rhiannon saved them." Fandral said, and he shook his head. "She is far too meek."

"She is not! She is as fierce as Lady Sif herself!" one of the girls said.

"Someone please explain this mess." Balder said. Rhiannon walked over to the girls, Sif standing with them and figuring out how to return them home. A girl in a yellow dress running across the field to join them.

"Someone vomited." Hogun said calmly.

"That would be Rhiannon," Thor said

"Poor girl probably was sick with fear." Volstagg said.

"No, it was reaction from killing that slimeball," Loki told him.

He pointed to the dead man.

"Who froze the bars and shattered them?" Balder asked.

"She did! After she stabbed the man and took his staff." A girl in a pink dress said.

"How?"

"I think.. I think she had ice magic."

"Like you do?" he asked and Loki nodded.

"I don't believe it." Volstagg said. "She is small and delicate, not like Sif, or even us."

"Ahem! You said the same about me once. Until I kicked all your asses in a spar." Loki pointed out.

Rhiannon helped Sif load the girls back into the cart, the two women rolling their eyes. Rhiannon climbed into the seat and brought the horses around.

"These girls want to go home. Sif said she would go with me, and I can drive this. I was a farm girl." Rhiannon said and smiled.

"Let them spend tonight at home, they can tell the King what they witnessed tomorrow." Sif agreed. "Their parents are most likely sick with worry."

"I have Sif with me, I will ride back with her and the cart." Rhiannon said to him.

"I'll go back and get the picnic packed up and meet you back at the palace." Loki said.

"No!" the man on the ground shouted. "That... That monster needs to be killed for what she did to me and my friend!"

"Oh shut up." Sif said. "She could have done worse."

"And she is my brother's betrothed!" Thor said and Balder nodded.

"Nine Hels! She did fight these men!" Fandral said.

Sif handed Rhiannon a sword and she took it. Placing it next to her and she cracked the reins to set the horses in motion, Sif followed behind to keep anyone off her.

"The Beast Prince needs to be locked up! You never should have set him free!"

"I believe you were told to shut up," Hogun said as he pressed the mace against the man's chest and the man nodded.

Thor marched up to them. "One more word out of you, dickhead and I'm going to rearrange your head with your ass!"

"I fear nothing, I look forward to the bitch dying actually." He spat. "I was going to break her in myself."

Thor punched him in the mouth, breaking his jaw.

"Thanks, brother." Loki said. "Now that's an improvement."

"Disgusting animals! All of you!" Balder shouted, "Let us bring them back to Father."

Hogun cleaned Loki's dagger, handing it back to him.

"You may want this back." He said.

"Thank you," Loki said, taking the dagger from him.

He conjured unbreakable chains and put them on the slavers.

"How do we explain this to Father?" Thor said. "All these men taken down by Loki, Rhiannon, and some girls?"

"I think he will find it amusing," Loki said as he cleaned his other dagger off then made the dagger disappear.

"Tell him the truth." Hogun said and whistled to the guards with the prison cart.

"He may already know " Loki pointed to the sky where two black dots circled.

"I fear what he has to say about Rhiannon." Balder said and sighed.

"She is no longer sanctioned, Balder. She was attacked and defended herself and those girls." Loki said proudly.

One of the black dots flew closer as Huginn landed in front of them and Loki knelt down.

"Do not worry," Huginn said as he ruffled his feathers. "Odin will not harm her. She was clearly defending herself, Prince Loki, and the girls."

"I just said that," teased Loki.

"Oh," the raven said and Loki gently rubbed the top of the raven's head.

He held out his arm and Huginn hopped on his wrist.

"Thank you for reassuring us," Thor said as Huginn preened and they laughed.

Rhiannon and Sif rode all afternoon west, the female warrior impressed with the fair girl. They returned the girls to weeping mothers, and cheers from the village. They were invited to dine and the girls told the story of the Lady in Blue. By the end of the supper, as they were readying to leave, Rhiannon was wrapped in a new cloak and the story was traveling through neighboring villages.

"Those people will be singing songs of you now," Sif said and Rhiannon gasped.

"But I am no one special!" she said.

"To those girls, you are," Sif said with a smile.

The girls waved goodbye, and they were showered with cheers. The women returned to the castle well after dark.

"What do we say to explain why we are so late?" Rhiannon asked, pushing away the woolen cloak.

"We will tell the truth," Sif said.

"Loki must be fretting," Rhiannon said, the guards taking the horses and cart away.

"Let him. It takes much to stand up for the weak and I don't believe he will be. He knew we had to take the girls home." Sif replied and they walked into the castle together.

"Thank you for riding with me." Rhiannon replied and nodded. They passed through the quiet gates and guards watched the two women.

"Where did you learn to fight?" Sif asked and Rhiannon smiled.

"A woman in the woods who became my friend." She replied, turning to see Thor and Loki walking up.

The women stopped when they saw Thor and Loki waiting for them. Thor walked to Sif as he smiled and she gently punched his shoulder. Loki walked to Rhiannon when he slid his arms around her and gently kissed her lips.

"I am so sorry I am late." Rhiannon said.

"We were getting a little worried," Loki said, brushing some hair from her eyes.

"You did very well today," Thor said and Rhiannon blushed, burying her face in Loki's chest.

"No, I did not. I shouldn't have done it," Rhiannon said. "I could have been killed." She said and nearly started to cry. She was road weary, and drained magically.

"Hush," Loki said while gently rubbing her back and rocking her.

The day had also worn on her, and she needed rest. Loki recognized that exhaustion and he lifted her into his arms. He carried her to her rooms, setting her down and still holding her.

"Don't go," she whispered.

"I would stay, but the gossip will not be kind." He said, and she held tighter to him.

"Please! I don't think I can sleep. I can still see what I did. Just stay until I fall asleep?" She begged, her heart pounding.

"Alright," he said.

He opened the door for her, and she retreated into the bathroom to change. She returned in a simple shift and hurried to cover herself on the small bed.

"I still feel sick from it. I took a life." She said.

"I felt the same," he said as he sat on the bed and she snuggled against him. She moved her head until she heard the steady beat of his heart and she closed her eyes.

"Does it pass?" She asked him. "This guilt?"

"It does, but it may haunt you sometimes. You killed to protect innocent lives, remember that." He said, his hand closing over hers.

"Thank you, Loki." She said softly, her voice fading.

He started humming the lullaby he used for when the children couldn't sleep and she enjoyed the vibration of his chest as he hummed.

He felt her relax, and she soon drifted off to sleep, her hand going limp in his, her breathing soft and regular.

 _She is so different from Boda, every bit of her perfect as well_. Loki thought, watching her sleep.

Her breathing was calm, and she slowly fell deeper asleep.

He slipped away from her, being very careful not to wake her. He used a page of her paper and her pen to write a note, leaving it on the pillow next to her. It promised her that he would return that morning to escort her to breakfast. He looked down at her with a smile before leaving for his chambers.

"Is she all right?" Thor asked as Loki passed by his door.

"Asleep. Fatigued from the battle and guilt. You know how it is the first time you kill someone, even if it was in self defense," Loki murmured to his brother.

"Aye. We all go through it," Thor said wisely. "You threw up all over my boots, if I remember correctly."

His brother rolled his eyes. "You would recall that. She will be okay. It just takes time."

"Good night, Loki. Sleep well."

Loki waved before entering his chambers and falling asleep.

The next morning he woke and dressed, walking into the hall to meet Rhiannon when he saw Thor and Balder waiting for him. They both looked grim, and Thor crossed his massive arms.

"Brother. We have two pieces of news that may be concerning." Thor said, Balder looking uncomfortable.

"One piece of information is better than the other." Balder said, sighing.

Both men stood quietly for a moment, Loki wondering what was going on. He wanted to see Rhiannon, and his only concern at the moment was that she had recovered.

"Maybe tell him what I found out first?" Thor said, and Balder groaned.

"Just tell me!" Loki said exasperatedly.

"The first part is that the slavers are going to be going away for a very long time." Thor said, smiling. "Father is most impressed."

"The second is that, Rurik was not injured in battle." Balder said.

"He wasn't? The bastard lied?"

"I spoke to a former comrade of his, he told me that Rurik fell off a horse while drunk and was injured that way. Rhiannon saw more conflict than he ever did, it seems." Thor replied.

"Can you use this against him to make a beneficial marriage contract Brother?" Balder asked, shrugging at Loki.

"By the Nine! What a lowlife scumbag! All those years she's pitied him and given him her pay for food . . .I sure as Hel can! He wouldn't want it to get out that he's been scamming his daughter for years."

"There was more, but it was rather disturbing, Loki. Mostly rumor, so I gave it no mind." Thor said and sighed. "I believe we need laws to protect the actual brave."

"Father and I have revoked a good deal of them. But there's still others that we need to change," Loki replied.

"Can you use this information against Rurik? Perhaps get something to benefit Rhiannon?" Balder asked, thinking.

"Yes. We have laws in place now that can get him put in prison for fraud. Especially if he was mustered out under a false claim of injury during combat. But we would need to examine the records for that. I would love to be rid of the bastard for a long time. He makes my skin crawl. As well as making me want to commit murder. He reminds me of Grimes, Thor."

"Why do you want to kill him? There were some rumors..." Thor asked.

"In the infirmary, he was passed out drunk on the floor, and he talked in his sleep. Some of what he said . . . the way he said it . . .made me feel sick. Thor, she told me he used to threaten to sell her to brothel if she even looked at a boy. What kind of man says that to his daughter? He also mentioned that he should have let her Jotun relatives have her . . . but Rhee told me that he told her they all died in some border war. You know the old saying- _in vino veritas_ -there is truth in wine. He's hiding things. Things that should never see the light of day." He gazed at Thor questioningly. "What rumors did you hear, brother? Sometimes they are lies but other times they are truth."

"I heard that he was extremely protective of her, almost as if he was doing something improper to her. Some of the guards would see her with bruises on her wrists, and she would be shaky for days after that." Thor said, Loki feeling sick. "You don't think she is... lying about being a maiden, do you?"

"No. I would have sensed that. You know people can't lie to my face," Loki replied. His mouth tightened. "You also know what perverts like Grimes did-he didn't touch but he looked and he took pictures. Her father's the same kind of scumbag, I would bet my life on it."

"Without Rhiannon testifying... we have no case." Balder said.

"I wouldn't put her through that,' Loki shook his head. "I can get him to confess. Truth spell him and he'll spill his guts."

"I could beat his face in." Thor said, nodding.

"I wouldn't mind that myself. But Rhee might. Unless we get her to see just what a piece of shit he is," Loki said. "We need him to sign that betrothal contract first. But perhaps after it we could ply him with some wine and he might let it slip that his "old injury" was really from getting drunk and falling off his horse."

"Would Rhiannon have to be there? You see how she reacts when he appears." Balder said.

"Not there in the room with him. But maybe nearby in another room," Loki suggested. "So she can hear what we say. She needs to hear him condemn himself. It's the only way she'll believe it's true because he's manipulated her for so long."

He slammed his fist into his opposite palm. "Oh what I wouldn't give to do to him what I did to Grimes."

"What did you to him?" Balder asked.

"I broke all his damn fingers and rearranged his face," Loki said with satisfaction. "Then I retribution cursed him, so that he felt all the pain he ever dealt out to others. He's in Riker's now,. I'm hoping he'll die there."

"I am impressed." Thor said, grinning.

A door opened, Rhiannon stepping out and sitting on a bench to wait for Loki.

"We had better stop. She may hear." Balder said, pointing at her.

Loki nodded. "Well, thanks for telling me about the slavers, brother. I need to meet Rhee for breakfast."

They all walked out of Loki's room. Loki approached Rhiannon and gave her a delighted grin. "Sorry, were you waiting long? Thor and Balder needed to tell me about Father's judgment on the slavers."

"What did he decide?"

"They will be imprisoned for a very LONG time," Loki said softly. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Shall we go to breakfast, my lady?"

"If it pleases you My Prince." She said, arranging the lavender silk skirts and smiling. "I was not waiting long at all, I slept late and worried you were waiting for me."

"That's a lovely dress you're wearing. It makes you look like a lilac fairy." He complimented her, holding out his arm for her to take.

She flushed a little. "Thank you. The Queen made this for me. I like your coat. You look very dashing."

"Yes, Loki is almost as fussy as Fandral when it comes to his clothes," Thor teased.

"Don't tease. Will you have duties with King Odin today?" She asked him, looking up shily.

"Bite your tongue, Thor!" Loki protested. "He faints when he gets gravy on his tunic." He turned to Rhiannon. "Umm . . . maybe. It all depends on if Father requests my assistance again."

"Better you than me," Thor remarked. "i can't understand half of that legal nonsense. Makes my eyes cross."

"I was only curious My Prince. I was going to walk in the gardens for a bit after I restocked my herbs." She said and the kitten followed them, carrying her ribbon.

Loki saw and chuckled. "Seems like you have a furry handmaid." The jewel on the kitten's collar winked.

"How did you teach her to do that?" Balder asked.

"You don't train a cat. A cat does what it wants," Loki laughed.

"That's why cats love Loki," Thor grinned.

"She likes the ribbon, I tried tying it around her but she only wants to carry it." Rhiannon said, looking back at Jewel.

"Like a dog with a bone," Thor remarked.

"Hey, don't insult her," Loki chided gently.

"She is a lady, not a dog." Rhiannon corrected.

"I stand corrected," the Thunder God chuckled. "You and your cats. I'm surprised you don't have a houseful of them along with your children, Loki."

"May I take Jewel with us? When we go to Midgard." Rhiannon asked.

"Of course." Loki agreed. "I would never separate you."

"Thank you." She said and hugged him.

They walked into the dining hall, and Rhiannon began to walk to the servant's table to take her place.

"No, darling. You sit with us now. I forgot to tell you, Father has decreed you are a member of our family." Loki drew her gently towards the high table where the king's family sat.

"Here?" She said and sat on the soft cushion. She marveled at the comfort.

She looked in wonder at the fine crystal and silver and gold place setting, her eyes shining at the plate and she touched the linen napkins. "It is all so nice."

Loki nodded, smiling at her enjoyment of it all.

"This cup is so pretty." She said, holding up the crystal goblet.

"That was made here in our crystal factory," Loki told her.

Artos came forward with two pitchers. "Would you like wine or pear juice, my lady?"

"They shine and sparkle so pretty." She said, and nodded to the boy. "Juice please."

Artos poured her a goblet of pear juice. Then he turned to Loki. "For you, My Prince?"

"The pear juice, please," he said.

"He is so nice, I like him, My Prince."

"Artos, this is my betrothed, Lady Rhiannon," Loki introduced his squire to her.

"Hello Lady, it is a pleasure to meet you." Artos said, bowing to her and she blushed.

"You don't have to do that! I am of the same rank as you." Rhiannon said, and the kitten pawed at her skirts.

Loki used sleight-of-hand to slip the kitten a piece of a chicken from the appetizer plate.

"I want up there." She mewed, trying to jump.

"No.' Loki meowed. "You can't come up on the table."

"What does she want?" Rhiannon asked, looking unsure if she could take food from the tray.

"To jump on the table," Loki murmured. "Go on, take whatever you want."

"I don't think that would be good." Rhiannon replied, taking two small pieces of fruit.

Loki served himself some ham on toast points and then offered one to Rhiannon.

"Thank you, My Prince." She said and smiled.

Odin entered, everyone standing in respect and sitting when he took his seat.

"Good morning, Loki." Odin said and shifted to a more comfortable position. " There is a man claiming to be Rhiannon's father seeking her attention outside.

"Damn," Loki whispered.

"Why would my father wish to see me?" Rhiannon whispered.

She looked like a scared deer, her eyes darting as she stood to leave.

"I beg your pardons, I will return." She said and gave a curtsey.

"It's probably about the contract," Loki whispered. He beckoned to his squire. "Artos, go and tell him that we are eating breakfast and will meet him shortly. Bring him a roll and a hardboiled egg and some bacon."

"Yes Sir." Artos said and took the items, Rhiannon wrung her hands and sat back down.

"I should go and see what he needs." She said, looking fearful.

"Rhiannon, please come here," Odin said.

Loki nodded as she carefully rose and walked to Odin. He saw the fear in her eyes as he leaned closer and smiled. "There is no need to fear. If you do not with to speak with him, I will have him sent away."

"No, Sire, I wish to speak with him," she said and he sat back.

"Very well," he said and she went to sit back down.

"I don't want him to get angry with me." She said to no one in particular.

"I sent him some breakfast. That should calm him," Loki replied. 'Now, let's eat ourselves. Then we can see what he wants."

"Yes Sir." She said, folding her hands neatly and waiting for her breakfast.

The servers brought in platters of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and thin pancakes with lingonberry jam. They served Odin first, then Frigga, then Thor and then the rest of the table.

After they had eaten, Loki stood while holding his hand out and Rhiannon stood. He led her out of the grand hall as they walked to the guards standing near her father and Loki held tighter onto her hand.

"Rhiannon! " He said, walking toward them. "I am starving again, I need more money."

"I only have this." She said, taking two copper coins out of her pocket and giving them to him. Loki noticed the tremble in her hands.

"You have to have more! Give me that gold bracelet, it will feed me for a week!" He said, grabbing her wrist and taking the thin gold bangle.

She yelped in pain and he pulled her close to him, he said something quickly into her ear and she shivered in fear. She stepped back, nodding at him and she looked afraid with every inch of herself about something.

"Yes Father." She said, nodding numbly.

"Give her back the bracelet, Rurik." Loki said, holding up three silver coins. He then secreted a gold coin into Rhiannon's pocket, knowing she would find it later.

"Thank you, Prince Loki." Rurik replied, holding his hand out for the coins and smirking at Rhiannon as he shoved the bracelet back at her. She slipped it back on her wrist, and stood slightly behind Loki.

"I warn you be rough with her again, I will not be so generous if you are." Loki growled, dropping the coins into the dirty hand of Rhiannon's father. The thought of those disgusting paws on her made Loki want to vomit.

"I don't have to sign a contract. She is still my Rhiannon!" The man snapped back at Loki, palming the coins. "I will take her back to the farm and let her work there!"

"You think you know so much, but I know more." Loki warned, and felt Rhiannon back away from him. He longed to grab the other man and beat the crap out of him, but he didn't want to frighten Rhiannon.

"Please don't quarrel." She said and backed to the wall.

The filthy man took the warning seriously, turning and running from the castle. Loki sighed, turning and seeing Rhiannon shaking against the stonework.

"He was only hungry." She said, trying to calm herself down.

He placed his hand on her cheek, tracing his thumb under her eye and soothing her. He moved slowly, recognizing that fear and giving her small, gentle movements.

"No more fear, small warrior." He said, his voice calming. "I will never let anyone hurt you again. You are safe here, and always will be."

He opened his hand, she lookied at it, and he made a bird that sang for her. She smiled at it and laughed, the sound sweet and pure.

"You have such wonderful gifts, My Prince."

"My favorite sort to work is anything that makes you smile again." He said.

She blushed and reached out to touch the bird. Her fingers passed through it, and it vanished. She giggled, looking at him. He lowered his lips to hers, claiming them and he heard a giggle behind him. He turned, seeing Lucy and Serena standing and covering their mouths.

"Sorry Dad." Lucy said, giggling some more.

"Sorry." Serena parroted, and both girls ran off. He turned back to Rhiannon, grinning at her.

"I have some things to do, I will meet you in the garden later and we will walk together." He said, taking her hand and kissing it gently. "Check your pocket in the meantime. I left you something."

"I cannot wait until then, my love." She said, and he stepped back from her. He ached to leave her, but he had a contract to draft.

She watched him leave, and she put her hand into her pocket, removing a gold coin and her eyes went wide. She held it close to herself, hiding it in her pocket again and smiled.

"My generous and sweet prince." She murmured, walking on.

 **Hope you all liked this action packed chapter!**

 **Oh and don't worry, a showdown will come between Loki and Rurik! But he can't do it until he gets the contract signed.**


	24. The Lilac Lady and the Crimson Countess

**24**

 **The Lilac Lady and the Crimson Countess**

 _Just when things are going along wonderfully, someone comes along to spoil your good time. ~ Loki_

She walked along, humming to herself and finding the children gathered at the castle gates. Fenris was looking overwhelmed, all of the boys and girls getting excited.

"Prince Fenris. Where are you going?" She asked and he smiled at his future mother.

"To the market to shop... if I can organize everyone." he said, scratching his head.

"I could come with you and help... If you want."

"I want her to come!" Max said, jumping up and down. Aleta ran over and grabbed her hand, pulling her along.

"I suppose that I have been volunteered." She said, laughing and picking up the reaching Max.

"I am glad you're coming," Fenris said in relief. "I don't know how Father manages everyone at once."

"He is smart." Vince said and laughed.

"Can we please go?" Serena said, looking anxious.

"It seems you do need the help." Rhiannon said, and smiled at the children.

"Just remember to keep together," Sam said, glancing at Aleta and Max.

"We'll stay with Rhee," Aleta said and Max nodded.

Katherine

"Does everyone have their money?" Fenris asked.

"Yes," the kids said at the same time.

"You have my money." Aleta said, Max nodding.

"Mine too!" He said.

Nodding, Fenris led the way and Aleta and Max held onto Rhiannon's hands.

"Are there toy stores?" Aleta asked and Rhiannon nodded.

"And sweet shops." She said, both children looking excited.

"Are there any books shops?" Belle asked.

"There are two." Rhiannon answered her, watching the girl grow excited.

They arrived in town as the kids looked around and Rhiannon noticed the joy on their faces.

 _They are all so full of wonder_ she thought, watching them all staring in shop windows. The buildings were tall and some had fanciful carvings over their doors while others were plain wood and thatch. The merchants had signs with what goods they sold and also the shop name in runes. The streets were paved golden stone.

"Right...," Fenris said. "Sam, you. Hunter, Nate and Vince will come with me. The rest of you will go with Rhiannon."

"Ok," Sam said with a nod.

"Where do you want to go first?" Rhiannon asked the children.

"Can we go to the toy shop?" Max asked.

"Of course," she said and they walked to the shop with building blocks carved from wood on either side of the door. The silver bell over the door jingled as they walked inside and people were moving by the shelves and display cases. Aleta and Max held onto her hands as Lucy, Belle, and Serena looked at the toys and Rhiannon smiled.

"May I help you, dearie?" the shop owner asked and Rhiannon turned to look at him. He had short light brown hair and brown eyes and he had wire rimmed glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. She felt sadness behind his eyes as he smiled and she smiled back.

"No, we are just looking," Rhiannon said and he nodded, walking off to help someone else.

"Look at all these toys!" Max said, peering in at figures of warriors and Aleta looked at a shelf of dolls.

"Look a cat doll!" Aleta exclaimed, pointing to a cunning doll with a beautiful cat's head on it. The body was stuffed and dressed in a country dress og blue gingham with an apron and black shoes. The gray cat head with green eyes had a lacy headband to match and carried a basket with a kitten in a blanket inside. "And she has a kitten!"

"That is so pretty, Aleta. She must be a mother." Rhiannon said and smiled at the doll.

"You like her, do you, dearie?" the shopkeeper asked, coming over to them. "I made one with a striped tabby cat for my daughter when she was a wee lass. This is my latest one. She is Mrs Velvet and her kitten is Smidgen. I name all my dolls but you can call her whatever you wish if you buy her."

"I do like her." Aleta said, hugging the doll. "She is a Mommy cat!"

The shopkeepr smiled. "That she is. There was a papa cat too but another child bought him awhile ago."

"I want her." Aleta said, holding the doll up.

"She is ten silvers, my lady."

"Do you have that much, Princess Aleta?" Rhiannon asked, the man suddenly blinking at the title.

Aleta opened her little drawstring purse. "Daddy gave me this much." She handed the shopkeeper a large silver coin known as pentarch-it was worth fifteen small silver coins.

"That is more than enough. I will fetch your change... do you want your new doll in a box, My Princess?" He asked the child with a bow.

Aleta shook her head. "No thank you. I will hold her."

"And what do you want, Little Prince?" he asked, looking at Max.

"I want that gold horse. How much is that?" He asked, pointing to the wooden toy.

"Ah, that is Mystic. I made one like that for my lad when he was little."

The shopkeeper took the wooden red-gold horse down from the shelf. "Watch." He set the horse down and pressed a button underneath. The horse whinnied and ran about.

"It's a little enchantment," the shopkeeper said.

"I like it! It is neat!" Max said and Rhiannon smiled.

"You have much talent Sir, how much is he?" She asked him.

"He is seven silvers and a copper," the shopkeeper replied with a bow.

"Oh and Mrs. Velvet will purr, dearie, when you rock her."

Aleta rocked the doll in her arms, giggling at the purring toy. He took the coins from Max and Aleta, running to get their change.

He returned with the change as Serena walked closer with a stack of puzzle books and Belle had a large story book in her arms.

The children all paid, Rhiannon finding a display of hand blown glass pens. One with green and gold swirls caught her attention and she held it in her hands gently.

"Ah, you found one of my magical pens. It never runs out of ink," he said.

"It must be very expensive," she said, starting to put it back. "It is very beautiful however, I would have given it to someone special to me."

"Why don't you get it for Daddy?" Belle asked.

"Yeah! Dad would love it!" Serena said.

"And who is your father?" the shopkeeper asked.

"He is Prince Loki," Rhiannon said and his eyes widened.

"Well, who would think my former student would marry such a beauty and have such wonderful children?!" he said with a big grin.

"They are not by me Sir. But I will love them as my own, and I am excited to marry him. He is so kind, and makes me smile whenever I am sad." She said, blushing.

"To turn tears into smiles was always his gift. But, I do not see how such a beautiful and sweet woman would ever have reason to be sad." He said, and Rhiannon hid a smile.

"I hope so much to make him smile in return." She said.

He picked up the pen and said, "Loki was one of my best students. If this is a gift for him I will discount it for you." He named a price that was half of the gold coin she had in her pocket.

"That seems more than fair sir. He gave me this coin, and I wish to spend some of it on him." She said, handing him the money.

He took the coin, wrapping the pen in a velvet lined box and tying it shut with a ribbon the same color as her dress. The girls paid for their chosen items, and they walked out into the street.

The shopkeeper waved at them from the doorway. "Tell your father Mister Gold says hello and congratulations."

"We will Mr. Gold!" Serena said.

"Where shall we go next?" She asked the children, all of them looking around.

"Let's go by that bakery," Belle suggested, pointing to the bakery just down the street. Delicious aromas were coming from it.

"They make sweet candies there too." Rhiannon said and walked with them.

"Yay! Candy!" Max cheered.

"We are going to regret letting him have candy." Lucy said.

"Don't tease Princess Lucy. One piece will not hurt him." Rhiannon said and tapped Marx's nose.

The little boy laughed, his green eyes dancing, reminding her again of Loki.

 _So much like him._ She thought, her thoughts bothering her _. Think nothing of it. It is not your concern if he paid a woman for her company._

"Can I have this lollypop?" Aleta asked, picking up one from a bin.

"Of course, dear," she replied. "I bought your father a gift, why don't I buy all of you something?" Rhiannon suggested.

"We should pick something for everyone." Serena said and Rhiannon smiled.

"That would be very generous." Rhiannon said and let the children pick treats. She imagined herself giving Loki the pen and seeing him smile as he opened it. She hoped he would kiss her and hold her close, her thoughts drifting to the romantic when Serena startled her into reality.

"What dear?" She asked the girl.

"We are ready." She said and Rhiannon paid the woman two silver for the treats for all the children. She put her last coin in her pocket and gave the children their treats. Holding the rest for the other half of their group.

"We should pool our money that we have left and get Rhiannon a present." Lucy whispered as they walked.

"We got Dad some peppermints." Serena said, and smiled. "We should get her something pretty."

"What should we get her?" Belle asked, looking around. The rest of the group found them, and Rhiannon was giving them their treats.

"What about perfume?" Max offered. "There is a store over there."

All the children turned and looked at the store, Sam ruffling his hair.

"That's a good idea, scamp." Belle said approvingly.

"What kind does she wear?" Lucy asked.

Belle thought.

"I smelled roses." Serena recalled.

"And lavender and possibly lilies too," Belle said.

"Maybe we could smell some and see which is hers?" Lucy said, Fenris walking over.

"What are you planning?" He asked.

"We want to buy Rhee some perfume," explained Serena. "But we're not sure which one she would like." She gazed at her brother speculatively. "You have the best nose, Fen. Maybe you can pick the right scent for her."

"I am in. I have three silver left to put in." He said and they walked into the store.

The woman behind the counter watches the children enter, smiling at them.

"May I help you?" She asked, the shop walls littered with various fragrances.

"We are trying to buy a perfume for our mother," Fenris said smoothly.

"Boda has not bought from us in years." She sighed, "Not since we made a mistake with hers and added too much musk."

"We are not shopping for that witch!" Belle snapped, looking sorry for her outburst.

"It's my fault. I should have said, my father's betrothed, who will be our new mother," Fenris clarified.

"Rhiannon Ruriksdotter? Yes, I know her scent well." She said, gathering the materials from the wall. "A tiny copper vial for her then? That is all she buys at a time."

"We can get her a bigger bottle." Serena said, putting the money on the counter.

"In a fancy blue bottle!" Aleta said, pointing to the crystal perfume bottles.

Belle was smelling some soaps. "And this too." She picked up a soap that smelled of lavender and lemongrass.

"That smells nice!" Sam said, and the woman made the perfume.

"Anything else? I have skin creams that she uses." The clerk said.

"Yes, that too," Fenris said.

"You are spoiling her for sure." The woman said, frowning as a woman in a blood red gown entered. Her black hair piled on top of her head in a severe bun, and her long face sour.

"Fenris." She said curtly, and he fought the urge to growl back.

"Mother." He replied.

"She is ugly." Aleta whispered to Belle.

"Seven silver coins." The girl behind the counter said, wrapping the gifts for Rhiannon.

"She looks like a bat," Max added. "Does she have wings?"

Fenris paid for the items and handed the packages to Sam.

"Buying perfume, Fenris? What woman would have you?" She asked, glaring at Max. "The bastard of Loki. I know that look anywhere."

"Excuse me?" Sam snapped. "Max is not a bastard. And any girl would be proud to court Fenris."

"That perfume is for our _new_ mommy, and she is _beautiful_." Aleta sassed.

"Oh. I heard rumors he bedded the farm wench. Commoner trash if you ask me." She said, sneering.

"Nobody did," Lucy retorted.

"What's a bastard?" Max asked.

"Something you aren't," Belle declared. "Insult my brother again and I will have you up on charges of slander." She summoned her regalia, as Lorekeeper she could dispense justice if necessary.

"Hello, Mother." Jorgy drawled from the doorway. "How have you been keeping? Gone through all the staff at the estate yet?"

Boda gasped. "Jormungander! How dare you?"

"How dare I? How dare _you_ insult Father and his betrothed?" her eldest snapped, his eyes turning from green to slit pupiled.

She looked at the Shop Girl, laughing at Belle.

"My usual, and hurry. The air in here is... putrid." She said and Rhiannon walked in the door. Boda turned, pinning her with a glare.

"The whore shows herself." Boda said, walking over to Rhiannon. "Short for a Frost Giant hybrid. I never pinned him for liking blondes either."

She picked up a bit of Rhiannon's hair, curling it around her finger.

"I came looking for Prince Loki's children." Rhiannon said, her voice shaking.

"Back off, Mother. Before Father locks you up and throws away the key," Jorgy sneered. "You never knew what Father liked or disliked and you didn't give a damn either."

"They are all here. Wasting their time." Boda replied, leaning close to her prey. "He will rip you open and watch you cry in pain on your wedding night. He cares nothing for his partner, only about his pleasure."

"Liar!" Fenris spat. "Don't listen to her. She speaks lies every time she opens her mouth."

Suddenly Aleta spoke up, "Ya know lady, Jesus might love you but everyone else thinks you're a butthole!"

The children burst out laughing.

"I... I will... I don't believe you." Rhiannon said, shaking. Boda let go of her hair, kissing her cheek. "Mind your tongues, I would hate to have my valet beat this wench."

Jorgy came to stand protectively in front of Rhiannon. "I guess being on your estate all this time you didn't get the news. Nobles are no longer allowed to beat commoners . . . or anyone for any reason. Try it and you will end up in prison."

"Your order, Your Grace. Twenty two gold." The girl at the counter said, putting a bundle on it.

Fenris whistled. "Must be some lord you're finessing to have that much money on you at one time."

"Rich and dumb." Jorgy sneered.

"I can still beat you, you beast." She hissed, picking up the package and tossing the coins on the counter.

"No, you can't," Jorgy declared, towering over her. "Nor can you order anyone else to. Try and you will regret it. You can't bully me any longer, Mother."

"I should have strangled you in the cradle, you unnatural thing!"

She walked toward the door, her perfume choking, and stopped on front of Rhiannon.

"He will kill you eventually, one way or the other." Boda said and left.

"What rock did she crawl out of?" Hunter wanted to know.

"Rhiannon looks like a goddess compared to her. How did she land Dad?" Sam said.

"She didn't. Bestefar told him to marry her." Belle replied. "He didn't have a choice."

"How could Dad breathe around her?" Vince asked, coughing. "She smells like an Avon Lady blew up!"

"I wanted to gag," Fenris replied. "We could always smell her coming, right Jorgy?"

"I hope Rhiannon's hair does not fall out because she touched it." Jorgy joked.

Rhiannon watched the carriage leave, still shaking and holding the box in her hands.

Belle moved toward her and touched her shoulder. "Don't be afraid. She can't hurt you. The laws prevent it. She's just too stupid to know that."

"Thank you, Princess, you are most kind." She said and hugged Belle.

"How do you know so much about the laws, Belle?" Nate asked his sister.

"I talked with Bestefar today, we went over many of them. It's part of my duty as a Lorekeeper to know the laws."

"You are a clever girl, just as Jorgy and Fenris are handsome." Rhiannon said.

"And I'm not a bastard," Max spoke up.

"Don't say that, scamp," Sam remonstrated. "It's not a nice word. Dad won't like hearing it."

She walked out into the street quietly, looking down the way and sighed. Boda's words weighed heavy in her mind.

"What have I done?" She whispered.

"We should get back. Thank you for the chocolate, Rhiannon." Fenris said, grinning.

"I am glad you liked it." Rhiannon said.

"Let's give Daddy your present!" Max said, pulling her hand.

"She called us handsome." Fenris said, grinning crookedly. "I wish she was our real mother."

"She is, in a way." Jorgy said, laughing at his brother.

"Wait for me!" Aleta shouted.

"Are you all coming?" Rhiannon asked the stragglers.

"Yeah!" Fenris said and they went to catch up with them.

Loki stood in his chambers, admiring the fine silver comb and brush set he ordered for Rhiannon. The contract was complete, no detail left out and waiting for he and Rurik to sign. He picked up the comb, turning it in his hands when a knock came from the door.

"Come in." He said, closing the case with the brush and comb. Rhiannon entered, hiding something behind her back and her kitten followed.

"My Prince." She said, the words so soft.

"Hello, darling! How was your shopping trip?"

"It was lovely, we had a wonderful time." She said, and smiled.

He walked over, smiling and he lifted her chin.

"What are you hiding?" He asked, smiling with Mirth.

"You have to guess." She said and blushed playfully.

"A guessing game? I like those! How many guesses do I get?"

"Three." She said and smiled.

 _He is so tall, and he smells like winter_. She thought, her rosy cheeks blushing deeper.

"Is it . . . a horse?" he asked, teasing.

"No, it's not a horse."

"Two more guesses My Prince." She said.

"Not a horse... could it be a bird then?" He asked her and she laughed at him.

"No, not a bird. You have one last guess." She said and he leaned close to her. His lips brushed hers and he smiled at her, his fingers tapping the box.

"It is a box." He said and kissed her softly, she took it from behind her back and gave it to him.

"I got you a present in the market." She said, and he took it from her.

"I wonder what it is?" he asked, sounding like a child at Yule.

He walked over to the couch, sitting down and she sat next to him. She picked up Jewel and set her in her lap.

"I hope you like it." Rhiannon said.

He carefully opened the lid when he removed the pen and he smiled.

"It is enchanted to never run out of ink, Loki." She said, smiling brightly.

He placed the pen back in the box then he leaned closer and kissed her lips.

"Thank you," he said as he moved back.

"You are very welcome. The man who owned the shop said very good things about you."

"He did?"

"Yes. His name was Mister Gold."

Loki's eyes widened as his mouth fell open then he shook his head.

"He was my tutor."

"He said that. And that you were his favorite student."

She petted the kitten in her lap, the sweet creature curling in it.

"I haven't thought about him in years. I thought he might have left after his wife had died," Loki said with a sigh.

"Oh, I wondered why he had such sadness in his eyes," she said and she scratched Jewel's ear.

Loki saw and his mouth quirked in a sweet expression. "Mr. Gold is one of the most powerful enchanters in Asgard. I am honored he considered me a good student."

"He makes the most wonderful toys, Aleta and Max were in awe of them."

Her voice was so soft and sweet, he smiled as she spoke. _Never an unkind word about anyone,_ he thought.

"He always did. He said he enjoyed making toys and bringing children happiness. He used to say, the best use of your Gift is to bring joy to those who have none."

"I like that very much. It is a lovely sentiment." She said.

He pointed to Laevateinn on the wall. "However, he enchanted my sword when I was fifteen. Brunhilde gave it to me after he did so. As a birthday present."

"How thoughtful of them."

"Are there any more presents?" Loki teased and she smiled.

"The children have a gift for you."

"Did they each get themselves something?" he wanted to know.

"They did, and I bought them all treats at the sweet shop." She replied.

"You took them to the sweet shop?"

"I did not know I could not." She said, looking nervous. "It was only one treat each."

"Well, it's just Max gets a little hyper if he has too much sugar."

"He only got a peppermint stick, sir. He shared half of it with Loki." She said, hanging her head. "I will not take them again if you wish it so."

"There is no need to feel ashamed. You didn't know. And, no, you can take them there," he said with a small smile and she nodded.

"Thank you. They are such sweet children."

Loki looked proud at that statement.

"There was a problem in the market." She said, wringing her hands.

"What kind of problem? Did you not have enough money for something the children wanted? Did Aleta or Max throw a tantrum?"

"No. They had plenty, and were very good." She answered, biting her lip and debating how best to tell him.

Loki sensed she was nervous and waited patiently.

"Your previous wife accosted the children in a shop." She said, her voice very small. "I am sorry I did not stop her."

"Boda? The bitch is back in town?" He frowned. "Norns! Did she say something to them?" He could only imagine what that acid tongued witch had said.

"She said awful things about all of us." She replied.

"Typical. If she isn't spreading her legs she's spreading rumors," he groaned. "Forgive my language, but she brings out my sharp tongue."

"I should have not let her speak that way to them. I was... shocked by what she said to me." She said and started to cry. "I am sorry I failed to defend them."

"Don't. Don't let whatever she said upset you. She's always been a viper-tongued bitch, saying whatever will hurt the most to someone because it makes her feel good." He hugged her, letting her cry into his shirt. "You shouldn't have had to defend them. That witch should have never even spoken to them."

"She was so cruel. And I was frozen in place because she was a noble." She said, sobbing. "She said you would hurt me on the wedding night, tear me open and listen to me scream in pain while you took your pleasure." She hiccupped between sobs, shaking against his chest. "I fear that pain, My Prince."

He stroked her hair. "Shh. She hasn't changed a bit then. And you were conditioned to do that, it's instinctive after so many years of having it beaten into you." He patted her back and then tipped her chin up. "Look at me please. What she said was a lie. I would never do that. I would sooner cut off my hands than hurt you. She said that to scare you, darling."

"She said that is what you did to her. I don't want to believe her, but the maids said they found so much blood after." She whimpered.

"Then let me tell you why. It's because she did not come a maiden to my bed. It was my first time, but not hers. She tricked me though. By using a bladder of chicken blood. That's why there was so much of it. Because she threw it on the sheets afterwards while I slept. And fool that I was, I didn't know that women only bleed a little after . . ." He coughed.

"She was taken by another man?" She said in horror.

"Yes. Probably more than one given her proclivities," he affirmed. "You don't just start chasing every man wearing pants the way she did after I left for Jotunheim. She told me the truth in a drunken rage after Fenris was born."

"I am so sorry... I swear, I will only go to your bed." She said, blushing.

"I know you will be faithful and true. Because that is who you are. And it is who I am too. Even though she slept with half the court, I never had a mistress nor did I want one. I was true to my vows when she was not."

"But it was your right to take a mistress when she was with child." Rhiannon said, citing the familiar custom.

"That may be how some people see it, but I don't. That's convention and I don't follow it. The vows I spoke said nothing about a mistress, it said I was to be faithful to my wife."

He heaved a sigh. "Boda has always been bad news. You can ask Balder-she tried to seduce him while I was away. He was the one who wrote to me and told me what she was doing . . . no one else wanted to tell me the truth."

"She tried to sleep with your brother?" Rhiannon was horrified.

"Yes. She would sleep with anyone," Loki grimaced. "Anywhere and any time."

"I am so sorry she was so awful to you." She said and hugged him tightly.

He pressed his face into her hair, loving the sweet scent of apples that wafted to his nostrils. "She's why I never wanted to date or anything after I divorced. Because she made me think I was a beast and who could ever love a beast?"

"It is she who is a beast for saying such horrible things," she said.

"You're right," he said, sucking in a breath and moved back to face her. She saw the tears in his emerald eyes and she used the pads of her thumbs to wipe them away.

"You are no beast, you have the kindest heart I have ever seen. And no beast could ever possess that." She said, her soft hands on his cheeks.

Her lips met his in a gentle kiss and he returned it, his arms wrapping around her and crushing her to him. She gasped, and their kiss grew more passionate, fire igniting between them again.

Like sparks into flame, it spread through them both in a wave, leaving them quivering and breathless.

Loki knew he couldn't go too far as he moved back and looked at her.

"Why did you stop?" she asked.

"I don't wish to frighten you by rushing things," he said.

"Thank you. I do enjoy your kisses very much however." She said, catching her breath.

He thanked the Norns for his iron discipline, which enabled him to switch off his passion when necessary. Such discipline was part and parcel of being Archmage, for magic and emotion often spelled disaster.

"And I enjoy yours," he teased and she blushed.

She was the only woman he had ever known that could bring him to the edge of his control with a mere kiss. Boda, for all her harlot tricks, had never been able to make him desire her.

"Thank you, My Prince." She said and blushed. The kitten stole the ribbon from the present, carrying it about and playing with it.

"Mine!" Jewel said as she curled the ribbon around her paws and they laughed.

"She is the sweetest thing anyone has ever given me." She said, reaching for the kitten.

"You are perfect for each other." He laughed as Jewel batted the ribbon while lying in her lap.

"Would you like to see what your children bought themselves?" She asked, letting the kitten have the ribbon.

"Yes, I would," he said with a nod.

She took his hand, pulling him up and he mused how she was becoming more like Max and Aleta.

They walked down the hallway when Loki saw a little wooden horse coming out of the nursery.

"Max, your horse is getting away!" Aleta's voice said and Max ran out into the hallway to retrieve the horse.

"Oh! Hi, Daddy!" Max said, picking up the horse.

The kitten ran behind Rhiannon, hiding behind her skirts.

"That is the toy he chose, Prince Loki." She said and laughed at the kitten.

"He's really neat!" Max said and handed the horse to Loki.

Loki knelt and examined the horse. "I recognize Mr. Gold's work." He turned the horse over to reveal a spinning wheel and a G burnt into the underside.

"Isn't it just so detailed?" Rhiannon asked him.

"Yes. Mister Gold does excellent work," Loki said.

"Look what Aleta bought, Daddy!" Max said, pointing at his sister.

"What did you get, spark?"

"It's a mommy kitty and her baby!" Aleta said as she came out of the nursery.

"Show him what it does." Rhiannon said and Aleta began rocking the kitten.

It purred, making the sound as if it were a real cat.

"Amazing," Loki said and Aleta handed the kitten to him after he handed the horse back to Max.

"It is such a sweet doll too, her dress has tiny eyelet lace on it." Rhiannon said and pointing to the lace

"Mister Gold is also an expert weaver, tailor, and spinner," Loki said while handing the doll back to Aleta.

"He must have a great talent to make such wonderful things." Rhiannon agreed.

"He does," Loki confirmed.

"We got you a surprise, Daddy!" Aleta said.

"You did? How wonderful!" Loki grinned and he truly sounded excited.

"We all pitched in." Sam said, rolling her eyes.

"Thank you very much. You didn't have to do that."

"We really wanted to." Serena said and giggled.

"Here, Daddy!" Max said, bringing him a bag just as Fenris and the rest walked in.

"Open it. Daddy!" Aleta shouted, jumping up and down.

"Okay, calm down!" He laughed. "You act like it's going to bite me if I don't hurry up."

Rhiannon picked up Aleta, hugging her and laughing.

"You had better open it, she may do it for you, My Prince." She said.

He opened the bag and saw some delicious peppermint star candies, as well as something called a peppermint surprise-it was a large round confection with chocolate drizzled over it.

"By the Nine! How did you know I wanted to try this?" he asked, taking the peppermint surprise out of the bag.

"We guessed." Fenris said and grinned. "Should we give Rhiannon her gift?"

"Yes!" they all cried.

"I did not know that I deserved a gift." Rhiannon said.

"Of course you do," Sam said. "In this family you get them just because you're you."

"Thank you, Princess." Rhiannon said and blushed.

"Someone go get it!" Aleta shouted.

Belle concentrated and the gift was summoned from her room. " Here it is!" She gave it to Rhiannon with an excited grin.

"Nice summoning charm, raven," Loki praised her. "You've been practicing."

"Wulf and I practice," his daughter said shyly.

"Oooh! Belle's got a boyfriend!" Vince hooted. "And you're not allowed to date till you're sixteen."

"Shut up, you ignoramus! He's not my boyfriend!"

"Please don't quarrel." Rhiannon said calmly.

"Vince, quit teasing your sister," Loki added.

"Open your present!" Aleta said.

"Yes Princess." She said and opened the paper. Her eyes widened in surprise. "My perfume, and skin cream."

She picked up the soap, smelling it and smiling. "This smells lovely!"

"I picked that out," Belle told her. "I thought it smelled pretty."

"It is very lovely Belle, thank you all for this." Rhiannon said and smiled.

"You were all very thoughtful," Loki praised them.

"It's more fun to give than to receive," Lucy quoted.

"I think that is true." Rhiannon said.

"Your perfume smells better than that mean Lady's." Max said.

"Yeah hers could make Pigpen pass out," Hunter said.

"I can still taste it." Sam groaned.

"She called me a bastard!" Max said, crossing hos arms.

"What?" Loki's eyes flashed and he struggled to keep from calling his ex-wife a few choice words that his kids shouldn't hear. "How dare she?"

"We urged him not to think on it." Rhiannon said, standing up and backing away. "He is a sweet child."

She held the gifts in her hands, shaking at the look she saw in his eyes and stepped back again. It was the same look she received before being beaten, before the pain came.

 _Stop it!_ she ordered herself. _He is not Father and he is not angry at you. He is angry at her, because she hurt his children,_ she reminded herself.

Loki shut his eyes, searching for the calm he needed to dissipate the anger he was feeling. He found it by thinking instead of Rhiannon. He drew a deep breath and locked the anger away.

"Sir?" She asked calmly, her voice small. "I am sorry they were so abused by her in that manner."

He regarded her, the sun through the window lighting her face and making her look so beautiful. He calmed, sighing and wondering what to do about Boda.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Rhee," he said quietly. "She's the one who ought to be sorry."

"Humph! That'll be the day!" Jorgy snorted.

"Never going to happen." Fenris groaned. "She used to try and set me on fire."

Hunter gaped at him. "Holy crap! And I thought Grimes was bad!"

"He was bad enough," Sam said tightly.

"She touched Rhiannon's hair." Aleta said, crossing her arms.

"She probably is jealous it is so pretty." Vince said.

"Did you check it for lice, hon?" Loki joked, trying to make her smile.

"I will later." Rhiannon smiled.

"I will check!" Fenris said, lifting her hair and looking at the scalp. Rhiannon laughed, swatting at his hands.

"It will probably turn white from evil touching it." Hunter said.

"Then I'll have to magic it back," Belle laughed.

"Hunter, do you have your iPod?" Nate asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Cause if we see her again you need to play Maneater by Hall and Oates," the quiet boy smirked.

"Or Beat It by Michael Jackson," Serena said.

"What is an I-pod?" Rhiannon asked.

"We are going to have to teach her so much." Sam said, laughing.

"Hunter, get yours and show Rhee," Loki told him. "It's a little electronic device that plays music."

"Oh, how does it play the music?" She asked, Hunter plugging his earbuds into her ears. He selected Nine Inch Nails and chuckled.

"What'd you put on there?" asked Belle suspiciously.

"Don't." Sam said, rolling her eyes.

He clicked play and Rhiannon pinched her eyes shut. She covered her ears, looking worried.

"Is this man in pain?" She shouted, and Lucy groaned.

"No but my ears sure are from listening to that." Loki sighed.

"What!?" She shouted, unable to hear.

"Hunter and Vince are why we can't have nice things." Belle sighed.

Loki looked at Hunter. "Change the song before she goes deaf. To something good. Like Billy Joel."

"What, My Prince?" She said, taking the earbuds out. She handed them back to Hunter, shaking her head. "Music there is... interesting."

"I told Hunter to change the song before you went deaf," Loki answered. He took the iPod and scrolls through it and found Hall and Oates Maneater. "Listen to this. It fits my ex-wife to a T." He handed her back the earbuds.

She put them back in and listened to it.

"I see how it does!" She shouts over the music.

"Dad? Are you going to tell her that she needs to take those out to talk?" Lucy giggled.

Loki grinned and sent. _Take the earbuds out so you can talk, darling. I'll stop the song._ He tapped the iPod to pause the song.

Rhiannon removed the earbuds.

"How do you hear over those?" She asked him, giving him the headphones.

"You need to take them out or pause the song. Look." He showed her how to pause the song on the device.

"Interesting. And all that music fits on this?" She said, turning the small device over in her hands. "It is so small, and light."

"That's the idea. You can fit hundreds or thousands of songs on one of these and take it with you. As long as you charge the device you can listen for hours."

"Fascinating." She said, giving the iPod back to Hunter. "They are quite clever."

"Wait until you see our house." Aleta said. "You can sleep in my room."

Vince and Hunter started laughing.

"Why are you laughing?" Aleta said, looking angry.

"Because she shares with Dad," Hunter replied. "When you're married, a husband and wife sleep together in the same room."

"Is that how it is there? No separate chambers?" Rhiannon asked

Loki nodded. "They have what is called a master bed room, and it's large enough for two people. My bed could easily sleep three grown people."

"It sounds very large. What if I disturb you, or you need to do work that does not involve me?" Rhiannon asked.

"You won't disturb me. I work in my study, not in my bedroom."

"Oh." Rhiannon said and smiled.

"Why do married people sleep in separate rooms here?" Aleta asked.

"It's just a different custom, spark." Loki replied.

"Except with Boda." Fenris laughed. "You slept in different rooms to get away from her perfume."

"More like to get away from her shrieking. She was always shouting at Father." Jorgy sighed.

"She sounds like a real winner." Sam said, rolling her eyes.

"Why don't we all, just not talk about her?" Belle suggested.

"Great idea, Raven," Loki said,

"I agree." Rhiannon said. "I should take these lovely gifts to my room."

She left the room, walking quietly to her room and paused when she saw Balder and Thor walking toward her. They gave her the hall politely, moving to the side so she can pass.

"Lovely dress Rhiannon." Balder said and she smiled.

"Thank you, Prince Balder." She replied, nodding her head.

"Is Loki with his children? Thor confirmed an appointment to sign your contract tomorrow." He asked her.

"Yes sir. He is visiting with them still." she replied, blushing. Her heart soared, knowing that soon she would be contracted to marry Loki and that she would be his for all time. She walked on, a bounce entering her step and a lightness in her that she had not known in a very long time.

 _This is my bliss, to be loved by such a gentle man and his children._

They watched her walk away when Fenris, Jorgy and Sleph looked at each other and Fenris nodded with his head for them to follow him.

"What's up?" Jorgy asked.

"I was thinking. You know that portrait of Mother in the gallery?" Fenris asked.

"What about it?" Sleph asked.

"We need to burn it," Fenris said.

"Yeah. Dad doesn't need a reminder of that harpy," Jorgy said.

"I agree," Sleph said.

"When should we do it?"

"I think after the betrothal ceremony," Fenris said.

"Sounds good. Dad would have a new portrait of Rhee done by then," Jorgy said and Sleph nodded.

"Beta, what are you three talking about?" Loki asked and they walked to him.

"If it's all the same with you, we want to burn Mother's portrait," Fenris said and Loki's eyes widened.

"Why would you want to do that?" Hunter asked.

"She isn't family anymore and her portrait is going to be replaced by one Dad will have done for Rhee," Jorgy said.

Loki hadn't thought about Boda's portrait. He knew it had been damaged several times over the years then repainted and he looked at his sons.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Loki asked.

"Yes!" Fenris said with a small growl.

"Go ahead," Loki said and they smiled.

"Isn't that destroying public property?" Lucy asked.

"Yes, it is, Valkyrie, but, sometimes, painting in the gallery are destroyed for one reason or another."

"Like when someone turns out to be a real bitch?!" Sam asked.

"Yes," he said with nod then turned and went back to his room.

"You would think that we just told her that she was to be made a goddess." Thor said, watching her walk on.

"In a way, we did." Balder replied. "Let us go warn Loki."

"No, I think he already believe she is one," Thor said with a laugh and they walked down the hallway.

They enter the nursery, laughing to each other and saw Loki talking to the boys.

"Brother! We bring news." Thor said, laughing.

"Is everything well, Loki?" Balder asked, noticing that Loki looked slightly angry.

"Daddy's mean wife was in the market." Max said.

"Boda? What was she doing there?" Thor asked, crossing his arms.

"Being a bitch." Fenris shot out.

"Perhaps some good news then. Rurik confirmed that he will be here tomorrow to sign the contract." Balder said. " Rhiannon was very happy when we told her this."

Loki looked pleased. "I'm glad to hear that. I was this signed so he can get out of my hair."

"We hope that happens as wel,l Brother. Do you wish me there as a witness to the signing?" Thor asked.

"Yes, this way he can't weasel his way out of anything. I think you make him nervous." Loki smirked.

"Or try for a higher dowry." Balder laughed.

"Under the new laws, Rhiannon inherits the farm once he is gone," Loki recalled.

"And any money he has, unless he has spent it all." Balder said coolly. "Have you seen this farm? It is in a most distressed state."

"I will go check on it after the contract is signed."

"Don't expect much. The house is near collapse." Balder sighed. "How could you let a child grow in those conditions?"

"Most of my children came from places far worse," Loki reminded them and they nodded.

"Very well, the fields have gone fallow however. No one has plowed them in years it seems." He replied, looking down.

"What about the animals? Have they been fed?"

"No. Most of them are dead and the rest can barely stand," Thor said and Loki felt his stomach fall.

"Daddy. Can we help the animals?" Aleta asked, pulling his shirt.

"We can try, spark," he said, knowing that's all they could do if the animals were too far gone.

Rhiannon returned, smiling and looking wonderfully happy. He couldn't break her heart by telling her about her childhood home, but something still had to be said. She walked softly, her face falling as she approached him.

"Is anything wrong?" She asked, worried that something had gone wrong.

"Your father has agreed to sign the contract," Loki said and she made a small squeal of glee as she hugged him. "There's more."

"What has happened?" she asked moving back.

"It has to do with the farm where you grew up."

"It has had a few problems..."

"The farmhouse is in ruins, the water is undrinkable, the fields are a mess and the animals are dying."

"Balder told me of the contract in the hall, My Prince. I fear the rest of it is my fault, I was not there to ensure that things were run correctly." She said and sighed. "He cannot do the work himself, because of his injury. May I go and tend to the animals?

"Yes, but take the children. They want to help."

"Yes, My Prince." She replied and looked very nervous.

"I will go with them, Father." Fenris volunteered, and Rhiannon looked a bit relieved by his offer.

"I will come also. Perhaps I can do something with the water, since I have some water magic," Jorgy offered.

"That would be very nice. I will pack a few things and we can go." Rhiannon said, stepping back and hoping that no one would judge her for the state of the farm. She wanted to cry, perhaps even beg them not to go but it would only upset them further.

Balder looked at her. "It's not your fault things fell into disarray. If he couldn't do the work then he should have hired some farmhands. You need a man to plow the fields and seed and so forth. One woman cannot do all that work."

"I used to do most of it. He was always in so much pain, My Prince." She said softly. "And we always had so little money."

 _Gee, I wonder why,_ Loki thought sarcastically. _You had no money because your wastrel father spent it all on whores and drink. Otherwise he'd have been able to hire farmhands to keep the farm running and have crops to sell and feed and clothe his child, he thought but did not say aloud. And he hurt his back falling off a horse!_

He caught his brothers looking briefly at Rhiannon with pity because she had been hoodwinked by a clever con artist.

"I pray we can save the animals." She said, a sad look in her eyes.

"So do I. They don't deserve to suffer," Loki agreed. He didn't say but such neglect as that would have landed her father in jail back in America.

"We should go." Fenris said, taking Rhiannon's arm and the kids all followed.

"Jorgy," Loki beckoned his elder son over. "If you can't save the animals, do the merciful thing and put them out of their misery. It's horrible to make them starve."

"I will, Father."

"Just make sure you do it when Rhee and the little ones aren't there to see."

"Yes Father." He replied sadly, leaving with the rest. Balder walked over, rubbing his face.

"You have to tell her. Brother." Balder. "She needs to know what her father did."

"She won't believe it from me, Balder. She needs to hear it from him. Which means I need to get him drunk enough to confess to lying about his injury. Or actually, Thor does. It would make more sense if he drank with him, since everyone knows I rarely do so, and never to excess because of my magic."

"Agreed. Do we act tomorrow then? She deserves to know." Thor said, thinking.

"When is he coming to sign the contract?"

"Tomorrow. Do we want him here after breakfast or around noontime?" Thor asked.

"Noon is good. I do not want to deal with the bastard early in the morning," Loki answered.

"I can understand that." Thor said, still thinking. "I wonder how much mead and wine we will need."

"I doubt he can outdrink you. He's not that big. But figure at least a keg of mead and three bottles of wine. You can always get more. Oh, and I'll enchant your glass so you won't get drunk."

"Good thinking. We can't have me losing control now." Thor said, shaking his head. "Four more guards said they suspected that things were happening between he and Rhiannon."

"Gods." Balder said. "I hate this bastard more and more."

"You and me both," Loki spat.

"I pray we don't have to kill him." Thor said, sighing.

"Let's try and avoid that," Loki said. "Not that I don't think he could use killing but I don't want any of us doing it. He'll kill himself soon enough with the way he drinks and falls off horses or whatever." Loki shuddered. "The Norns will have a special place in Hel for that slimeball."

"I hope it is soon." Thor said. "She washed her hands raw at one time. That is what the guards said."

Loki grimaced. "From the case studies I've read, sometimes victims who have been groped or touched without their consent feel unclean and dirty afterwards, so they compulsively try and wash the feeling away. There have been studies done on rape victims where the victim has scrubbed their body raw in an effort to rid themselves of the feeling."

"Why were you reading that?" Balder asked curiously.

"Because of Mr. Grimes. He was a scummy pedophile who liked to sell kids and also peer at them through the windows while they undressed. We weren't sure if anything else had been done to them that they wouldn't say, so I figured if I read up on the signs I'd be able to recognize them in the children in the orphanage."

"So he may have touched her as a child?" Thor said, looking green. "I feel ill. That was his daughter!"

Loki nodded, his jaw clenched. "It's possible. Very possible. There was . . . something odd he said when he was passed out in the infirmary before the guards moved him. He said, "Rhiannon, come here I want to tell you a story." The way he said it . . . Thor, it made my flesh crawl." He shut his eyes and breathed in and out, also feeling sick.

"Nine Hels." Balder said, shaking with anger. "He should be imprisoned! Not the father of a Queen!"

"Balder, calm down." Thor said.

"I will not calm down! Our nieces and nephews are at that farm with that monster!"

"I know there is something he holds over her. The last two times we met, he was whispering something to her and afterwards she was terrified and upset and he was smug." Loki said angrily. "He needs to be imprisoned . . . and beaten within an inch of his life.

Balder, go and check on them. Use any excuse you like. I don't think he would dare try anything because there are too many witnesses but go and see. It's not good if I go, he might think I'm too eager or something."

"I will, Brother. I may also be able to help with the animals... should a kinder solution be needed." He said, running and shouting for his horse.

Loki hissed out a breath. "In the meantime I am going to work on her betrothal gown. I need a few hours to spin the cloth and then piece it together with my magic."

"I am sure it will be stunning Loki. You do have a gift." Thor said and smiled. "Do you think I could pay Rhiannon to embroider me a tunic?"

"You mean like the one she made for me?" His brother smiled. "I think she would do so for free, but you sure can. Here, look at this," he summoned a sketchpad and flipped it open to the design he had drawn. "Do you think I should add flowers going down the train, like this?" He sketched lightly several flowers on the dress.

"She will be stunning in that! I would want to steal her away, Brother." Thor said, looking down at the sketch. "Perhaps the bodice should be a bit higher in the front though. Not by much, but enough to draw your eyes. The less you see, the more you desire."

"Hmm, yes." He added a higher neckline with extra lace. "Like this?"

"Exactly, that will be amazing." Thor said, smiling at the drawing. "She will be desire incarnate."

"And also innocence. I am going to make the main color of the dress white and the flowers pink, peach and a darker rose, maybe some sprinkling of lavender ones also."

"She is truly innocent as well, I plan to defend that. She is the opposite of what Boda was, and I am glad that delicate creature drifted into your life."

"Thank you, Thor. She has made me happier than I have ever been in my life." Loki said sincerely. Then he added, "I pray you too will know such happiness."

"I am sad to say that my time with Jane might be at an end." Thor sighed. "She does not wish for the same things that I do."

"I kind of figured that," Loki acknowledged softly. "That last argument you had . . . Tony said you should have shoved her out the window. You really don't want to get too involved with a woman who isn't compatible with you. Trust me on that."

"I will give her another chance. I have invited her to the Betrothal Ceremony. Perhaps she will see what could await her." Thor said and smiled.

"Perhaps," Loki said, though he feared that then Jane might decide to marry Thor for the same reasons Boda had himself.

"I will do my best to keep everything calm." Thor said.

"Got some Prozac?" he joked.

"Worry not, brother. Go weave your cloth."

"Yes, I'd better get busy." Loki said and then blinked away to his workroom.


	25. Moonbeam Gowns and Snowdrop

**25**

 **Moonbeam Gowns and Snowdrop**

 _Moonbeams glisten in her hair, bright as new fallen snow. ~ Loki_

He took out the enchanted spinning wheel from the closet, which had been a gift Mr. Gold had given him long ago when he got accepted to the Academy of Magic. Loki was grateful now to the spinner mage for teaching him how to spin like an expert.

He sat down and conjured silky wool from Asgard's finest sheep, intermixed with strands of iridescent spider silk. Then he began to spin, the thread beneath his hands glowing slightly, his foot pumping the treadle steadily.

He became lost in his magic, spinning and spinning.

The fine gossamer threads wrapped together, he drafting a fine thread as he worked. He closed his eyes as the silk whirred around the spindle, the thread wrapping itself neatly on the spool.

The spool filled, and he took it off the wheel, filling a second, and then a third. He set them all into a basket, selecting the strongest looking threads to create the warp threads for the loom.

He relaxed and spun enough thread for the dress, and then began to weave it together upon a special loom that was enchanted to weave cloth like lightning. It would enable him to complete the dress in time for the ceremony in a few days.

While the loom wove, Loki summoned the beautiful bright silk colored thread he would use for the flowers. He used another spell to embroider a sample upon a piece of cloth and studied it. He made a rose and some smaller forget-me-nots on the cloth.

The small lavender flowers shimmered slightly, and he added a tiny gold bead to the center of each one.

"I like how that looks," he remarked to himself. Then he summoned fine lace from Alfheim from the storeroom and set it on the table. He would cut the proper lengths once the dress was pieced together.

On it was the lightest, most delicate fabric anyone had ever seen.

It shimmered in the light, catching the sun and draping delicately in a pool in another basket.

Loki was very pleased. The ball gown the modiste had made for the welcome ball was on a dress form, so he could measure the proportions exactly.

He could have altered an existing dress with his magic, but he wanted this dress to be one that he made from the beginning.

He glanced at his watch and saw that two and a half hours had gone by. He summoned a pitcher of juice and a sunflower seed muffin to him and ate them neatly, knowing better than to keep working magic without refueling. One of the odd things about magic was that it burned energy and calories like nothing else, even a strenuous exercise session, and if you did not eat and drink you ran the risk of it burning too much and you would collapse.

A knock came to the door, Balder and Jorgy stepping in. Both men looked very grim, and Jorgy held Rhiannon's dress in his hands.

"What happened?" he asked, alarmed.

"She wanted to bathe, and I told her I would take this to be mended and cleaned." Jody said, showing him the gown. "All the animals, save one foal that killed its mother being born are dead. Sleph has it now."

"Jorgy, go. I must talk to your father." Balder said, taking the dress.

Loki looked saddened. "The foal, will it live?"

"There is hope for the foal, it is pure white and fairly strong." Balder said, handing him the dress. "When I arrived, she was running from the house and holding the bodice shut. She would not tell me what happened, but there is something spilled on the skirt."

Loki swore softly. He examined the skirt and saw the stain spread on it.

"This looks like wine." He sniffed. "Smells like it too. Was the bastard in the house?"

"He was. Sam said that he called her in and no one heard anything else."

"Damn! I would have gone in there with her." Loki huffed.

Balder paced, showing him another stain. "What is that? What did he do to her?"

Balder paced, becoming more and more angry.

"Is there nothing we can do?" He shouted.

"Balder, stop. Yes, there is something we can do. I need to get the horny bastard to sign my contract, then she will be free of him," Loki said. "I would also like her to repudiate him, but that won't happen unless he's drunk enough to confess to her. The other thing . . . if he admits to it we could arrest him quietly and let Father deal with him but nothing public. It would kill Rhiannon to have that known. You know how people talk and stupid ones would blame her." He spread his hands. "I would like him to be dead, but that is up to the Norns."

"I understand, brother. What should I do with the dress?" He asked, the ripped open bodice a horrible reminder of what possibly happened.

Loki clenched his teeth. "Leave it here. I will fix and clean it. No need for the maids to have something else to gossip about, the clucking hens!"

"Yes, brother." Balder said. "She is bathing now, I need to clear my head before supper. She named the foal Snowdrop." He said before leaving.

"Go beat up some practice dummies," Loki suggested. The mere thought of that disgusting reprobate touching his beautiful Goldenwing made him want to retch.

He prayed to the Norns that they would help him rid her of this pestilential parent and that Rhiannon could be free and happy.

"Thank you, brother." Balder said and left, shutting the door with a loud click.

Loki stared down at the ruined dress in his clenched fists. Then he mended it with a soft word. A wave of a hand and the dress was clean as well. He set it aside and took the fabric from the basket and set it on the table. Then he took measurements, marked everything, and set his enchanted scissors to cut the pieces out.

Making the dress helped calm him down and he hummed as he pieced the dress together, then he placed it on the form after removing the ball gown and hanging it on a hook.

He heard the door open, a rosy hand coming around the edge of it. It was scrubbed raw, and it was followed by Rhiannon. She was wearing a green cotton dress with a snow-white chemise under it. She looked flighty, slightly trembling.

"I... I was told you were in here. Do you want to go to supper?" She asked him softly.

He waved a hand, hiding the half-finished dress. "Yes, of course."

She stood in silence, watching him and tried to hide her painful hands.

"Are you making a new suit of clothes?" She asked him.

He shook his head. "No. It's something else." He noticed her hands. "Those look sore. What were you doing, picking nettles?"

"I had a great deal of dirt under my nails. I wanted them clean." She said, holding them behind her back. "Did Jorgy tell you about Snowdrop?'

"Put some of this on them," he said quietly, and gave her his green salve. "Yes, he did. Sleph will take good care of it. He is an excellent horse Healer."

He smiled wistfully. "I will need to see this foal. Perhaps after supper?"

"I have faith in him." She said and dipped her fingers in the pot. She rubbed the salve in.

"I think you would find her very pretty."

"It's a filly?"

"She is. She could stand after she was born, so it is a good sign. Poor Father cannot manage all the work on his own anymore." She said and gave him back the jar.

"How do your hands feel now?" he asked, concerned.

"A bit better, sir." She said and he noticed bruises on her wrist under the lace edge of her sleeve.

He longed to beat her father's head in. Instead he said, "You can call me Loki now." Then he smiled at her.

"Yes, Loki. I am far too used to the other way, I suppose." She replied.

"Should we go?"

"Yes, I am hungry," he admitted and then let her take his arm.

"I am as well." She replied and hesitated before taking his arm. She smiled thinly at him, trying to hide her emotions.

"Are you upset about something? I am sorry all the animals died," he said gently.

"It was most sad." She said and nodded. "I should have been there to help Father."

"Don't blame yourself. You didn't know and you were working here. Let's try and think of something else. Something joyful."

"Like what?"

"Like the fact that soon you shall be betrothed to me." He smiled.

"Yes." She said and her eyes filled with tears. "That is very happy."

He opened the door, taking her through and down the hall in silence. They arrived, Thor and Balder both glaring as they entered.

"Are they angry with me?" She asked, her voice small.

Loki escorted Rhiannon to her seat beside him. "No. Not at you."

"Oh. I was hoping not." She said and sat gingerly in the seat.

Frigga engaged Rhiannon about her trip to the market.

"It was a very nice day My Queen."

"I am very glad it was, dear. The children have taken to you."

"They are such sweet and wonderful children. Prince Loki is truly wealthy because of them." She replied with a smile.

By the end of the dinner, she was more herself. She ate her dessert and looked at Loki.

"Do you want to see the filly?" she asked him, her eyes calm. "She is so very pretty."

"Yes, I would love to," Loki said.

She took his hand, hers much less red and beckoned for him to follow.

"She is still with Sleph, I want to see if she is faring well." She said, urging him to move.

Loki followed her as they headed for the stables and he gently wrapped their fingers together.

The dusk was lovely as they walked toward the paddock, crickets had begun to chirp and a nightingale trilled a song in the distance.

"It is so quiet here." She said.

"Yes it is," he said.

The lights were on in the stable as they entered and heard someone singing. Sleph was sitting on the hay with Snowdrop and was gently stroking her mane. Loki saw the sadness in his son's eyes and his heart sank a little. Sleph was always sensitive when one of the other horses, mares or foals were ill or injured and was devastated with one of them died.

Loki and Rhiannon walked closer when Sleph looked up and sadly smiled.

"Is she well?" Rhiannon asked, tears filling her eyes again.

"Yes, she's fine. Just scared and confused," Sleph said.

"The poor dear. Would it help if I held her since I brought her here?" She asked him and walked over to the filly.

"I think she would like that," Sleph said as he stood so she could sit down.

She took the snowy foal and stroked her mane, singing a sweet lullaby to the newborn.

Snowdrop looked up at her then lowered her head and Sleph stood next to Loki.

"She is very good with animals," he said and Loki nodded.

Her voice filled the barn, sweet and pure as she sang to the beautiful newborn. The other horses calmed as well, their ears pricking at her song and Loki felt a warmth in him.

Loki slid his arm around Sleph as they listened and soon the foal drifted off to sleep. The other horses were sleeping as well and she placed the foal on the hay.

"She is so beautiful. Is she not?" She asked the two men.

"Yes," Loki said and Sleph nodded.

"I would calm babies that were fussy to sleep with that song when I worked in the infirmary. It seems to work on horses as well."

"It made all the horses fall asleep," Loki said with a grin and helped her to her feet.

"I did not mean to make them all sleep." She said and blushed.

"It's fine," he said as he led them out of the stable and they headed back to the palace.

"Do you think she is pretty?" She asked him softly.

She walked next to him, dusk creating long shadows and an owl calling out his hunt in the distance.

"One of the prettiest foals I've ever seen," he murmured. He gazed up at the stars, twinkling in their eternal dance, and then his eyes found his beloved.

"There are always so many stars in the sky." She said softly, looking away and turning shy.

"Of all the stars in the heavens, there are none so fair that glistens and shines with moonbeams in her hair," he quoted one of the poems in his book.

"I liked that poem very much. Did you write that one about Frigga as well?" She asked him, a blush forming on her cheeks. "I am sorry, I should not have assumed."

"Yes. Many of them were about her. She inspired me to write. My brothers and father laughed at my scribbling, as they called it, but she never did. I was such an awkward and shy adolescent." He recalled. "All long legs and elbows and sometimes I tripped over my own feet."

"I don't see that in you now, you are more graceful than I." She said, laughing a bit.

He smiled. "Thanks. Brunhilde's training helped a lot. She used to say, _When you grow into your legs, boy you will be graceful as a swan, and dance upon the air._ I never quite believed her until it happened."

"She said that I had a dancer's form, I never saw that myself." She said and smiled.

"Yes. I would agree. She saw much others missed."

"She was clever that way." Rhiannon said, and they stopped at her chamber doors. "I suppose this is goodnight, My Prince."

"Until tomorrow, my songbird." He bowed and kissed her hand. There was magic in his kiss, the same he had cast once before to ensure sweet dreams in the infirmary.

"Yes, until tomorrow." She said and flinched a bit at the pain in her still red hand. "Rest well, my Loki."

"You also, darling." He removed the jar of salve from his pocket. "Keep this and use it. I have more."

"Thank you. I will be more careful about my hands in the future." She said and the sadness returned to her eyes.

He turned her hand over and placed a kiss upon it, making her quiver with his gentle sweetness. "Think no more of it. Pleasant dreams."

"Yes." She said and opened the door, walking through it and she set the jar on the table. Without changing, she lay down on her bed and cried for a long time. She cursed herself, and cursed her father. Praying for someone to free her, eventually she fell asleep.

Loki returned to his own chambers, thinking _soon beloved, I shall free you from the beast, and nothing will harm you ever again._

He changed, cleaning himself up and laying on his bed. He thought about the meeting the next day, and how hard it would be to not kill the bastard. _Had you been the man you were four years ago, he would be dead and food for worms by now. But you must not kill for vengeance's sake, Laufeyson. For that way lies the Dark Path._


	26. What Lucy Saw

**26**

 **What Lucy Saw**

 _Where evil walks, you shall know it in your bones. ~ Loki_

 **A/N: Trigger warning here for implied sexual abuse, but not rape.**

A knock came to his door, Lucy walking in and looking sick.

He sat up. "What's wrong, Valkyrie?"

"Dad... I saw something really bad today." She said and started crying.

He held out his arms for her and she came to him.

"Rhiannon and her Dad were in the house, and I was curious..." She sobbed. "He was just like Mr. Grimes, Dad. He had her against the wall and tore her dress..." She whimpered, shivering. "I wanted to yell at him Dad, but he took her hand . . ..I was scared!" She cried into his pajama shirt, sobbing.

"Oh gods!" He groaned. He held and rocked her, murmuring soothingly.

"I wanted to help her, Dad... and you said that we should tell if we saw something bad. It was really bad... don't be mad at Rhiannon."

 _May that unnatural bastard rot in Hel_! He thought savagely. "I would never be mad at her, sweetheart. You did right in telling me. I suspected when I saw her hands that something had happened . . ."

"Are you going to get him locked up?" She asked her father, her eyes filled with tears. "He kept saying how soft her hands were, and she was just crying." She sobbed again.

His soul shivered at what his beloved had endured and he wished again that he could kill the bastard. "Yes, he will be locked up." That he could do. "I wish you had never seen that, but perhaps the Norns wished you to bear witness. He is a wicked man, hon. I'm glad you didn't confront him. He's dangerous."

"Can I sleep here Dad? I'm just scared." Lucy whispered, shivering.

His arms tightened about her as he imagined if the bastard had gotten hold of his little girl that resembled Rhiannon with her gold hair.

"Please Dad?" She asked, and hugged him.

"Yes, of course." He picked her up and placed her in his bed.

He conjured a handkerchief and made it talk in a silly voice while he dried her tears.

She laughed at it, smiling at she looked at him seriously. "He said something really bad to her, Dad. He said he could get more money selling her to a brothel."

"I know. I had heard rumors he said nasty things to her but until now I had no proof. We will get him put away forever, sunshine. Where he can't hurt Rhee or anyone again." Loki vowed.

He shuddered in revulsion. For he had a feeling there had been others. He knew some brothels catered to such as him.

"Dad? Are you still going to marry Rhiannon?"

He laid next to his daughter and carded her hair. "Of course. What happened to her doesn't change how I feel. I still love her."

"I still like her too, Dad. She is still so nice, and she helped the baby horse."

"I know. She is a good and beautiful person." He hummed his lullaby in his velvet voice.

"She is pretty too, Dad." She yawned and started dozing off.

He continued humming until she was fast asleep.

He lay quietly for a long time after, thinking of what Lucy had said.

 _I could kill that miserable son of a bitch!_ He thought, his anger at what Rurik had done growing.

He shuddered, forming a plan to keep him far away from Rhiannon, and away from anyone else.

He then used his telepathy to slip inside his small daughter's mind and perform a brief memory altering—taking away the sight of what she had seen and leaving only a feeling of extreme uneasiness and the knowledge that Rurik was bad. He didn't wish for his five year old to have that awful knowledge in her head to torment her.

 _Sleep well, my Valkyrie._ He thought and kissed her forehead.

Then he too drifted off to sleep, though his dreams were dark.

The next morning he woke and blinked at the sun that filled the room. Lucy rolled on her side, trying to go back to sleep.

He waved a hand and the drapes shut. His daughter sighed and drifted back to sleep.

Soon, he heard the door open and close as two giggling children invaded.

"Shhh!" He put a finger to his lips.

"Daddy, we are hungry." Max whispered.

"Okay, imp. Let me get dressed and we'll go to breakfast. Just be quiet, Lucy is sleeping."

"So is Rhiannon. She said that she felt sick, Daddy." Aleta said and sighed.

"Lucy had a nightmare so she's not feeling well either." He informed them. He got up and went to get changed in his bathroom.

"Can you give them medicine?" Max asked.

"Uh they will feel better after they rest," he replied, brushing his hair and tying it back.

"I guess." Aleta grumped. "I wanted to see Snowdrop."

He straightened his gold cape and blue tunic. "We can see the filly after breakfast. I'll bring you."

"O.k." Aleta said. "Rhiannon wants to give her to Bestamor. To thank her for the dresses."

Loki smiled. "Bestemor will love her. Her old mare went to Valhalla last spring."

"I think it is nice to share." Max said.

"It is, scamp. You know what Aleta always says." Loki smiled at them.

"Sharing is caring," his daughter chirped.

"Okay, let's eat."

They walked down the hall, Loki seeing Rhiannon bolt from her chambers in a blue cotton dress with a bundle. She was holding a letter in her hand as she ran.

"Rhiannon!" Aleta yelled and she froze.

"Where are you going?" Loki called.

"I... I uh... I have to meet someone." She said, nearly dropping her bundle.

"Why do you have all that stuff?" Max said, poking the bundle.

"Has something happened?" Loki frowned. The way she had been running suggested she was frightened, not on an errand. His trouble radar tingled frantically.

"No sir. I do have to go. There is a carriage coming." She said, the letter in her hands slipping to the floor.

"What's that?" Aleta said, picking it up.

"Please give that back." she said, trying to get it, and nearly cried.

"But I just wanna see it," the child said.

"Spark, let me have it," Loki began.

"Please... I need that letter." She whimpered.

Aleta gave him the letter and he read it. It was from her father, announcing that he had sold her to a brothel in the city and that he was not signing the contract. "You got me ten thousand gold, go or I will flog you." It ended and she shivered.

"I am going to the Duchess. She protects girls like me." She gasped. "I will not haunt you anymore."

"You're staying right here. There is no such thing as slavery in Asgard. The laws forbid it. You're under crown protection." Loki told her softly. "This is illegal."

"But he still did it. He will beat me."

"No, he won't. I swear it. No one will hurt you. I will let no harm come to the one I love."

"Yeah Dad will beat up that nasty man!" Max put in.

"You still care for me, ever though I am fouled? A dirty thing that is tainted?" She asked him, dropping her bundle.

"Look at me," he said softly. "I love you. No matter what. You are not tainted. You are my Goldenheart." He cupped her face in his hands and she saw the truth shining in his eyes.

"Brother, we were just coming to find you," Thor called as he walked up with Balder. He saw the odd scene and frowned. "Has something happened?"

"A bad man wants to beat Rhiannon, Uncle Thor." Aleta told him. "But you and Daddy won't let him."

"Never! Loki, what man is this?"

"I think he's a little busy, Thor. But I have an idea." Balder said. "Max, Aleta your grandmother has a treat for you. Go see her in the dining hall."

The two kids squealed and raced into the hall.

Rhiannon stood, hugging her bundle and trying not to be afraid.

"Now, tell us what has happened," Thor whispered. "But use your magic so no one hears."

Loki waved a hand and created an illusion of them all greeting each other in the hallway.

"Who threatened to beat my future sister?" Balder asked angrily. "Because that is no longer allowed. By anyone."

Loki looked at Rhiannon. "Don't be afraid," he soothed. "May I tell them? They will help you."

"I suppose." She said, sighing and feeling defeated.

Loki showed them the letter. "She received that this morning. And thought she had no recourse but to run off to some duchess for sanctuary. She did not realize the laws forbid this now."

"She is known to protect girls in my situation. She keeps them hidden and gives them care." Rhiannon said.

"Such practices are against everything we stand for." Thor said hotly. "This is black market dealing."

"I am so sorry." She whimpered, shaking as she stood there and began to cry. "There is more."

"Tell us and we will see justice done" Balder said.

Loki put his arm about her.

"He makes me do things, that give him pleasure." She stopped, swallowing hard. "He... He uses my hand to..."

She stopped, her shaking beginning and dropped to the floor and began to cry. The sobs shaking her entire body.

"I can't... I am dirty and tainted." She whimpered.

"The monster!" Thor shouted, punching into the wall and cracking the stone. Rhiannon screamed at the act, ducking her head and looking for a way to flee.

"Thor! Don't. She is frightened enough." Loki said, and Thor crouched down near her.

"Sister, I am sorry. Please stand." Thor said, holding out his large hand. She took it, and shook.

"Perhaps, we should take her back to her chambers to calm." Balder suggested

"Please, don't let the Madam come and take me." She said and wept.

"No one will take you away, Rhiannon. You have my word." Balder said and took her bundle. "You should lay down, you are shaking like a leaf and wearing yourself out."

"Yes, My Prince." She said, and Loki supported her as she walked along. She stumbled, and nearly fell, Loki catching her and lifting her to carry her the rest of the way. He laid her on the small bed, warding the room against anyone who would mean her harm.

She clung to him like a child, her hands still red but healing. He held her gently, carding her hair until she fell asleep and kissed her forehead.

Slowly, he placed her back on the bed and covered her with a thin blanket. He let the gauze canopy close around the bed, and it reminded him of Sleeping Beauty in a way. Her innocent heart and body lying in wait for the kiss of true love.

"What do we do?" Balder asked, crossing his arms and sinking into a chair.

"We need him to sign the contract. As it stands, it is she against he." Thor growled.

Jewel trotted into the room and jumped on the bed, curling up next to Rhiannon. Her purring filled the room.

"Why is my mistress upset?" Jewel asked, looking at Loki.

"Her furry handmaid has arrived." Thor said, rubbing his face.

"She was badly frightened by her evil father," Loki told the kitten in felinese. "She needs you to comfort her, little Queen."

"I will give it. I adore her, she is so kind to me." Jewel purred.

Loki thought hard, he had a witness to one assault, and evidence Rurik tried to sell her. But he needed a signature.

"Any ideas? I am afraid to leave her here alone." Balder said.

"I have an idea," Thor said.

"What sort of idea?"

"Loki, use your shifting ability and go see her father," he said and Loki frowned.

"And who should I go as?" Loki asked and Thor looked at Rhiannon.

"By Odin's Good Eye, that's brilliant!"

"He wants to beat her if she disobeyed her order. You can find who he sold her to and threaten them both with imprisonment." Balder said.

"And it's not like you haven't changed into a woman before," Thor teased.

Loki looked at Rhiannon when he sighed and gave his brothers a look they haven't seen in a long time. He stood up when he changed into Rhiannon and the brothers smiled.

"Well, I do say our brother is quite attractive." Balder said, laughing.

"I agree," Thor said. "I say we tighten his corset." Thor laughed and Loki gave him the middle finger.

"I doubt she knows that gesture!" Balder smirked.

"That was not very lady-like," Thor said and Loki stuck his tongue out at him.

"You better go," Balder said and Loki nodded, then left.

Loki walked, cringing as he moved, the corset tight and restrictive _. How in the Name of the Nine Hels does she wear this bloody cage all the time?_ He thought as he held his side. His back started to ache, and he had to breathe shallower than normal.

"Weaker sex my ass." He grumbled, her voice coming from his mouth.

"When we get back to Midgard, I am going to have Sam introduce her to bras," he muttered. _No wonder why women are always fainting. You can't freaking breathe in these torture devices!_

As he left the palace, he saw a carriage made of black wood with a gold trim and four black horses. He didn't recognize the coat of arms on the door as the footman looked at Loki and he saw the hungry look in the man's eyes.

"So, you are my mistress' new meat, are you, lass?" the footman asked. "You are going to make her rich with looks like that."

 _That is what you think . .._ Loki thought as the footman opened the door and helped him inside. The door slammed shut as it magically sealed itself and Loki growled as he tried to open the door.

"Don't try to escape. This carriage is enchanted," the footman said and the carriage started moving.

 _The carriage might be enchanted, but not against teleporters_ , he thought, knowing he could leave anytime he wished. _Time to get some answers. Then you shall see the little songbird become a hawk, you lowlife scumbag!_


	27. Secrets of the Crimson Slipper

**27**

 **Secrets of the Crimson Slipper**

 _There are secrets in the shadows, but no shadow can hide the truth! ~ Loki_

 **A/N: Trigger warning here as well for language and disturbing sexual implications.**

The carriage left town as it headed down the road and Loki took in his surroundings. They were heading out of the town and into the forest. The trees surrounded the carriage as he noticed they were heading west and he saw the trees parting.

While he was in the carriage he amused himself by unraveling the enchantment upon it and then putting an illusion in place to fool the one who had cast it. Whoever had done so was not a very powerful enchanter.

"Where are you taking me?" He asked the man and the footman threw an extremely revealing dress at him.

"Silence, and put that on!" The man said, Loki looking at the gauzy silk. "My Master wants to see all of you, and what you have to sell."

Loki felt sick, thinking about what torture it would be for Rhiannon to wear something like that. He closed his eyes, trying not to kill the man across from him.

"Are you going to get dressed or am I going to have to dress you?!" the footman said, leering at Loki.

"Yes sir," Loki said and hated the man more.

 _You are going to regret this,_ Loki thought as he looked at the dress then smiled.

"Would you mind closing your eyes?"

 _If the scumbag touched him_ , Loki thought, _the man was going to lose a hand._

"I can't have you trying anything now." The man said, laughing. "Change, or I will have to rough you up."

"And damage the goods?!" Loki asked. _Don't break your cover, Laufeyson! Just play it cool. You can beat the spit out of him later._

"Uh..."

"Surely your master would beat you if anything happened to me!"

"You may as well get used to men looking at you. They are going to be seeing all of you." He sneered, pointing a cane at her.

Sighing, Loki nodded, appearing resigned to his fate. He noticed how the footman looked at him as he resisted the urge to beat him with the cane and began getting undressed.

 _You will regret this._ Loki thought and turned his back to unlace the dress he was wearing.

"Now that is a lovely sight." The footman said, his hand grabbing Loki by the hips and pulled him back into his lap. "Maybe I will pay for a night with you, give you a taste of your new life."

Loki's hand itched to curse the miserable bastard with a withering curse-which would wither the part he thought with and render him useless for any woman ever again.

"A little bit of advice, Poppet." The footman said into his ear, his hand making circles on his thigh. "Don't cause trouble. You do, and we will sell you to a breeder in Vanaheim."

"I will be good," Loki said as he looked shy and meek, but, inside, he wanted to tear the scum apart. "Will you tell me more about your master?"

"Why?"

"I am just curious."

"Is he strong? Like you?" He asked the man, trying not to throw up.

"Aye, he is."

"Is he as good looking?" Loki asked, lowering his head and blushed.

"He is. And he gets the honors of deflowering you for the Madam." He said, sighing. "The lucky bastard."

"Is he gentle?"

"Why would he be gentle? None of the other men will be. But, if you're good and a fast learner, you will get one of the best rooms, more food and lovely gowns. Wouldn't you like that, Poppet?" He asked, his hand moving up to Loki's stomach and caressing it.

 _Don't throw up. Don't throw up,_ Loki chanted inside his head and nodded.

"You may even learn to like it... after a while." He chuckled and his hand traveled up Loki's chest. "I think you like it now."

Loki imagined this man on his knees before Odin, begging for mercy as Odin called for the headsman.

Loki felt the footman's fingers dip into the opening of the top of the gown when the carriage lurched forward and he fell off the footman's lap,

"Poor Poppet." The man said, helping him back up. "Did you hurt yourself?"

Loki shook his head.

"Oi, what was that?!" the footman shouted as he stuck his head out the window.

"Sorry. There was a hole in the road," the driver shouted.

"Dammit Skor, watch where you're going!"

"Aww shut your pie hole, Grevin!"

Grevin swore then looked at Loki and Loki shyly tried to cover himself.

"Don't cover that, Poppet. The view is pleasing." He said and laughed.

 _You won't find the view pleasing when you're staring at four cell walls,_ Loki thought savagely.

"My bottom hurts, sir." He said, faking some pain.

"Then come and sit on my lap." Grevin said.

Loki sat on his lap as Grevin held him and Loki tried hard not to punch him in the face. _Control yourself. Now to get some information out of the lout._

"Will you tell me more about my new Master and Madam?" He asked and smiled sweetly.

"Why so curious, Poppet?" He laughed. "You already met the Madam in the market yesterday."

 _Boda?!_ Loki thought and his eyes widened.

"Now don't look so shocked, and let me see a bit more of you." Grevin said, pulling at the dress over his chest.

"Sir, I am to be untouched!" Loki protested.

"You will not be for long, poppet. Let us have a look." He said, and pulled at the fabric. "Don't make me angry now."

 _Oh, you will get an eyeful,_ Loki thought when he headbutted Grevin and Grevin passed out. Shaking his head, Loki smiled when he cast a spell to make Grevin look like Rhiannon then shifted so he was now Grevin.

"I hope you like being deflowered, _poppet_." Loki said and cast a quick spell to make him mute.

He sat back in the chaise, propping Grevin against the wall and picked up the cane _. Now for the real fun. Nailing that bitch and the Master to the wall._

The carriage halted.

"Poppet fainted from fear!" He laughed, opening the door and stepping out of the carriage. They were parked in front of a large house with a sign that read The Crimson Slipper. Next to the carriage stood Malius, sneering at the footman.

"Did you use her?" He hissed. "Because this one was for me to break! I warned you!"

"No, Master, she is still untouched," Loki said.

"Good, take her in and tie her to a bed." He said, looking at the unconscious woman. "I will wake her up and make her really feel fear."

Loki felt his heart slamming in his chest as he picked up Grevin and carried him inside. He looked around the room as he saw the women, as well as some girls, lounging on the couches in various stages of undress and the men were standing near Boda.

"What happened?!" Boda demanded as she walked closer and looked from Loki to Grevin.

"She fainted, Mistress," Loki said, trying not to growl.

"Is she still pure?! Not that it matters."

"Aye, she is still pure."

He noticed Rurik beside a buxom girl whose red hair almost certainly came out of a bottle.

"Rurik!" Boda shouted as he looked at her then at Loki and smiled.

"Ah, she's here!" Rurik said, walking to them.

"Good. Hold her up so I can see her." Boda said, standing up. "Girls! I own all of you, look what I have bought now."

 _You won't be owning anything for long_ , Loki thought as he stood Grevin up and Boda walked around him.

"Wake her up!" Boda said, snapping her fingers.

"Yes, Mistress," Loki said as he slapped Grevin's face to wake her up.

Loki held Grevin under the arms, and Boda undid the belt on the dress. She ran a hand down her body, smiling.

"Lovely. I will pay double to make sure my former bastard of a husband gets this taken from him." She said, and waved Malius over. "Still want her?"

"Of course," Malius said as he walked closer. "She needs to pay for what they have done to me."

Boda caressed the naked body in front of her, licking her lips. Grevin shook his head, starting to fight a bit.

"I almost want to lay with her." Boda said, kissing Grevin full on the lips and moaning. "She is exquisite."

"I know," Rurik said.

 _And you are a tramp!_ Loki thought.

"Does Father want her after Malius?" Boda asked, smiling at who she thought was Rhiannon.

 _By the Norns,_ Loki thought as he balled his hands into fists.

"Or maybe we could trade. Your daughter for mine," Boda offered and Loki frowned.

"I didn't know you had one," Rurik said.

"Neither did her monster of a father."

Loki froze, shock sweeping through him _. What do you mean, whore?_ he thought. "How old? I like them young," Rurik was licking his lips.

"She is nearly ten, and never used." She said, smiling at him and kissing Grevin again. She broke the kiss and leaned close to the shaking girl.

"I am going to enjoy making you mine." She whispered.

Loki fought to keep from wrapping his hands about Boda's neck and strangling her. _Sweet Valhalla, where is my daughter? What have you done to her?_

"Shortly after I gave birth to his monster of a son, he must have been seven at the time, I got pregnant, but told him I miscarried. I went to Malius for an abortion, but I changed my mind and had the child. It was a girl. I called her Nidling. It means nothing and that is what she is."

"Where is she?"

"She is at my estate. I hid her away and am training her as a weapon I plan to use against Loki."

"How?"

"She is a healer. I taught her to use her power to kill and she will use that power to stop his black heart."

"How do you keep her under control? Surely, she had fought you."

"I use a control collar."

"Aren't those illegal?" Rurik queried.

"Yes, but what Loki doesn't know he can't stop," Boda sneered.

"I know now," Loki said as he changed himself back to his original form as well as Grevin back to his.

"No!" came from upstairs as Malius ran out of the room and only had on his socks. "What the Hel is going on!? I'm waiting for the slut, now where is she?"

"Justice!" Loki said and waved his hands, freezing Malius in place.

"Someone fetch the guard!" one of the women shouted and several of the women ran.

Boda and Rurik looked at Loki as his eyes turned red and his skin changed into his Jotun form.

"Mercy!" Rurik shouted as he dropped to his knees and went prone in front of him.

"I should have known, you always ruined everything! Including my life!" Boda shrieked. "Your daughter will starve and die now!"

She laughed, reaching for a knife and shouted at him as she lunged forward.

"Kill me..." She gasped. "And... you kill Niding. You liked when you saw me caress her body, it aroused you!"

"You disgusting harlot! I was trying not to be sick! That was your footman you were touching, you bitch!" he spat. "Now . . . tell me where you hid my daughter!"

"One day, she will awaken and see you for what you are. Do you truly think something so pure, so innocent will be satisfied as the wife of a murdering monster?" She screamed back. "Your final victim is that beast!"

"I am not a monster! YOU are! I also am not a murderer. But you are! You have murdered the innocence of the girls you procured, over and over!"

He shook her slightly. "Tell me, Angrboda! Or you can speak to my father's inquisitors and they will get you to talk. Is that what you want?" he demanded.

There was real fear in her eyes now. "No! You can't! I am of noble birth! I will not tell. Tear my estate apart, she will kill you on sight!"

She struggled against him, beating at his chest and screaming. Rurik stared in shock, watching Loki.

"Brutalize her and I will not sign! I will tell Rhiannon you attacked your former wife!" He shouted.

Loki shook his head. Then he pressed his hand to her forehead and ripped the truth from her mind. She screamed. "How long were you and Malius doing this illegal slave trading?"

"A year before you divorced me. I bought my first five girls." She said, laughing.

"My mother was right. You were nothing more than a whore with a title," he sneered. He snapped chains upon her. "You are under arrest! For illegal trafficking and for using a collar of control on a magical child and mistreating her."

Then he whirled upon Rurik. "You scumbag pedophile! I ought to break all your fingers like I did to the last one of your kind I apprehended. But I need your hand to sign this. Sign and I might convince the king to be merciful on you. Don't and you'll be tortured before you are executed and then I won't need your signature."

"She will never marry you if you hurt me! I was injured serving your father!" He shouted, and laughed. "You have nothing on me!"

"Liar! Thor discovered the true nature of your so-called injury!" Loki sneered. "It was not during battle, was it now?"

"How much is she worth to you? How much would you pay to have her?" Rurik asked, standing up. "How about a dowry of fifty thousand gold?"

"And where would you get that kind of money? You have to steal from your own daughter to get money to eat!" Loki demanded. "Tell me first how exactly you came by your crippling injury."

"I was going to pay you twenty thousand!" Boda screamed.

"The deal changed when you said her body was... exquisite. I learned I could get more for her!" Rurik said and glared at Loki. "I was in battle, I was hit with a mace!"

Loki shook a finger at him. "Now, now. Let's not begin our new relationship with lies, Father-in-law. I'll ask you again, what happened? And this time I want the truth."

"You are going to pay me that gold, then I will sign. I vanish and never haunt your door again." He smiled, licking his lips. "She does have the softest and sweetest hands, don't you think? Imagine what the rest of her is like."

"Disgusting pig!" Boda shouted and kicked at Loki.

"You don't tell me what to do, Sign first. And tell me what really happened to you. Then you may have your gold." Loki bargained. He produced the contract and a pen.

Loki waved a hand and her ankles were chained also.

"I fell off a horse while I was drunk." He laughed. "I was so tired of serving that old bastard, that I played up the injury and got away with it."

He took the pen and signed, laughing and holding the papers away from him.

"My gold? Then you can do whatever you want with her." He said, holding out his hand.

He held the contract over the fireplace, fanning the pages.

Loki summoned it back to him just as the door burst open and in marched Thor, Balder, Bjartur, who was Loki's guard captain, and Rhiannon. Behind them were more of Loki's guards.

"You are under arrest in the name of the King!" thundered Thor.

"What did you tell them you bitch? She is a liar!" He screamed, running toward her. She clenched a fist, punching him in the face as hard as she could. Two of her knuckles split and her little finger broke, but it felt good. He stumbled back, holding his nose.

"You lying bastard!" She shrieked! "You were never hurt! And I will tell the king everything!"

Rhiannon glared up at her father, quivering, but not with fear for once. It was fury. "You LIED to me? All those years, I pitied you and your honorable injury in battle. And it was all a big fat LIE!" she yelled, her eyes glinting red.

"I . . . I . . ." Rurik stammered unable to come up with a single word for his indefensible actions.

"You fell off a HORSE? When you were DRUNK!" she snarled. "And here I worked my fingers to the bone and gave you all my pay because I felt sorry for you? You lying scheming rutting piece of shit!"

"I dink she broke my dose!" Rurik sputtered, as blood dripped between his fingers. "You were willing to let me rut you!" He shouted.

She lifted her skirt, kicking him in the groin and he dropped to his knees.

"See if it works now." She said, spitting on him and cradling her injured hand to her chest.

"Nice punch!" Balder said. "But I think you hurt your hand, lady. Loki, you better teach her how to hit properly."

"It will heal, I have shed enough tears for him." She said and spit again on her father.

"Watch, sweetheart," Loki said, and hauled Rurik up and punched him hard in the stomach. "That's a right hook. And this is a left uppercut."

He slammed the other man in the jaw with his left hand.

Rurik whined. "Please, please, mercy!"

"I will give you the same mercy you showed your daughter!" Loki growled. Then he broke the other's wrist. "Now see if you can touch anyone, you whoreson bastard!"

He flung the man to the ground. "Get him out of my sight! Before I commit murder!"

"We'll take him into custody now," Bjarten said, smirking. He and another guard cuffed Rurik and Malius and dragged them away.

Other guards came and took Boda away as well as Grevin.

"Boda and Malius too!" Thor whistled. "You opened up a real can of worms, Loki!"

"Birds of a feather, brother!" Balder said.

"What about the rest of these girls, sir?" a guard asked.

Rhiannon looked at the girls, two of them holding a girl of thirteen.

"How far is she with child?" She asked and the women shielded her.

"Six months Lady." The girl said and Rhiannon walked over to her.

"Don't hurt her! She was ten when she was bought!" Another girl cried.

"We aren't here to hurt you," Loki said in calming tones, shifting back into his normal self. "We are here to arrest the ones who put you here and harmed you."

"My Princes, may I borrow your cloaks? This girl is too young to be seen like this." She said and pulled at Thor's cape.

Thor handed her his red cape. "Here, sister."

Loki gave her his gold cloak.

"How old are you now?" Thor asked and the girl started to cry.

"I am thirteen, My Prince. I have nowhere to go with my child." She cried and covered her face.

"We can find a place for you child." Thor said, reassuring her. "She needs to be taken to the infirmary."

Loki nodded. "Yes, of course. Stefan needs to examine her. Can you take them all back, brother? I need to go to Boda's estate."

"I can. Do you want us to take Rhiannon as well?" He asked, draping blankets around the girl's shoulders.

Loki hesitated. "I had better tell you why I am going there. Boda . . .lied to me when she told me she miscarried our last child. She was going to abort it but then she didn't. She had my daughter . . ." he told them the rest of what his ex had said.

He looked at Rhiannon. "I might need you to help me, Rhee. She may be scared and weak, and I have no idea what Boda has done to her to make her want to kill me. I need someone to get close enough to remove the collar."

"Yes, My Prince. I will do my best, I need a bandage for my hand though," she said politely.

"Let me see. I probably can heal that." Loki said softly.

He gently took her injured hand and concentrated, numbing it and then healing the cut knuckles and broken finger.

"Thank you, sir." She said, looking at her hand in amazement. "How long will it take to collect this child?"

"Hopefully not long. I know where she is," Loki said, his eyes haunted.

"Is there something wrong?" She asked, afraid of what he knew.

"It's just . . . all this time and I had a daughter I never knew. Norns only know what Boda did to the poor kid. She didn't even give her a name. Niding she called her . . ."

"She called her Nothing? That is no name for a child." She said, looking at the girls and nearly crying.

"I would have been one of those girls, sir."

"I will see they are taken care of. If they didn't choose this life they don't have to stay in it."

"Yes My Prince." She said and nodded. "There is a horse outside that Thor let me use."

"We can ride double on it," Loki said.

"If it pleases you." she said and looked at him. "Thank you for not judging me poorly. Because of my... what he did to me."

"The shame is his, not yours," Loki said quietly. "No father should behave that way towards his daughter."

"I still pray you don't view me as tainted."

"I don't," he reassured her. He looked at the other girls. "If any of you wish to leave here and find positions elsewhere, come and speak to me at the palace."

"Aye, My Prince. We will think on it," said the redhead, curtseying.

"Come, my lady," Loki said gallantly. "We have another girl to rescue."

She took his arm and they went to the horse tied up outside and Loki helped her mount before leaping into the saddle.


	28. A Girl Called Niding

**28**

 **A Girl Called Niding**

 _To name a child is to love them, always and forever, unconditionally. ~ Loki_

 **A/N: Trigger warning for abuse of a child.**

They rode south down the road from the brothel, Loki holding Rhiannon securely. "I wanted to tell you, I got your father to sign the contract. So now everything is legal between us."

"If it pleases you to do so, could you use it to buy those girls proper clothes and shoes?" She asked him. "I would never presume to dictate how you use the money."

"No, darling. It's your money. And that is a good idea. I shall send money for them to buy proper clothes and shoes and anything else they need."

"That poor girl. Used like that at ten years old and now a mother at thirteen," she said, her voice saddened.

"It's horrible. I'm thinking . . . perhaps she could work for me and help Halgran with Aleta and Max. She's getting on in years and can't keep up with them like she used to with me and Thor. I think she would welcome the help. And at least with my household no one will be mean to her and Mother will ensure she is taken care of properly when she delivers."

"I think she would be very happy to be a part of your household." She said and smiled.

"Good. Then I will tell her that when we come back." He looked pensive again as he wondered what condition the girl would be found in . . . and if she had been conditioned to hate him as Boda had said.

"Yes, My Prince." She said and sat quietly. They soon came to the estate, the vast house sprawling across acres.

Rhiannon's eyes widened. "Norns! It certainly is big!"

"Yes, Boda always went for ostentatious." Loki sighed. "Can you believe one person and a staff lived in this huge house?"

"It is hard to believe that only one person needs all that." she said, in awe of the vast house.

"She didn't. She just liked to show off how much money she got from me," he sighed. He rubbed his forehead, then cantered the horse up the drive and halted in front of the front stairs. He tied the horse and helped Rhiannon down.

"Where do we start looking?" She asked him, watching a valet glare at them both.

"Now comes the hard part. My daughter, according to what Boda told me, didn't live in the house. She lived in a small room in the catacombs beneath the house. They used to be a smuggler's hideout before this was an estate."

"How big are the catacombs?"

"Hmm . . . about the size of the hedge maze at the palace." Loki replied.

Loki looked at the servant. "Go about your business. I am here to collect something of mine."

"You have nothing here and my lady forbids you to enter." He said, crossing his arms.

"I do have something here and your lady has been arrested. Now, excuse me while I go and get it!" He waved a hand and the valet was frozen. "Come, Rhee. The entrance is just down these stairs on the left." He opened a door and led the way down the stairs.

"That is rather big, sir." she said and wrung at her hands.

"Are you nervous, darling?" he asked kindly.

"A bit. This house is stifling." She said and followed him down the stairs.

Loki used the knowledge he had gained from his mind probe to navigate the tunnels of the catacombs. They were surprisingly well lit, the stone tunnels swept free of dirt and yet the air smelled stale. Loki had to remind himself they would only be down here for a short while to keep his claustrophobia at bay.

"Almost there," he said softly.

"Yes Loki." She said, opening a door and gasping. Inside were rows of necklaces, rings, bracelets, and tiaras.

"Norns!" She whispered, unable to believe what she was seeing

"This must be where she hid all her really expensive stuff." He mused.

"There is so much." She said, picking a diamond necklace that weighed nearly a pound.

"We can come back here later. For now we need to find my daughter."

"Yes." She said, closing the door. "We need to find her."

Suddenly he halted before a barred wooden door. There was a small hole cut in the bottom-large enough to shove a tray of food in. Loki felt himself tremble slightly in reaction.

"There," he whispered. "Behind that door."

"It smells awful." She said, covering her nose.

Loki nodded. He spoke a word to unlock the door. "Would you go first? I . . . don't know how she will react if she sees me while she still has the collar on."

"All right." she said and turned the handle slowly. Inside, the room was filthy. No bed or comfort for the child given. She sat in the far corner, wearing a filthy tunic and covered in dirt.

"Hello. What is your name?" Rhiannon asked the girl, kneeling on the floor.

"I'm Niding," she said, her voice very soft. "Did the Red Lady send you to me?"

"No. I came with your father, my name is Rhiannon." She replied.

The child looked at the floor.

"Are you afraid of me?" Rhiannon asked, her voice soft.

The child raised her head. Now Rhiannon could see she was heartbreakingly thin, but she had beautiful emerald eyes. Her hair was so dirty it was impossible to tell what color it was, but she thought it might be ebony like Loki's.

"The Red Lady says my father must die. But . . . I don't want to kill him." She shivered and her hands went to a silvery collar about her neck. It was made of thin silver links with a gold clasp with an opal in it.

"It doesn't matter what I want. I will obey . . . or else . . ."

Loki had told Rhiannon the collars would deliver jolts of electrical pain to the wearer if the one holding the paired bracelet wished to punish the one wearing it.

"You are free now, your father has sent her away. May I sing and comfort you?"

She looked at Rhiannon warily. "I do not know what that is? Does it hurt?"

"Come little children, I will take thee away. Into my garden of enchantment..." She sang to the child, her voice soothing the poor girl.

Gradually, Niding relaxed and lost the wary look, though her eyes darted about as if fearing someone might pop out of thin air.

Rhiannon wanted to cry at the child's neglect. She saw white scars on the back of the girl's legs and knew she must have been whipped or switched in addition to wearing the awful collar, which Rhiannon needed to remove.

"Don't be afraid, I... I am a Healer. Do you know who had the bracelet so that we could remove that collar?" Rhiannon asked and opened her hand to the girl. "You have brothers and sisters who would like to meet you."

"The Red Lady had it. She hung it there." The girl pointed to the opposite wall where a hook was embedded in the stone. Upon it was a gleaming silver and gold bangle with a matching opal in the middle. "She did that to remind me that all I had to do was touch it to get free but I never could because she forbid it."

"She can't hurt you now, you may touch it if you want." Rhainnon said, lowering her hand and resting it in her lap.

"I can't. She commanded me not to." Niding trembled. "If I disobey . . . the collar will shock me."

"What if I touch it?" Rhiannon asked her.

"You can."

Rhiannon realized then how horrible the collars were and she went and took the bracelet off the wall and said, "You may touch the bracelet now and your collar will open."

The bracelet's opal glowed.

"Let it shock me instead of you." She said, urging the child.

The girl reached out hesitantly, her dirty fingers just brushing the bracelet's surface.

The collar glowed and there was a sharp click as it opened.

Rhiannon removed the collar slowly, setting it on the floor and pushing it out the door to show Loki it was off.

"Is that better?" Rhiannon asked. "Would you like a hug?"

Niding reached up and felt about her neck. There was a white ridge around her slender throat. But that was all that remained of the hideous collar. She stared at Rhiannon, her green eyes tearing. "It's really gone!" She looked puzzled. "I don't know what that is either. You must think I am so stupid. The Red Lady said I was an idiot with magic and all I was good for was to kill when she said so."

"No, I don't think that at all." She opened her arms to the girl, guiding her into an embrace. "This is a hug, Princess."

Loki peered in through the partially opened door and saw Rhiannon hugging a dirty child to her. His heart almost broke in two when he heard what the child had said to her.

The child clung to her awkwardly at first. "What is a princess?"

"You are, you are born of a Royal Bloodline, your Father is a Prince and one day a King." She said and let the girl sort herself out.

The child relaxed against her. "I like this hug. It feels good."

"If it pleases you, I would like to give you a bath." She said and cradled the girl. "Those feel good as well."

"They do?"

"I can make the water warm, and add oils to it to make you feel so much better. After that, I can make you some food. You will be given a proper name by your father." Rhiannon said, gently wiping the child's tears away with a handkerchief.

"Will my father give me a name like bitch or slut?" Niding asked. "Is he a monster? Does he eat little children?"

Loki cringed behind the door.

"He may call you something lovely, like Grace, or Rose. Never anything cruel." She said and laughed. "He actually prefers peppermint and strawberries. And... I find him too kind and handsome to be a monster."

"He is not ugly? The Red Lady often called him an ugly prick." Niding said in wonder.

"Not at all, you have his eyes and he is so wonderful with his magic. He can take your tears and turn them into diamonds. Create birds to sing for you, or other wonderful things to help you smile." She answered, looking into the girl's eyes.

"Really? Does he whip you when you make mistakes? Or are slow using your magic?" the girl shivered.

Loki's fists clenched. _Boda, you rotten bitch!_

"Not at all! No. He is patient, and does not believe in using violence to correct children." She said, truth in her eyes.

"Not ever?"

"Never. Which is why I am choosing to marry him." She replied.

The child let out a relieved breath. "I . . . am happy." She scratched at an insect bite on her elbow.

"I can put medicine on that for you, but you need a bath first. I believe there is a beautiful girl under that dirt waiting to be found." Rhiannon said.

"If it is as nice as a hug then I will do it."

"It will be. I will help you myself." Rhiannon said, lifting the girl. "So you trust me enough to show you your father?"

"Why would he want to see me? I am nothing."

"You are so much to him." She said, reassuring the girl. "You are the surprise he needed the most in this world. He thought you dead. He was lied to about you, and is waiting to see you. He ran here with me, to meet you when he found out that you were alive." She said and held the girl in her arms.

She remained quiet for a moment, thinking. Slowly she nodded. "Then I will see him."

"He is outside. If you feel scared, just tell me to stop and I will." she said, taking a step toward the door.

The girl remained still in her arms, her green eyes wide with curiosity.

She took another one, making slow progress but eventually reaching the door. She stepped through it, into the hall and Niding saw her father for the first time.

She saw a tall man dressed in a royal blue tunic and gray trousers, his dark hair curling about his ears, with green eyes just like hers and a mouth that curled up in a smile of welcome. He remained where he was and said, "Hello, darling. I'm pleased to meet you." He longed to run up and crush the fragile child to him in a hug but he knew better than to scare her that way.

"Hello." Niding said, clinging to Rhiannon. "Are you my father?"

"I am. My name is Loki," he said, speaking very gently.

"You don't look mean." She said, studying him.

He laughed softly, and the sound echoed in the stone hallway.

She scratched her head, and Loki saw the lice that infested her hair.

"Do I really have brothers and sisters?" She asked, tugging the tangled mass.

"You do, darling. You have twelve of them." He told her. "They are all going to want to meet you." He gave a small cough."Rhee, you're going to need some herbs that kill lice. I don't want you to have to cut her hair off." He told his betrothed. "And here's a towel and some clothes." He waved a hand and several fluffy towels, a comb, soft slippers, and a pretty green velvet dress appeared.

"Do you know what herbs to use? I will use a conditioning treatment to arrange her hair, My Prince," Rhiannon said.

"Is that for me?" The child asked, pointing at the dress.

"Yes, it's a pretty dress for my pretty daughter." Loki told her, smiling. "Use crushed garlic, olive oil, salt and some soap. That will kill them. But you need to leave the paste on for about an hour."

"I know those well, sir. I will do that." Rhiannon said and looked at the girl. "It seems you get to splash and play in the water for a bit."

"I do?" the girl looked at her.

"With these." Loki conjured some bath toys. A mermaid, a starfish, an octopus, and a dolphin.

"Of course." Rhiannon said. "I need some goldenseal root made into a paste. She is covered in insect bites."

Loki looked sad. He waved a hand and a jar of the paste popped up. "Is that enough?"

"More than, thank you. This will heal them and stop the itch." Rhiannon said.

He conjured a basket to put everything in and said, "I will carry this for you."

Niding watched him curiously. "How do you do that? Make things appear in your hands?"

"That's called summoning, little one. It's an easy spell to learn if you have a good teacher."

"Thank you, Loki." Rhiannon said. "This house is so big, it may take some time to find a bathroom."

"I know where one is," Loki replied and led the way back up into the house.

He turned down a corridor off the large dining hall and made a right. Then he opened a door and there was a spacious bathroom tiled in cream and blue with gold faucets and a huge sunken tub with a gold spout and a cord dangling down from the ceiling.

Loki whistled when he saw it. "Well, I'll be! She has indoor plumbing!"

He pulled the cord after turning the spout to warm and water cascaded down and filled the tub.

Rhiannon added oils, mixing the paste for Niding's hair and the child looked around at everything. She reached up to touch a vase and it tipped over, crashing to the floor. The child hid behind the curtains, scared she was in trouble.

"Oh dear, an accident." Rhiannon said, adding a lavender bubblebath to the water.

"It's okay," Loki called soothingly. "Look, it's fixed." He picked up the vase and snapped his fingers and it was mended.

"I'm not going to be whipped?" The girl asked him.

"Never." He held his hands out, palms up. "You see these? Hands are for hugging, not hitting."

He watched as the child comprehended this astonishing fact and his arms ached to hold her.

"I don't want to kill you." She said, looking scared.

"I'm very glad to hear that." He knelt down so he was at her eye level. "I don't want you to kill me either."

She took slow steps forward, putting her arms around his neck and closing her eyes.

"A hug." She said and he smiled.

He carefully put his arms around her and drew her close, his expressive eyes filling with tears. "I love you, baby girl."

"What is love?" She asked him, crying.

He swallowed hard then replied, "Love is . . . that feeling you get when you hug someone and never want to let go. You just want to be by them forever and it fills your heart with joy."

"Then I love you, Father." She whispered and hugged him tighter.

He thought his heart would burst with joy when he heard those words. He grinned through his tears and gently rubbed her back, noticing how thin she was. He could feel her ribs and hips protruding.

"When was the last time you ate something?"

"Two days ago. I got so hungry, I started eating the straw on my floor."

"By the Nine!" Loki was appalled. "While you are taking your bath I will fix you some supper. Maybe just some bread with butter and soup for now. Then a sandwich later. You shouldn't eat too much at once, you'll get a tummy ache."

"Warm food that was not from another plate?" The girl said, blinking in shock.

"Yes, darling. Your own food," he reassured her. "Fresh food. Just small portions for now."

She slowly unwound her arms from about his neck, smiling up at him. "You are not a monster. You are good."

Rhiannon smiled, happy the child had found someone to love her.

"The bath is ready." She said softly, tears rimming her eyes.

"All right, now you go take your bath. I will be waiting for you in the room down the hall with some supper."

He gently touched the ridge of skin on her neck and healed it. "There! All better!"

"Yes, Father." She said and genuinely smiled.

"See you in a bit." Loki said, then departed.

The girl let Rhiannon help her undress, the Healer gasping in shock at the scars and fresh lacerations on her back. She blinked back tears, helping the small child get into the bath.

During the hour the girl was in the tub, Loki conjured some hearty chicken noodle soup and a warm roll with butter. He kept them warm with a Keep Warm spell. Then he spent the rest of the time thinking about just the right name for her. He wanted it to be something that expressed his joy in her. At last he found the perfect one.

Finally dressed and her hair combed and neat, Rhiannon led the child out of the bathroom and she stood quietly in her new dress and slippers.

"She is so beautiful, all I had to do was wash her." Rhiannon said softly.

"Hello." The girl said to a stunned Loki.

Loki looked up from the book he was reading and his mouth fell open.

The little girl had gorgeous hair, black as midnight, just like his own. It fell to her waist and had a bit of a rebellious curl in it. She had a pixie face and the dress looked perfect on her.

"You look amazing, little princess!" he managed to say.

"Thank you." She said and looked around the house as if she were seeing everything for the first time.

Loki watched her look of wonder then said, "Would you like to eat your soup and bread now? It's still hot."

The delicious aroma wafted through the air.

"I can?" She asked, looking for permission.

"You can, sweetling."

She ran to the table and sat down. She picked up the bread, smelled the mouthwatering aroma of yeast and butter, and began to devour it.

"Slow down, hon. Chew it," he instructed, afraid she was going to choke.

She froze. "Sorry, Father."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I just don't want you to choke," he told her gently. "Go on, eat. But slower."

"She is so starved." Rhiannon said, motioning to Loki.

He walked over to her. "I know. I could feel her ribs."

"No... Loki, her back... has scars. And open lacerations." Rhiannon said, keeping her voice low. "I saw them when I cleaned her."

"Nine Hells!" He groaned. "I'm not surprised but . . .did you put anything on them?"

He longed to beat Boda the way she had beaten his children.

"No, I haven't," Rhiannon said. "I washed them very well however."

"All right. When we get back to the palace you can put some green salve on." Loki said. "Boda is going to pay severely for this," he growled and the girl looked at him with fear in her eyes.

"Why are you growling?" she asked and got off the chair, running to the corner. "I'm sorry."

"Oh," Loki sighed as he walked to the corner and knelt down on his haunches. "I wasn't growling at you. I'm angry about what the Red Lady did to you."

He held out his hand as she took his hand and he led her back to the table.

"Are you going to put her in a cell and make her eat maggots?" she asked, sitting down.

 _I should,_ Loki thought, but only shook his head.

He saw she had finished all her supper. "I guess you liked that, huh?"

"Yes. It was the best thing I have ever eaten." She said and looked at him with large eyes.

"Good," he said when he waved his hand and a piece of apple berry pie appeared on a plate in front of her. "Now you can have dessert."

"I can?!" she asked with wide eyes.

"Go ahead."

She picked up the fork as she started eating and Loki smiled.

"Should I go and see if there are any records for her. My Prince?" Rhiannon asked.

Loki conjured some goat milk for her and nodded.

"Where is she going?" the girl asked.

"She is going to find if the Red Lady has anything written about you," Loki explained and she took a sip of milk.

"Oh. She is nice, and sang me a song." The girl said, and looked at her father. "She said you would give me a proper name."

"Yes, I will. But you can pick one if you want."

"No. I want you to."

Once the girl finished eating, Loki said, "I have two things for you. First is a new name. You are not Niding. You are my greatest joy and I name you thus- Abigail Frigga Laufeyson."

"A real name." She said and looked at him. "Thank you."

"Shall I tell you why I chose it?"

"Yes! Why did you choose it?" She asked him.

"Listen. Abigail means a father's joy, and you are that to me. Frigga is the name of your grandmother, my mother. And Laufeyson is my family name. But that's a little long so I will call you Abby for short."

"Abby," she said then repeated it a few times. "I like it. Am I really your joy?" She asked finally, testing the name more so that she would not forget it.

"Yes, you are," he said and gave her a soft look. "All my daughters are."

"Are they going to like me?" She asked, tugging at her dress.

"Yes, they will love you. As will your brothers."

"How many brothers and sisters do I have?"

"You have five sisters and seven brothers," he said and her eyes widened.

He gestured and a gray stuffed kitten with a gold helmet appeared. The kitten had green eyes. "This is for you to sleep with. I had one almost like this when I was little. I called him Lokitty. You can name this one whatever you want."

She looked at the stuffed kitten when she gently took hold of it and held it to her chest.

"I never had toys before. Or dresses." She said and looked at him. "Do I get locked in another room to sleep on the floor?"

"No, you will have a nice soft bed to sleep on. Though you might have to share a room with your sisters."

"A room with other girls?" She said and her eyes went wide.

"Yes, but they won't hurt you."

"Will they sleep in the same bed?" She whispered her question.

"No, you will all have your own bed. You can even pick it out."

"I never had a real bed before," she told him.

"Well you do now." He smiled. "One other thing. I need to examine you to see what sort of magic you have.

"Will it hurt?"

"Not at all."

He used his Mage Sight to read her aura.

He found ice magic and an incredibly strong healing power.

The little girl stood very still, looking at him in curiosity. She was smaller than average for a girl her age, but she was still intelligent enough to understand.

He looked deeper and saw shifter magic also, pulsing with an aura that meant a strong magical form. And more than one form.

"Father? When are you doing the test?" She asked, her voice small.

Then he blinked and said," The test is done, little one. My Sight showed me that you will be a very strong Healer mage, stronger than me, and you have frost magic and shifter magic like me."

"I will be stronger than you? How?" She asked and her eyes went wide.

"Your Healing magic will be. You have one of the strongest auras I have ever seen. What have you Healed before?"

From the strength of her aura, Loki suspected she could, in the fullness of her power, regrow limbs, repair damaged brains and possibly bring the newly dead to life.

"Nothing. They made me kill by touching things." She said, wanting to cry. "I'm bad."

"You're not bad, Abby. They were by making you do something like that. And they will be punished." He was repulsed by what Boda had done, not just physically and emotionally, but magically as well. A Healer mage with her strong Gift was a compulsive Healer. Put her in a room full of injured people and she would Heal till she dropped. But to twist that Gift was so perverted it made him want to throw up.

"You are not mad at me?" She asked, looking shocked.

"No. I'm mad at the Red Lady and whoever else made you do that. It made you sick when you did that, right?"

"It did. And very sad." She said and started to cry.

He reached out and hugged her. He could only imagine the utter torment that was, for most Healer mages were also empaths, which meant she would have been able to feel whatever she had killed die. He rocked her back and forth, thinking he was very lucky she wasn't insane from such treatment. And it was no wonder Boda had obtained one of the forbidden collars. Because that was the only way she could have made Abby do what she wished.

Rhiannon walked back in the room with a large, black journal in her hands. She was turning the pages and she saw the girl crying, she snapped it shut and looked at Loki.

"I found something... awful, Loki." She said and gave him the book. He opened the pages, and it started with the day she was born and documented every torture she endured.

"Sweet Valhalla! I can't . .." He abruptly shoved his chair back and blinked to the bathroom where he was sick briefly.

 _Boda you will rot in the deepest pit of Hel for what you have done! Oh gods!_

He leaned against the wall, shaking and pale. _Pull yourself together!_ He ordered. _My poor baby! What do I do to help you?_

"Sir?" Rhiannon called out, her voice shaking.

Suddenly he heard Astra's voice in his head. "Just love her, Loki. Love is all she needs."

 _I can do that,_ he thought, straightening. He rinsed his mouth out and walked outside.

"Why did he run away? Does he hate me?" Abby said to Rhiannon, she was holding the child and rocking her.

"No. I just . . . I wasn't feeling well." He said softly. "I could never hate you, Abby."

"Are you better?" She asked him, wiping her eyes.

He noticed Rhiannon scratching herself and her scalp. He was confused a moment, then realized that the lice had to have transferred to her from Abby.

He nodded. "Yes I am. I'm so sorry she hurt you like that. I swear by the Norns I will protect you and never let anyone hurt you that way again." He coughed. "Rhee, you need to treat yourself with that paste."

"Oh dear." She said and scratched again. "Do you believe that I was affected?"

He nodded. "It would seem so."

She sighed, standing up and walked into the bathroom. She drew a bath for herself, and Loki could hear her taking off her clothes.

"My dress will need to be treated." She shouted, and he heard her lower herself into the bath.

He conjured a wooden tub of water with the herbs in it and levitated her clothes in it to soak. "I put your clothes in to soak. When they're ready I'll dry them for you."

"Thank you." She shouted through the door, working the mixture into her hair.

"I'm sorry that my bugs got on her." Abby said.

"You're welcome." He returned to Abby. "It's not your fault. Sometimes that happens. Hopefully now this will kill all of them. Since we're going to be here awhile how about if we sit here," he waved a hand and a small divan popped up. "And I tell you a story?"

"A story?" she asked him.

"Yes. Come over here with me." He led her to the divan and sat down with her on his lap. Then he began to tell her the story of Cinderella.

"Was she happy?" She asked him.

"After she married the Prince? Yes, I would say she was. Because they loved each other."

"The blue lady is going to be happy soon." Abby said to him.

"Rhee? Yes, I think so," Loki smiled.

"When are you going to marry her?"

"Well, we need to set a date for the wedding. But right now we have a betrothal ceremony coming up. That's usually a nice dinner with family and friends after a small ceremony."

He checked the clothes soaking, found them to be done, and then dried them with magic and brushed them with a clothes brush he vanished afterwards.

"Are all my bugs dead?" Abby asked him.

"Yes. Now let's give these to Rhee." He waved a hand and the clothes were placed in the bathroom.

"Soon we will go home and you can meet the rest of our family, Abby."

"I like that." She said and looked at him."Why can't we go now?"

"Because we need to wait for Rhee and I have to get another horse to ride."

"Oh. I guess we have to then." She said, looking down.

"It won't be long."

"No?" She asked, Rhiannon stepping out of the bathroom slowly.

"Is everything well?" She asked softly.

"We are going to see my brothers and sisters!" Abby said, jumping up and down.

"She's a little excited," Loki chuckled. "I need to get another horse though."

"Where will you get one?"

"Boda has a stable full. She won't miss one. Besides, I figure she owes me at least a horse after all the misery she caused me and my kids," Loki replied. "I'll be back." He blinked down to the stables.

He found to his astonishment a familiar face-that of a golden mare with a dish-shaped head and a white star on her forehead. "Arcana!" he cried. "How did you end up here, my sweet?"

The golden mare was the product of a selective breeding program he and Thor had been working on, crossing Loki's mare Ebony with Thor's stallion Hurricane. The golden horse had gone missing from her pasture and everyone assumed she had run away and gotten eaten by wolves. Now he had a sneaking suspicion that Arcana hadn't run off, she had been stolen.

He backed her out of the stall and tacked her up. "You're coming home with me, darling." he crooned.

A groom approached. "Who are you and-? Forgive me, My Prince!" he nearly fell face first on the floor.

"Forgiven. I'm taking back what's mine," Loki replied, "All of it. Your mistress has been arrested. On very serious charges."

The man nodded. It was obvious Boda's dark dealings had caught up with her.

Loki led Arcana around to the front of the drive where the other horse waited. He gave the brown horse some water and a bit of feed, then said, "We're going home."

"That horse seems to know you." Rhiannon said, sitting side saddle. The toes of her shoes peeking from beneath her skirts.

"She does. This was my horse, one that I bred and raised. She disappeared from her pasture years ago and we all assumed she had run off and gotten lost or eaten by a wild animal. But when I went to look in the stables, there she was." Loki stroked her neck. "Her name is Arcana, she's a very fine horse. And now I know why we couldn't find her. Because she was here."

"She was stolen?" She asked in shock, unable to believe that anyone would be bold enough to steal from the Royal Family. "Your former wife stole her?"

"Without a doubt. She knew how much I loved her. I had plans to race her in the Asgardian Grand Steeplechase when she was old enough. She can jump like a Valkyrie's steed. Boda knew it, and this was soon after I divorced her, around a few months later."

Abby looked around at everything, giving Loki the impression that she had never been out of that room. She marveled at the clouds, and reached out to touch the leaves on trees as they passed.

"She was an awful woman, My Prince." Rhiannon said softly, watching the child as well.

Loki slowed Arcana, allowing Abby time to see everything. "Yes. But she will pay for her crimes. They all will." He looked at his daughter. "Aren't the trees pretty, Abby?"

"Are these flowers?" Abby asked, touching small pink blossoms on a tree branch.

"Yes. They are flowering magnar blossoms," Loki replied.

"They smell nice. Like the Blue Lady." Abby said and Rhiannon blushed.

He reached up and picked two branches off the tree. One he gave to Rhee and the other he put in Abby's hair where they showed up brilliantly against her dark hair.

"Thank you, Princess Abigail." Rhiannon said, accepting the branch and smelling it. "If it pleases your father, I would show you a garden of flowers."

"You may. I'm sure Abby would like that, right, Abby?"

"I would! I want to see the flowers!" She said and a bird landed in the branches of the tree above them.

"A bird?" Abby asked Loki, pointing at the small blue, singing creature.

"That's right. Have you never seen a bird before, Abby?" he asked softly.

"No. I was never allowed to leave the room." She said and looked at the brush around her. "The Blue Lady is the first nice person to walk in there."

Loki felt his heart ache when he heard that. "Well, you can go outside any time you want now." He said quietly.

 _Damn you, Boda! You kept her imprisoned for all of her life to use her as a weapon against me._

"My Prince, we are nearly at the castle." Rhiannon said softly, hiding her face.

"I know. Why are you hiding?"

"I am afraid that I am shamed because of what I did in the past." She said softly.

Frigga ran toward them through the courtyard as they arrived, she gasped at the thin child and covered her mouth. Stepping forward, she offered to take her from the horse.

"Is this the child Thor and Balder told me of?" She asked, Abby shrinking from her a bit.

"Yes, Mother. This is my daughter I never knew I had," Loki replied, his voice gone hoarse with emotion. "She was never given a name, so I gave her one. Mother, meet your granddaughter, Abigail Frigga." He whispered to Abby, "It's okay, little one. This is your grandmother, who I named you for."

"She is nice?" Abby asked and touched the woman's hands.

"Oh yes. No one will hurt you here, Abby. Will you let her help you off Arcana?"

"Yes Father." She said and Frigga helped the girl into her arms. She hugged the small girl, stroking her hair.

"She is beautiful, Loki." Frigga said, and smiled at the child. "She looks so much like you."

Rhiannon slipped from her horse, Frigga narrowing her eyes at the woman and the younger one gave a polite curtsey as she hurried through the gates and into the castle.

"Is this where you live?" Abby asked, looking at the spires of the castle.

"Yes, sometimes. Other times I have another house down in New York. That is a big city on Midgard," Loki explained. He glanced at Frigga. "Something wrong, Mother?"

"Rhiannon is not as innocent as she has said. Odin wishes to see her so that she may be... examined. Her father alluded to some improper dealings." Frigga said, glancing at him with a frown.

Inside the castle, Loki heard a woman shout. Someone asking to be let go, and a struggle with guards.

"Stop!" he yelled and teleported inside. "Take your hands off her now!"

The guards backed off at hearing THAT tone come out of his mouth. It was the tone of a commander to a subordinate and they obeyed.

"My Prince, the king has ordered us-" one began.

"I am aware of what the king has ordered. But I will escort her myself to him." Loki said, reigning in his temper. He was done catering to stupidity. "Innocent until proven guilty, remember that." He told them. He offered her his arm. "Come, my lady. The king wishes to speak with us."

"My Prince, we are ordered to take her before the king. There are charges against her, and if she does not cooperate, we are to take her to her chambers and confine her." The guard said as Rhiannon straightened her dress.

"They say that I am not a maiden!" Rhiannon said, her voice shaking.

She took his arm, her hands shaking. She looked at him and nearly sobbed, shaking her head.

"I am untouched! I swear it." She said and wept.

"I know you are. That scumbag is going to be begging on his knees for mercy. I swear by the Nine." Loki vowed.


	29. Meadowsweet's Test

**29**

 **Meadowsweet's Test**

 _Only a maiden pure and innocent can touch a unicorn, they always know good from evil, it is their nature. ~Loki_

Loki and Rhiannon followed the guards as they headed down the hallway and into the throne room. Odin sat on the throne as Loki saw the pained look in his father's eye and Loki barely nodded.

"Rhiannon Ruriksdottor. Come forward. Do you swear that no man has had knowledge of your body?" Odin asked, not waiting.

"I swear it, My King." She said, shaking like a leaf.

"Would you submit to an examination to prove this? Some of my Council members wish it," Odin sighed, clearly not happy with the request and Rhiannon knelt.

"Please no! I... I am afraid." She said, pleading with Odin.

"She is a whore!" Rurik shouted as he pulled on the chains around his wrists and ankles and the guard pulled on the chain to pull him back.

"Silence!" Odin snapped at Rurik then looked at Rhiannon. "There is no need to be afraid."

"She birthed a child! It was sickly and my child!" Her father shouted. Rhiannon shook her head, unable to stand.

"I cannot endure another man's hands on me. Please! These are all lies!" Rhiannon said, crying.

"I will truth spell everyone, Father. He is a liar, I know it myself as it is how I caught him to arrest him. I have my own charges against him, Lady Angrboda, and Lord Malius."

Temper sizzled in his eyes and he struggled to lock it away. _Calm, be calm, Laufeyson._

Frost crept around the edges of the room and Rurik shivered.

"This still does not prove that she has not known another man in her bed." A Councilman said and a guard stepped forward.

"The unicorn My King." Bjarten said, and took a breath. "Only a pure maiden may touch a unicorn."

Rhiannon trembled, Odin thinking on the matter. His eye looked saddened by the woman before him, his voice carrying much weight.

Loki watched, his anger flaring more as he saw Rhiannon's tears.

"Fetch the unicorn," Odin said as his voice boomed around the room and Rurik gave Rhiannon a smug look.

"You are doomed, you little slut!" Rurik said and the guard pulled on the chain.

"Shut your filthy mouth!" Loki growled and a guard punched Rurik in the face, shutting him up. "Don't need _his_ nasty ass comments!"

"And Norns only know where his mouth has been!" a guard snickered to his comrade.

"Please stand child, there is no need for fear if you tell the truth. All you must do is touch a unicorn." Odin said and Rhiannon gained her feet. She held her head low, Frigga entering and looking at Rhiannon.

The doors opened as the guard led in the unicorn and the soft gasps filled the room. The unicorn was an amazing sight. The snow white hide shimmered in the sunlight. The white mane sparkled in a rainbow of colors. The blue eyes twinkled and the spiral horn seemed to be glowing.

"Oh!" Rhiannon said when she saw the magnificent animal and the guard stopped in front of her.

"Go on," Loki whispered and Rhiannon slowly walked to the unicorn.

"This is Meadowsweet." he murmured.

"He is beautiful beyond words." She said, her hand shaking as she offered it to the animal to smell.

The unicorn looked at her as his eyes twinkled and he tilted his head to one side. She raised a shaking hand as she reached for the unicorn's nose and her fingers glided over the velveteen hide. She gently stroked Meadowsweet's nose as the unicorn nodded and she walked closer. She saw something in those blue eyes when Rhiannon gently slid her arms the unicorn's neck and Meadowsweet leaned his head against her head.

"She is pure!" Frigga said, and Rhiannon smiled at the beautiful creature. He snorted suddenly, stamping his hooves on the ground and Rhiannon backed away.

"Did I do something wrong?" Rhiannon asked, worrying.

Meadowsweet looked at Rurik when he went up on his hind legs and snorted.

"Move!" Loki said and Rhiannon ran to him.

"Why is he upset?"

Rurik saw the unicorn looking at him when he swallowed hard and Meadowsweet moved toward him.

"Unicorns detest evil and liars," Odin said as Meadowsweet lowered his head and the spiral horn turned blood red.

The unicorn's eyes, mane, and hide turned black as the hooves were set ablaze and Meadowsweet opened his mouth, showing razor sharp teeth.

"Keep that thing away from me!" Rurik shouted.

"Please, don't." Rhiannon begged the creature, stepping in front of the unicorn and throwing her arms out. "He is not worth it."

Meadowsweet snorted and shook its head as Rurik dropped to his knees and looked at Rhiannon.

"Daughter, please, I beg you! Save me!" Rurik cried.

Loki walked up to the unicorn. "You are beyond saving. But I would not have my friend sully his horn with your blood. Meadowsweet, hold!"

"Please calm." Rhiannon said, her fingers brushing the unicorn's muzzle and letting her fingers dance over it.

Meadowsweet looked at Loki as he snorted and calmed down. Rhiannon made soft hushing sounds as she patted his neck and the unicorn nudged her head with his nose.

The stallion snorted and bobbed his head, and then transformed back into the dazzling creature of before.

Odin had watched everything as he barely smiled at Loki and his soon-to-be wife and sat back.

"She had been proven untouched," Odin said then looked at Rurik. "And you have been proven a liar."

"I should stay a maiden, then we will remain friends." Rhiannon said, her arms hugging the unicorn again.

"He's my friend, darling, and I am not."

"How is that? You have known women." Rhiannon asked him.

"Because a unicorn may choose to remain friends with someone who is pure of heart even after they are no longer a virgin," Loki coughed. "But it is rare they do so."

"Oh." She said, blushing and hiding her face

"Proves your heart is pure," she thought and gave him a small smile.

"What should we do with him, Father?" Thor asked, pointing to Rurik.

"Speak, Loki." He said and gestured him closer.

Loki walked up the stairs when he leaned closer and Odin noticed the look in his youngest son's eyes.

"What has he done, Loki? I know you will speak only truth." Odin said.

"I want your word that what I tell you will not cloud your view of my betrothed," Loki said.

"Go on."

Loki told him what happened at the brothel, about Abby and what Rurik said about sleeping with Rhiannon and anger spread over Odin's face.

"He would have had congress with a child?" Odin gasped, glaring at the man. "I should take his head, how many other children has he had that way?"

"I don't know, but there is more," Loki said and told Odin about how Rurik received his injury.

"The coward," Odin growled and Rurik gave him a sad look.

Rhiannon stood by the unicorn, her hand resting on his shoulder and shaking.

"I was lied to." Rhiannon said, looking at the floor. "I was a fool."

Loki silently thanked the Norns that Bors was gone from his father or Rurik would be dead by now, but he also knew Odin had his own temper.

"I have only one judgment for this animal, and it is that you will never walk free again. Take him to the dungeon." Odin ordered, his hand shaking with anger.

"No!" Rurik said as he was pulled up to his feet.

"Be thankful. If he had been in his dark mood, your head would be rolling on the floor," the guard hissed in his ear and dragged him out of the room.

"All he will hear is screams on your wedding night. A rope around your neck and a tree is your only freedom now, you freak." Rurik hissed at Rhiannon. "It will be the worst pain you have ever had! You will wish you were a whore!"

Loki growled when he waved his hand and cast a mute spell on Rurik.

"Now no one can hear your vile words," Loki growled and Odin placed his hand on top of Loki's hand.

"Calm yourself, my son," he whispered and Loki nodded.

Rhiannon hid her face in the unicorn's side, hoping no one saw her fear at his words.

Meadowsweet nudged her as she looked into the blue eyes and found peace in his gaze.

The spiral horn shimmered in a golden light when Meadowsweet lightly tapped her head and she felt a warmth moving through her.

She leaned into the unicorn, Meadowsweet lying down and letting her sit on his back. Frigga gasped, her graceful side saddle catching the attention of the guards.

"Mother, what's wrong?" Loki asked.

"She... She is riding the unicorn," Frigga said.

"No one has ever been allowed to ride a unicorn" Odin said, standing in awe.

"She is truly blessed," one of the noblewomen said.

"Where is he taking me?" She asked, the unicorn walking to the hall doors.

"I don't know," Loki said as he half-ran down the stairs and followed them.

Meadowsweet took her into the city, Rhiannon looking down at Loki in worry. The people gathered, seeing Rhiannon on the unicorn and stared in awe.

"Loki? What is this My Prince?" She asked him and looked around.

"They have never seen anyone riding a unicorn before," Loki said and she blushed.

 _It's like Meadowsweet wants everyone to see she is pure and worthy of being my queen,_ he thought and smiled up at her.

"I am not even of noble blood My Prince." She said and blushed.

"It doesn't matter. They now know you are pure and worthy of being my queen," he said as children ran up with white flowers in their hands and she reached down to take them.

"Thank you." Rhiannon said and accepted them.

She set them in her lap, the people waving to her as she rode past. She waved back, smiling sweetly and Loki walking close by in case she fell.

As they walked down the avenue, Loki got an idea. He knew he needed to commission a portrait of Rhiannon but until then he had been unsure what to request. Now he knew. He would have her painted riding on Meadowsweet. It was elegant, simple, and beautiful.

"Shouldn't we go back, My Prince?" She asked, young noblewomen whispering and smiling at her.

"That's up to Meadowsweet," Loki remarked. "He's leading this parade." He whickered at unicorn in Equus. "Would you like to return to the palace, my friend?"

"I shall, and I healed your maiden. She can bear children now my friend." He whinnied back, turning to return to the palace.

Loki was stunned.

"Thank you," he whispered and Meadowsweet nodded.

They returned to the palace when Loki helped her off the unicorn's back and she gently patted Meadowsweet's hide.

"Thank you for the ride, Friend," Rhiannon said. "What did he say that upset you?" She asked, laying a hand on his chest.

His heart pounded, and he put a hand over her softer one. _How can just a touch make me feel this?_ He wondered, looking into her eyes.

"My Prince?" She asked him, and he smiled at her, lifting her chin.

"You will one day be a mother, our friend has seen to that." He said and she gasped suddenly, her eyes filling with tears.

"I will give you a child one day, and I will cherish it." She promised him, her arms circling his neck and hugging him tight. "I will be a good and obedient wife, My Prince." She said, her eyes shining in happiness.

"You don't have to obey me. Just love me." He chuckled.

 _Frigga's chambers:_

"You have hair as silky as your father," Frigga said while brushing Abby's hair. She had braided some pearls into the girl's hair as she smiled and Abby frowned.

"The Red Lady said she wanted to shave it all off," Abby said, lowering her head.

"Oh my poor child! Listen to me, dear. It's best if you no longer think about whatever she did or said. Soon she will be in prison and she can never harm you again." Frigga crooned.

Abby gently nodded when the door opened and her eyes widened. She quickly got off the stool when she ran into the corner and buried her head in the corner. She covered her head with her arms as she started shaking and Loki and Rhiannon looked at her then at Frigga.

"There is no need to fear, dear. It's just your father and Rhiannon," Frigga said.

"Please come out, your hair is so beautiful." Rhiannon said softly.

Abby slowly looked up when she looked at Loki, got up and ran to him. Kneeling down, he opened his arms as she nearly knocked him down and he wrapped his arms around her.

"I am so sorry we scared you," Loki whispered and kissed the side of Abby's head.

"I thought... I thought it was the Red Lady," Abby said then started sobbing.

"She will never hurt you again. She is sent away forever." Rhiannon said, resting her hand on the girl's back.

Slowly, Abby quit crying. "It's okay, alskling."

"Grandmother gave me candy." Abby said and smiled. "And we jumped on her bed."

"You did?!" Loki asked while giving Frigga an amused look.

"Yes," Abby said and Loki gave her a handkerchief to wipe her eyes and nose.

"It is my right as a grandmother." Frigga said, folding her hands.

Rhiannon giggled, covering her mouth.

"Of course it is," Loki agreed.

"She said you met a unicorn," Abby said, looking at Rhiannon.

"I did, he was so beautiful and he let me pet him." Rhiannon said, blushing.

"The Red Lady said I was to kill all unicorns. They are freaks of nature," Abby said and sniffed.

 _Damn you, Boda,_ Loki thought and held her a little tighter.

"And the wolves, too. Starting with the one called Fenris."

"She said what?" Loki asked, looking into her eyes.

"She said I was to kill all the wolves. Staring with one called Fenris."

"Fenris is your brother!"

"He is?!"

"Yes, and, like me, he can change into a wolf. Did she ever mention Jorgy?"

"She said he was the sea monster. I was supposed to kill him, too," Abby said and he held her again.

"Please don't hurt them." Rhiannon said to her, her eyes filled with worry.

"She said I was the weapon to bring down the unnatural House of Laufeyson," Abby recited. "But I never wanted to hurt anyone, Father!"

"We know dear, you are a good girl." Rhiannon said, stroking her hair.

"She even wanted me to kill the horse. Why would she want me to kill a horse?"

 _Sleph,_ ,Loki thought and his heart slammed in his chest.

"She is talking of your oldest brother. He can change into an eight-legged horse."

"Horses have eight legs?"

"No, just him," Loki said with a small laugh.

Frigga had been listening as she got up and walked to them. She knelt down as she wrapper her arms around her son and granddaughter and Loki saw the anger in her eyes.

"May I show her the unicorn My Prince?" Rhiannon asked, smiling.

"May I, Father?!" Abby asked.

"Yes," Loki said while helping Frigga to her feet and they left the room.

They found Meadowsweet grazing in one of the gardens as the unicorn looked up and sensed fear, pain and sadness in the air. Loki led Abby to the unicorn as her eyes widened and she smiled.

"Will he be mean to me because I hurt the animals?" She asked, looking up at the creature.

She wanted to touch the soft fur, Loki could see that but she was holding back.

"No," Loki said as Meadowsweet looked at her and tilted his head side to side. Abby stood still as the unicorn moved around her and Abby shook. "There is no need to be afraid."

The unicorn felt all of her pain and sadness when his spiral horn shimmered as he drew near.

"Don't hurt me," Abby whispered.

The tip of the horn touched her forehead as a golden light spread over her and she gasped.

 _Do not fear me, Sister_ , the voice in her head said.

 _Who are you?_ she thought.

 _I am Meadowsweet._

 _Why did you call me_ "Sister"?

 _Unlike my wolf friend, you will be able to turn into my kind._

 _I can turn into a horse like my brother? she thought and the voice softly laughed._

 _You will turn into a unicorn._

 _Will it hurt?_

 _It will at first, but, over time, you will be able to change without pain._

 _"Why are you telling me this? I hurt animals._

 _You were forced to. If you were killing them for sport or for sacrifice, I would not have talked to you or touched you."_

 _I don't want to hurt anyone or anything._

 _That is good to hear._

 _I just want to be good._

 _You are good._

 _The Red Lady wanted me to kill my father and brothers._

 _She is truly evil if she wishes them dead._

 _I want to forget her, but I can't._

 _I can help you forget her._

 _How?!_

 _I can take away all the bad memories... All the pain, fear and sadness... And give you new memories._

 _New memories?_

 _You will only remember being with my wolf friend and his sons._

 _And they would love me?_

 _They do now._

 _And the Blue Lady will want me as her daughter?_

 _Yes. Will you let me do this?"_

 _Yes!_

 _Then I give you, Little Sister, the Kiss of Peace._

The spiral horn flared as they covered their eyes and Abby blinked her eyes a few times.

"Are you alright?" Loki asked.

"Yes, Father, I'm fine," she said and Meadowsweet nudged her.

"Are you sure?" Rhiannon asked and she nodded.

"Then let's go back to the palace," Loki said.

"May I have a ride on your back?" Abby said. "Like I did when I was little?"

Loki blinked as he looked at the unicorn and the unicorn titled his head.

 _She has new memories,_ Meadowsweet sent to him and Loki grinned. _No longer will the pain, fear or sadness haunt her. Her memories now are being raised here with you and her brothers after her mother left you when she was a baby._

"Yes, you can," Loki said when he knelt down and she climbed onto his back. He held onto her legs as he stood and she slid her arms around his shoulders.

"Ready to go, Bright Heart?" he asked when she nodded and they headed back to the palace.

Rhiannon marveled at the change in the girl. "What happened with Meadowsweet?" she asked Loki

Loki sent to her, explaining what the unicorn had done. "A unicorn can heal any illness, whether of the body or mind."

"Amazing," Rhiannon whispered as she walked closer and gently stroked the unicorn's mane. "Thank you."

Meadowsweet whuffed into her hair. "I am the Guardian of Children."

She nodded then went to catch up to Loki and Abby. Meadowsweet went back to grazing.

"What shall we do now?" She asked Loki.

"I need to do a little fiddling with certain people's memories," he sent. "Normally I would not but this is a special case. I will place memories of Abby always being here in the minds of the staff and the children. I will leave Father, Mother, us, my brothers and his Council with the truth so they may prosecute Boda for her crimes. Both for what she did to Abby and the slave trade she practiced with her brothel.

"How will this spell work?"

"It's simple. I will cast it on me and whenever we encounter staff or the children their memories will alter."

"I hope it works, for the sake of Abigail. She suffered so much." She said softly, her voice shaking.

"It will work. It's just easier this way on the children and the staff. No gossip and no confusion."

"What will happen to Boda?"

"That's up to my father. He could imprison her for life or execute her."

"I think prison would be worse for her. Take away her finery, then she will suffer." Rhiannon said.

Loki shrugged. "As I said, her punishment is up to him. He will judge her accordingly." He cast the memory altering spell and they met several servants as they entered the palace.

They blinked and then one said, "Such an amazing day for you, Prince Loki. Your betrothed rode a unicorn! And you gain a mother finally, Princess Abigail."

"It is a happy day," Loki agreed, nodding to them and smiling.

"I love my new mother!" Abigail said, smiling.

"And I love you dearly." Rhiannon replied to the child.

This happened repeatedly with each servant they met on the way to their quarters.

"Would you like me to watch Abby and the smaller children while you work with Frigga?" Rhiannon asked, he still altering memories as he walked.

"Yes that would be a great help. We need to set up part of the room she will be sharing with Belle. And make her a wardrobe."

"Yes My Prince. We will go to the garden if you want to send Max and Aleta to meet us." She replied, nodding.

"I'll do that." He found his two youngest decorating cupcakes with Kara and Little Loki. "Hello. You look like you're having fun," He said when he saw them. They all blinked as his spell took effect. "Those look delicious. Are they for dessert tonight?"

"They are, so don't eat one," Kara smirked. "You can have a tart over there." She waved a spoon at the tray of raspberry tarts.

Loki snagged one. He noticed the cupcakes were decorated with lavender and mint green icing and the children had put spun sugar L's and R's on them.

"Take one for your betrothed as well." She said.

"Uh, actually, Aleta, you'd better bring one to Rhee. Because she wants to meet you, Max, and Loki in the garden with Abby. They're doing something with flowers."

"Okay, Daddy!" she took a tart for Rhiannon and one for Abby. "I'll bring one for Abby too."

"Can I have one?" Max asked, the evidence of one he had already eaten on his face

Loki grinned. "You'd better ask Mistress Kara."

"Go ahead, Max. You too, Loki." She indicated her son.

The boys thanked her and then ran after Aleta.

Kara looked at him speculatively. "Distracting your betrothed so you can finish the dress Thor told me you were making?"

"Yes, that's it," Loki said, thinking he had better finish it up as soon as he could.

He popped the tart in his mouth. "Splendid, as always."

Kara looked pleased and handed him a cup of coffee. "Take that with you. And this." She gave him a roast beef sandwich. "You need to eat when you're doing a working. Otherwise you'll collapse."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "What are you, my mother?"

"She'd tell you the same, Trickster!" Kara snorted and waved him away.

Loki headed for the Royal Wing, casting his spell on every maid, page, and squire he met. He walked by everyone's room, and tagged all of his children with his spell. Then he went to find the Queen.

Frigga was in her solar, directing some seamstresses in sewing another gown for Rhiannon. "What is it, Loki?" she asked upon seeing her son in the doorway.

"Mother, may I have a word with you?"

"Yes. Of course." She said. She left the woman waiting for further instructions.

Loki told her about the memory spell and who he had left unaltered and why. "But I need help setting up half of Belle's room for Abby. She needs clothes and books and so on. And I need to finish Rhee's gown for the betrothal ceremony."

"Which do you want me to do?" She asked, holding out her hands.

"Help me arrange the room first. Then can you ask Father to help you with her wardrobe and other things she would like? I gave her a stuffed gray Lokitty. But she has no other dolls or books. If you two do that I can finish the gown."

"Worry not, we will handle everything dear." She said and smiled. "Go on and sew."

"Thank you," he said looking relieved. He blinked to his workroom, where he had left the unfinished gown on the table and set his coffee and sandwich on his lab table. He examined his sketch again and then traced the runes and once more the magic of cloth flowed through him.

The needles sewed the sleeves onto the bodice and the skirt to it as well.

He lay the sheer silk over the gown, creating a gossamer overskirt that made the beautiful dress that looked ethereal.

He floated the dress onto the wooden mannikin and went over it carefully, making sure all the stitching was perfect and invisible,

Then he cast a slightly different spell and the flowers with the golden beaded centers began to be embroidered onto the bodice and skirt of the gown.

They flowed down the train in a cascade of innocence that reminded him of a goddess planting her flowers for spring. They would trail behind her, creating more than beauty, they would take everyone's breath away.

He paused and drank the coffee and ate the sandwich. He grinned delightedly and thought this gown was some of his finest work yet. Then he wondered how his parents were getting on with their endeavor and hoped all was going well.

He sent more flowers to dot the gossamer sleeves, the gathers at the elbow creating a long ruffle that ended at her knees. The forget me nots were beautiful with the roses.

Last, he basted the gorgeous lace from the province of Avomir onto the neckline, as Thor had suggested. The lace had fanciful birds and stars and unicorns in it and was the perfect compliment.

"It is not even on her, but the image takes my breath away." Loki said to himself, admiring his work.

He thought about all she had endured, and wanted to wrap her in safety and love for the rest of her life. To keep her hidden from all that would hurt her, and show her how beautiful love could truly be.

He chuckled at his own whimsy. _You cannot protect her from everything, much as you would wish to, Laufeyson. But you can make sure no one ever mistreats her that way again and she is secure in your love forever. And you will be there when she needs a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen. Like you are for the children._

As a finishing touch, he summoned multi colored specks of glitter and sprinkled it over the gown.

It shimmered on the mannequin, a thing of beauty and grace as he looked at it happily.

In the garden, Rhiannon taught the children how to make crowns of flowers. They wove the stems carefully, and Rhiannon wore hers as she helped Aleta with her crown.

"See, it is quite easy? Would you like to try?" She asked the girl and Abby giggled as she put hers on.

"We should make one for Bestamor!" Serena said, smiling brightly. Max ran over with more flowers, dropping them in the middle of all the girls and sitting down in the grass.

"I got more!" He announced, catching his breath.

"Don't overexert yourself, Prince Max." Rhiannon said, pouring him some water.

"What happens at a betrothal ceremony?" Belle asked.

"I accept his proposal and we both promise to be true to one another. I will take my oath and swear it over the Eternal Flame, your father will swear his, and we will each light candles that will burn until the wedding." Rhiannon said, smiling at Belle.

"What happens if the candles blow out?" Abby asked.

"They will not, the only reason the candles would go out is if one of us were to stray from the other. Or if one should die." Rhiannon said.

"And Rhiannon only wants to kiss Daddy!" Aleta said, finishing her crown.

"Of course!" Rhiannon smiled.

The girls laughed and then Serena asked boldly, "What does it feel like when a guy kisses you?"

"Does it feel wet and squishy?" Lucy guessed.

"Eeew!" Aleta cried

"It feels like your heart could fly away, and you get a ticklish feeling in tour stomach." Rhiannon said, blushing.

"Does your foot pop? On Princess Diaries that happens with the guy you truly love," Belle recalled.

"What is that?" Rhiannon asked, laughing.

"It's a funny movie about a girl who finds out she's really a princess of a small country called Genovia. It's based on a book series I read."

"What does it mean to make a foot pop though?"

"It's like when your foot lifts off the ground when he kisses you. At least that's what they showed in the movie," Belle explained. "Have you ever felt like that?"

"No. But I do feel lighter than air itself." Rhiannon replied, sighing.

"Oooohh!" went all the girls.

"Belle, we should watch Princess Diaries with Rhiannon," said Lucy. "Dad has it on his tablet."

"Is that a play?" Rhiannon asked. "I love theater. I saw "The Tragedy of Loki" three times.

Belle gaped at her. "They wrote a play about Dad?"

"They did! It was so sad during the scene with the Dark Elves." Rhiannon said. "I wept."

"Wow! Is it still playing?" Belle asked, her curiosity burning. "Maybe we could go see it?

"I wanna see it!" Max shouted.

"Tonight?' Sam suggested.

"Is it age appropriate?" Serena asked. "Like it doesn't have swearing and naked people and blood and guts."

"No. But there is a bit of language when he divorces Boda." Rhiannon said.

"We can sneak out and see it." Serena suggested.

"Does he throw a vase at her head?" Aleta wanted to know.

"Aleta! Where do you get these things?" Belle asked.

"It was on Days of Our Lives. Mandy and I watched it at her house one day." Her sister replied.

"I don't believe so." Rhiannon said.

"Your father did write a book of poems, I have a copy of it." Rhiannon said.

Belle nearly fainted. "Dad wrote a BOOK? Like and it was published?!"

"Yes. It is of his poetry. I will give it to you if you want."

"That's like asking if a cat likes tuna!" Sam laughed. "She'll have read it before we go see the play tonight."

"Why didn't Dad ever tell me he wrote a book?" Belle wondered.

"I will get it for you." Rhiannon said.

"Do we all want to meet at Rhiannon's room?" Lucy asked.

"Yes!" her sisters agreed.

"Even Max and me?" Aleta said.

"Everyone." Belle replied. "We need to tell the boys."

"They better not embarrass us," Belle groaned. "Remember when we went to see Little Mermaid on Broadway? And Vince yelled out that Ariel's seashells were falling off? I wanted to crawl in a hole!"

"This is about Dad. I doubt he is wearing shells." Sam sighed.

"Yeah that would look silly!" Aleta giggled.

"I can't wait to see it!" Lucy said and bounced in her place.

"Who wants to tell the boys?" Sam asked.

"Hey Raven, when you're done reading Dad's book I want to read it next," Sam said.

"I can! Max volunteered.

"Is that a good idea? Max telling everyone?" Serena said.

"Hmm. Maybe I can go with him," Lucy said.

"Yeah, you better, Luce," Sam said.

"When should we meet?" Belle asked, looking around.

"When does the play start?" Serena queried.

"About eight in the evening. The playhouse is not far." Rhiannon answered

"So we should meet around seven thirty?" Belle wanted to know.

"That will leave us plenty of time to walk." Rhiannon agreed.

"Let's go tell the boys, Max!" Lucy said and the two ran off towards the stables.

They found their brothers and Hogun watching Sleph ride Arcana around a series of jumps in the ring,

"Guys!" Max shouted.

"Quiet!" hissed Hunter. "You'll break his concentration."

"Yeah there's a big jump coming up," Vince said. "A-what did you call it again, Hogun?"

"A triple oxer," Hogun answer.

"Woah." Lucy said.

They watched in awe as Sleph rode Arcana through the triple jump like she had wings. The golden mare jumped like she was glittering snake, moving in and out with ease.

"She did it!" cheered Hunter.

"They did it," Fenris corrected, grinning.

"That was amazing!" Lucy said, clapping.

"Good girl," Sleph praised while patting Arcana's neck.

"We have to tell them." Max said, jumping up and down.

"Tell us what, little imp?" asked Jorgy.

"About Daddy's play!"

"We are going to a play tonight! It is about Dad." Lucy said.

"Whoa! They made a play about Dad?!" Hunter asked.

"It's called... The Something of Loki." Max said. "I forgot the middle word."

"Are there famous people in it?" Vince wanted to know.

"Even if there are, you wouldn't know them, daredevil!" Nate laughed.

"The Tragedy of Loki." Belle said. "Rhiannon said she would take us, are you in?"

"Sounds sad," Nate said.

"There are some funny parts in it," Jorgy said. "It's not all sad."

"What time does it start?" Hunter asked.

"Eight," Lucy replied. "But we meet at Rhiannon's room at seven thirty."

"I get to go too!" Max said and jumped up and down in excitement.

"Calm down, Imp. We're all going," Hunter said.

"We will be there." Fenris said, nodding.

"Are we sure we want the pipsqueak going?" Vince asked. "Last time we went to the movies, Dad ended up missing part of it because Max and Aleta had to go potty."

"Hey! When ya gotta go, ya gotta go!" Max glared at Vince.

"Everyone goes. We are sneaking out to see this play, and we don't want Dad finding about it when he does bed checks." Lucy sighed

"Why are we sneaking out?" Fenris asked.

"Dad will probably say no if we ask." Lucy said.

"Say no to what?" Sleph asked as he rode Arcana toward them.

"We're going to see that play about Dad," Jorgy said.

"That terrible thing?" Sleph said, rolling his eyes. "Of course he will say no."

"See! We want to go!" Lucy said.

"Why is it terrible?" Max wanted to know.

"The acting is awful." Sleph said. "And... well some of it is not accurate."

"Like what?"

"Like what happened to Dad during the final battle with the Dark Elves."

"You mean they made it up?" Nate asked.

"Yeah. They wanted to make Dad look bad."

"Who wrote this play?"

"Some skald that Prince Tavi punched out in a tavern." Sleph replied. "Probably hired by Boda."

"But Rhiannon saw it three times! It made her cry." Lucy protested.

"Yeah, because, at the end, Dad dies," Sleph said.

"Nice going. You just ruined it for them," Jorgy said and Sleph shrugged.

"They know that already." His brother replied.

"Oh jeez. Everyone knows that happens." Hunter groaned.

"But he didn't really die," Lucy said.

"Come on, Sleph, join us,' Fenris said.

"He did die Lucy, the Norns judged him worthy of resurrecting because of his sacrifice." Sleph said and sighed. "Fine. I will go to help Rhiannon."

"Yay!" Max cheered.

 _Back at the palace..._

Odin looked at the designs he had drawn for gowns he wanted made for Rhiannon when Frigga entered the room and he sweetly smiled at her. She was overjoyed with Odin being freed from his father as she smiled back and walked to the table.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked.

"I'm just still upset about what happened to Abby," she said and he gently kissed her cheek.

"Boda had no right in harming her. If I had learned about Abby sooner, I would have torn Abby out of her hands."

"I never did like her." Frigga said and frowned.

"No one knew about her darling. And now she has a wonderful mother to look forward to." Odin reassured her.

"Yes, she does," Frigga said and he looked through his drawings. He found the ones he had made for Abby as he smiled and pulled the drawings toward them.

"These are for Abby," he said.

"How lovely!" she exclaimed. "You haven't lost your touch."

She was surprised when she saw the blush move across his cheeks and he slightly lowered his head.

"There is no need to blush, my love," she said and lifted his face up.

"You wouldn't think, after all this time, you could still make me do that," he teased and she lightly kissed his lips.

"I knew I could. Because I know you well." She said and laughed. "But I was afraid I would never do it again. Your father's influence..."

"Is gone," he assured her and she nodded. "Now that it is, perhaps I shall go fishing with our sons like I used to when they were young." He mused.

"That would be wonderful, but before you do so, I need you to help me with something."

"With what?"

She told him about Loki's request and what had happened.

"By the Nine! Of course I will help!" he said.

She smiled. "I knew I could count on you."

"Yes, you can," he said when he slid his arm around her and gave her a sideways hug.

"What shall we do first?" He asked. "The room or the dresses?"

"I think the room," she said and he nodded.

They walked down to Belle's room.

The guards nodded at them as they passed and Odin nodded back. Frigga opened the door when they walked in the room and Odin looked at the furniture.

"We will need a bed." Odin said, thinking.

"I think over there by the window would be nice," Frigga said.

Odin looked at Belle's four poster bed when he waved his hand and a new bed appeared near the window. A unicorn was carved in the headboard and the bedding was midnight blue with golden pillow cases.

"She needs a wardrobe and a trunk for blankets."

Belle's wardrobe had books carved into the wood as he looked at the wardrobe then waved his hands and made a copy with roses carved in the wood. The trunk appeared at the foot of the bed and Odin smiled.

"Do you think they should share the dresser or should I make one?" he asked.

"I think there is room enough for them to share," Frigga said.

"But she needs her own vanity," he said as he looked at Belle's vanity.

Waving his hands, a matching vanity appeared next to Belle's and had a small stool with a white cushion. There was a silver comb, brush and hand mirror and a small box filled with ribbons on the vanity and, like Belle, Abby would have a silver jewelry box.

"Do you think she would like some dolls?" Odin asked.

"I think she would love that," Frigga said and he waved his hands and two dolls appeared on the bed, leaning against the pillows. Both were made of fine porcelain, but one had long black hair and green eyes and the other hair long blonde hair and blue eyes. The dolls wore white silk gowns, white stockings and black shoes and their eyes closed when they were laid on their backs.

"Here are some stuffed animals to cuddle with," Frigga said. Three stuffed animals appeared next to the dolls. One was a black and tan puppy like Loki's shepherd, there was a black kitty with a princess tiara, and a pink unicorn.

Then Frigga added a set of small plastic woodland animals and on a bookshelf were books and some board games.

"Very nice, dear," Odin approved. "I think we can start on the clothes now."

Frigga nodded. "You do the dresses, that's your specialty, Wanderer. I will do the undergarments and nightgowns."

While Frigga changed handkerchiefs into chemises, underwear, stockings, nightgowns and one small corset, Odin took several outdated dresses from the storeroom and changed them into the gowns he had designed.

"This should all work wonderfully." Frigga said happily

"What do you think of this one?" Odin asked, holding up a gown of yellow silk.

"It is beautiful!" Frigga gushed.

"I thought she could wear this to the betrothal ceremony."

"Don't make her outshine Rhiannon." Frigga laughed. "When is our son going to set that date?"

"We need to ask him," her husband remarked.

"Ask me what?" Loki said, walking in the door. "This looks great!"

"We worked very hard, I am happy you approve?" Odin said. "Do you have an idea what day you would like to hold the ceremony?"

Loki thought. "How does this weekend sound?"

"He set a date!" Frigga cheered.

"It is perfect son. We will have it in the hall." Odin said, more calmly.

Loki grinned. "Did you think I wouldn't? Now I need to tell Rhiannon."

"The dress? Is it done?" Frigga asked.

"Yes. Would you like a sneak peek?"

"It is just... you dragged your feet so much the last time..." Odin trailed off.

"Considering I didn't pick the lady I was going to marry, that's why." Loki replied.

"Show us the dress dear." Frigga said, shooting Odin a look.

"Come to my work room," Loki beckoned them, his eyes shining.

They followed him down a set of stairs and to his workroom. "I think she will like it," he said, opening the door to reveal the dress on the stand.

"It is stunning!" Frigga said, walking around the mannequin. "She will be the envy of all the women.

"That is truly a work of art." Odin praised. "The flowers on the train are exquisite!"

"The true question, will you let her return to her chambers that night?" Odin asked.

"Don't tease Loki." Frigga warned.

"They will essentially be handfasted." Odin sighed.

"This dress will truly make her shine, Loki." Frigga said. "Our son is a gentleman, and will honor the poor girl."

"Yes. She has endured much and I don't want to rush. Good things come to those who wait."

"Your control is admirable. Most men would not wait. Your brothers would not." His father remarked.

"I am not like any other man," Loki replied.

"No. They would not be able to create such a thing of beauty. You do me proud, son."

"She will be stunning in that gown. I also have the perfect tiara for her to wear with it." Frigga said and smiled."It is very special. As the woman who wore it before... is no longer with us."

Loki flushed, touched. He looked at Frigga. "What tiara are you speaking of?"

"You will see. I believe the previous owner would approve of the head it will now adorn." Frigga replied.

"You had it, Frigga?" Odin said, astonished. "I thought it was lost."

"It was brought to me by her most loyal handmaid."

"You have Astra's tiara?" Loki whispered.

"I do. And it will soon belong to Rhiannon." Frigga said.

"Do you have the earrings too?" Odin asked.

"Earrings?" Loki queried.

"A pair of Frost Opals they were enchanted to prevent anyone mind controlling her with magic." Odin explained.

"I do. I planned to give them to her after I had her ears pierced." Frigga replied.

"We should have it done soon, that way we can give her more beautiful things to wear." Odin nodded.

"Would she want that Loki?" Frigga asked, glancing at her son.

"Yes, I think so." Loki ahreed.

"I can arrange for the man to come and do it then. It will hurt, but he is quite good at it." Frigga said and smiled.

"So am I, with my ear piercing gun," Loki replied. "I did all my daughter's ears. Well, except for Sam's she already had them pierced."

"You have a gun that does that?" Odin stared at him.

"Yes, it's a Midgardian invention. It can pierce an ear in seconds with almost no pain at all. If I do it, they don't feel anything. I freeze their ears with my frost power." Loki answered.

He summoned the ear piercing gun from his backpack to show them. "See? You put the earring here and then press this."

"This is revolutionary!" exclaimed the Queen. "Odin, let's buy some!"

"Oh Norns!" the king groaned.

"It would be less painful than the lancet they use now." Frigga argued.

"Oh, all right, dear! If you want to go into the earring business, be my guest!" he teased. "Just don't think you're using me as the test subject. Not like the time with the face mask."

"The face mask?" Loki asked looking from one to the other.

"Don't ask," his father grumbled.

"There was this traveling cosmetic salesmen-" Frigga began.

"No, he doesn't want to hear this!" Odin interrupted.

"Yes, I do!" Loki insisted.

"It was not as bad as it sounds." Frigga said and sighed.

"Go on," Loki encouraged. He had a feeling this was one of those priceless things and he desperately needed a laugh.

"Please don't." Odin groaned.

"Anyway, this man came to the palace and said he had invented a beauty mask that would make your skin soft as a baby's. " Frigga went on. "He needed a volunteer that had not so soft skin, so I volunteered your father."

Loki bit his lip hard.

"They sat me in a chair and smeared this disgusting black goo all over my face, even my beard!" Odin grumbled. "It smelled like swamp water."

"Well, it did have some marsh mud in it," Frigga conceded.

"Did it work?" Loki asked, trying not to laugh to death. Just the thought of his father's face covered in marsh mud . . .

"It turned my face purple!" The king huffed.

Loki doubled over laughing. "Oh, blessed Yggdrasil! Oh, by the Nine!"

"It was not that bad." Frigga protested.

"I was PURPLE!"

Loki almost couldn't breathe.

"He put some ass's milk and honey on and it took the stain off," she recalled.

"After I nearly beat HIS ass!" Odin said balefully.

Loki nearly fell on the floor.

"I... can't... breathe." Loki gasped, wiping tears from his eyes.

"Purple did look good on you." Frigga replied.

"I looked like a plum!"

"I think that mask must have been defective," Loki said once he could talk again.

"It had to have been." Frigga said, and looked at Odin. "It did leave your skin soft however."

"Humph!" her husband grunted.

"Loki, how do you use this?" Frigga asked, picking up the earring gun.

"Like this, Mother." Loki showed her.

"Stay away from me with that!" Odin cried, backing away.

"Why, Father, I think you would look dashing with an earring!" he teased.

"No!" the king crossed his arms over his chest. "Go get Fandral if you want to test it. Just tell him women will swoon with it on and he'll do whatever you want."

"That's true!" Loki snickered. "We could give him a diamond stud."

"Stay away from me with that, Frigga." Odin warned.

"Or Thor." Frigga said and laughed.

"You'd need to get him drunk to agree!" Loki giggled. He started laughing again imagining Jane's face if Thor showed up with an earring.

"Demonstrate on Rhiannon. My days of that are over." Odin said, crossing his arms.

"Yes, if I added an earring you would look too much like a pirate," Frigga giggled.

"I am glad you agree. It is supper time now and I am starved." Odin said, grumbling to himself.

"Then let's go eat," Frigga urged.

"I'll go and round up my kids and Rhiannon," Loki told them and then teleported into the garden, excited to tell Rhiannon about the betrothal date.

He saw her and the girls wearing their flower crowns and laughing. Max and Lucy laughed and played together, Abby taking more flowers and tossing them into the air.

"Hello, my lovely princesses!" he greeted. "And you too, imp!"

"Hello My Prince." Rhiannon said and blushed, her crown of flowers bobbing with her head.

"Hi Daddy!" Aleta said. "Look what Rhiannon showed us to make!"

"You look like goddesses of spring," he said, his eyes twinkling.

"Rhiannon is very smart Father." Abby said, the lavender and white flowers of hers a beautiful contrast to her hair.

"I know, Bright Heart. She is the smartest lady in Asgard," Loki said sincerely.

"I am average compared to most My Prince." Rhiannon replied, blushing deeper.

"Not at all. For you look with your heart and not your eyes." He answered.

"Dad, why didn't you tell me you published a book?" Belle demanded.

"My poetry book?" he clarified.

"Yes, that one!"

"I wrote that when I was eighteen. I thought it wasn't all that good," he admitted. "And your uncles and their friends teased me awfully for it."

"I think it's brilliant!" Belle declared. "They were just jealous none of them could write like you."

"She asked me to let her read it." Rhiannon said, looking down.

"Of course she did," Loki said. "I'm glad you like it, Raven."

"And I want to read it next," Sam said. "I'm sure it's as good as Byron and Coleridge."

"Yeah especially considering Dad wasn't on drugs when he wrote them," Belle added.

"I should hope not." Rhiannon said.

"The only thing I was imbibing was pear juice. And peppermint tea with honey."

"Daddy, I'm hungry!" Aleta said.

"Yes, it's supper time. But before you all go inside, I have some good news to tell you. The betrothal ceremony date is set."

"When?" Rhiannon asked, looking shocked. "I don't have a gown!"

"It's this weekend. Five days from now." Loki answered.

"And I have a surprise for you." He waved a hand and a large box wrapped in shiny lavender paper with a bow appeared in his hands. "Go ahead, open it."

"You spoil me, Loki," she began, taking the box from him.

"That's a fiancé's prerogative," he said. "Open it, darling!"

"What is it?" asked Serena excitedly.

"Oh just a little something I made in my spare time," he replied casually.

Rhiannon removed the cover of the box and unwrapped the layers of tissue to reveal the gorgeous gown Loki had made. "Oh!" she gasped. "You really made this for _me_?"

He nodded. "Do you like it?"

"It is . . . absolutely the most beautiful gown I have ever seen!" she gasped. "Never mind owned!" She took the gown out of the box and the girls all exclaimed over it.

"My God, Dad!" Sam whistled.

"Look at all the flowers!" Aleta cooed.

"Holy tamales!" Serena squealed. "That's amazing! It looks like an elf gown!"

"That is gorgeous!" Belle gasped.

"She can't wear a corset with that low back." Sam said, grinning. "Looks like she needs a special bra."

"It is not proper to not wear a corset." Rhiannon said, looking at the gown.

Loki nodded. He produced a small bag. "You wear this, darling. It's a special kind of one." Inside was a long line strapless bra with lace. He had made it from one he saw in a Victoria's Secret catalogue.

"Try it on!" Lucy clapped her hands. "We want to see how it looks!"

"It's supper now. Maybe afterwards you can come and see how it looks on," Rhiannon said, winking at them.

The girls all cheered.

"Thank you, My Prince," she smiled at Loki. "You are most talented."

"Anything for you, darling."

"Aww!" all his daughters giggled.

Loki helped put the gown back in the box. Then he sent it and the bag with the bra into her chambers.

"What are you going to wear, Dad?" Belle asked curiously.

"Uh . . ." Loki realized suddenly he hadn't figured that out. "Let's not worry about that now," he said. "May I escort you to dinner?" he asked Rhiannon.

"Of course," she gazed at him lovingly and took his arm.


	30. The Tragedy of Loki

**30**

 **The Tragedy of Loki**

 _Sometimes the real tragedy in a play is the writing! ~ Loki_

They all processed into the dining hall to the royal table.

The children separated from the two, claiming their seats at the table and Rhiannon sat in hers while Loki held it, he helped her move it in and she smiled up at him.

"I did not know we were celebrating something." Odin said, indicating toward Rhiannon's flower crown. She blushed, removing it and set it on the floor. Jewel trotted in, carrying her usual ribbon and sat in the center of the crown proudly.

"Your handmaiden has taken your crown." Thor laughed, Loki looking at the kitten and laughing at the scene.

"Mine," Jewel said and Loki gently scratched the kitten's ear.

"Very well little girl. Keep it." He laughed, Rhiannon smiling at him.

"She has her own pillow to sleep on as well." She said, laughing. "I fear I have spoiled her."

"Mischief sleeps on Dad's pillow at home," Serena informed them.

"And Odin sleeps on his legs!" Aleta said.

Everyone in the dining hall stared at Loki and Odin, both men looking embarrassed.

"Dog." Loki said quickly. "Odin is the family dog."

"And they both have pet beds but they like being with people better," Hunter laughed.

"Clint calls the puppy and the kitten Loki's furkids," Thor chuckled.

"They call me their father," Loki replied.

"I never knew that!" Thor exclaimed.

"You don't understand their language, brother."

"The dog and cat have their own language?" Fandral asked.

"Yes. All animals do," Loki answered.

"And Dad speaks all of them," Belle said proudly.

"Because you're a mage?" Hogun queried.

"No. Because I'm a master shifter with the Gift of Animal Speech." Loki answered.

"I can't understand animals." Rhiannon said. "You are most lucky."

"But then all his animals answer him back," Balder laughed.

"Dad says it is not a bad thing because they can tell him when they are sick." Lucy chimed in.

"Hmm I never thought of that," Balder admitted.

"It sounds most helpful." Rhiannon said, the kitten curling up and napping in the middle of the flowers.

"It is. It also provides a better understanding of how they think and feel." Loki informed them.

"What do they think about? Food?" Thor asked, teasing Loki.

"Not all the time. Unlike you," Loki shot back. "They try and figure out why people do what they do. They think some of what we do is funny."

"Like what?" Rhiannon asked, glaring at Thor.

Loki could see that she was not happy with the way they picked on him, her patience wearing thin with his brothers.

"Well, they want to know why we stare at blue screens so much-like the TV and computers, instead of going outside and playing with each other or exploring. The birds pity us because we can't fly or sing the way they can. My cat laughs at how long it takes us to groom ourselves in the morning.

They also have their own gods and ways of doing things. They are more direct then we are. Animals don't lie. They can't. And they don't see why humans do."

"Sounds rather silly. All of it. A dog having a god." Thor scoffed, looking at Balder.

"I thought humans were their gods," the elder prince said.

"No. Friends, but not gods." Loki shook his head. "Cats worship Bast, the Goddess of Cats. Dogs worship Canis, the Sky Dog. "

"A dog is a fine companion," Odin put in. "They are loyal until death and never betray you."

"And dogs are easily trained to do certain jobs," Loki said.

"You mean like hunting dogs?" Volstagg asked.

"Yes, but there are some dogs who are used by the military to find explosives or mines. Some dogs are used by people who are disabled for one reason or another. And there as some which are used in rescue or finding people who are lost."

"Cats can be good friends as well My King." Rhiannon said politely. "Cats can be your friendly ear, or offer comfort when you are saddened."

"They have cats who are used as therapy for sick or elderly people," Loki explained. "People have done studies that show a cat can help a person lower their anxiety or stress and blood pressure just by someone holding and petting them. And their purr soothes and calms."

"You sound soft, Loki." Thor said and laughed. Rhiannon glared at the Prince, pressing her lips together and sipping her wine.

"I agree," Balder said.

Belle glared at them. "That's not so. He fights as well as either of you."

"Sometimes, much better than the both of you." Rhiannon thought.

"We mean no harm, niece," Thor said.

"Aye, and he doesn't mind when we tease him," Balder said.

Belle gave them a look that said _she_ minded, but said nothing further, simply went back to eating. Unlike the rest of her siblings, as a Spirit Keeper she recalled Loki's memories when he was a child and adolescent and she knew that their teasing had hurt him very much back then. Always second best and never good enough.

"I believe I have eaten enough." Rhiannon said, standing up. "If it pleases all, I wish to take my leave.

"Are you ill?" Loki asked, concerned.

"No. I am just worn from the day." She replied, winking at Sam and Belle.

She knelt and picked up the crown and Jewel.

She wanted to be back at her chambers to meet the children, they were all so excited to see the play. She also had to plan how to get everyone out of the castle unseen.

"Good evening." She said with a polite curtsey.

Thor and Balder looked at each other as Rhiannon walked away and Thor made a little cough.

"I do apologize, Brother, if we said something to upset her," Balder said.

"And we apologize to you as well, Niece," Thor said, looking at Belle.

"She has had a long day, and I am sure she will accept the apology." Belle said, yawning and stretching. "I'm tired too."

"So am I," Abby said.

"Me, too," Max said with a big yawn. Loki wondered why his children were suddenly tired as he frowned and blinked his eyes a few times.

 _What are you up to?_ he thought and took a sip of wine

"Can we go?" Lucy asked, yawning herself.

"No dessert?" Frigga asked, raising an eyebrow.

 _Uh oh, Dad is getting suspicious_ , Sam thought. She said quickly, "Let's play Monopoly in my room," to her brothers and Serena.

"I want to try this game." Fenris said, standing up.

"Can we take the dessert with us?!" Aleta asked.

"Yeah Monopoly takes a couple hours," Nate said. "We'll need the sugar to stay awake."

"I suppose you can take your sweets with you then. Enjoy your game." Frigga said and nodded.

"Thanks, Bestemor!" Vince said, and took a pastry and wrapped it in his napkin.

 _They are up to something,_ Loki thought as he strummed his fingers on the table and frowned.

His children always thought they could fool him, but he could always tell when they were plotting some mischief.

"Brother, is there something bothering you?" Balder asked and Loki looked at him.

"I believe my kids are up to something," Loki said.

The children ran the halls, coming to Rhiannon's door and knocking. She opened it, counting heads and ushering them in.

"Are we ready to go?" She asked all of the children.

"Yeah," Sam said.

"Let's get going," Fenris said.

"Come along then. I found the best route for Nate." Rhiannon said, leading them to the Playhouse.

She took them through a garden and down a clear path, the found the back of the building and walked around it. Rhiannon ran to the man selling tickets and bought enough for everyone. She ran back, Aleta and Max nearly bouncing out of their shoes.

"Here they are!" Rhiannon said, giving everyone a ticket.

 _In the dining room:_

"How do you know that?" Balder wanted to know. "I never knew when Jorunne was up to something."

"They know they cannot lie to me," Loki explained as he placed his lower arms on the table and leaned forward a bit. "So, when they start acting suspiciously, I get this feeling that something is wrong and they are up to something."

"It's the Mischief Radar," Thor commented. "As Tony calls it."

"Does he?" Loki asked, arching his eyebrow then softly laughed.

"Maybe we should go check on them," Balder said.

Loki rose. "We should." He hoped he didn't find them pranking their uncles.

 _The playhouse:_

"Does it start soon?" Max asked, getting anxious.

"Yes it does." Rhiannon answered for the fifth time in twenty minutes. She remained patient however, and Max nearly cheered when the house lights dimmed and the curtain rose to start the show.

A mist spread over the stage as they watched when someone appeared in the mist and whoever it was appeared to be dressed like Loki. The mist faded as the actor spread his arms wide and looked at the audience.

"Is that supposed to be Dad?" Sam asked as she tried not to laugh.

"Your savior is here!" the actor said and the kids looked at each other.

"Dad would never say that," Nate said and Vince snickered.

As the play progressed, the kids tried hard not to laugh too loudly and Max and Aleta started to get bored.

"I told you it was bad," Sleph whispered and Jorgy nodded.

"Is that guy playing Uncle Thor drunk?" Belle whispered and Serena shrugged.

"Where is Uncle Balder?" Abby whispered to Lucy.

"I think they forgot him," Lucy whispered.

Rhiannon started to feel nervous as she looked at the children and wondered if she had made a mistake.

 _They hate it_ , she thought and wrung her hands together.

"It does get better." Rhiannon assured them, biting her lower lip.

As the play progressed, it got worse. Rhiannon not remembering how Loki was made into a bumbling fool, the versions of the play she had seen were much different.

"Oh, come on! Dad doesn't act like that!" Hunter said and the boys broke out laughing.

People around them started making hushing sounds and the kids really started laughing when the actor who was supposed to be Loki flicked his head and his wig fell off onto the stage.

"Why did they change it?" Rhiannon wondered, watching the graceful actress portray Jane as a sweet natured girl. Her manners sweet as she ran to Thor, the kids groaned and rolled their eyes.

"Give me a break," Sam sighed.

"She is mean and nasty in real life." Lucy groaned. "Did they get anything right?"

As the play ended with Loki dying, Rhiannon looked at the children as she stood and the kids saw how upset she was.

"I'm... I'm sorry you didn't like it," Rhiannon said, looking down. "It is changed from when I saw it last."

"It's not your fault," Belle said consolingly.

"Belle, you could write a better one," Hunter said.

"No, you don't understand. The play was so much better before, it was more honest and true to the events." Rhiannon said and sighed. "Let us just go back."

"I liked it when his wig fell off," Max said and Abby and Aleta giggled.

"That was an improvement. How short was that actor?" Sam said and laughed.

"Dad would never say "Bendy Horns." Serena said, rolling her eyes.

"And Uncle Thor would never call Dad "Ungodly Monster" either," Nate said.

"Mama called him that once," Abby said.

Rhiannon walked with the children back to their chambers, they turned the corner and came to a sudden stop. Sitting in a comfortable chair in the hall was Loki, a book open in his lap.

"We are so..." Hunter began.

"Busted." Sam finished.

"Hello," Loki said as he saved his place then stood.

"Oh dear." Rhiannon said, and worried at her lip.

"Run! He can't catch us all." Vince said.

"What are you, dumb? He can blink!" Fenris snorted.

"We're doomed," Nate whispered and Vince nodded.

"Oh dear." Rhiannon said for the third time, not knowing what else to say.

"Mind telling me where all of you have been?" Loki asked

"We saw a play!" Aleta said. "Your hair fell off."

"What?" Loki looked flummoxed.

"We went to see a play about you Daddy." Max said.

"It was Rhiannon's idea!" Vince said, pointing at the frozen woman.

"No, we talked her into it," Belle said.

"She is still the adult! Let her take the fall!" Hunter whispered.

"Oh no! Not the one where I die battling the Dark Elves." Loki groaned.

"Yes... that one." Sleph said, " and they made you the bumbling fool as well."

"Are you going to dump Rhiannon?" Aleta asked.

"Why would I do that?!" Loki asked.

"Because she helped us sneak out to see the play." Aleta said. "That would not be nice."

"We all agreed to see it," Fenris said

"Did you really trip over stairs back then?" Max asked.

"No," Loki shook his head. "Whoever is directing that play is probably the worst writer in history. Nothing about that play is how it really happened."

"Sounds like someone rewrote it," Belle said.

"I swear it was different the first time I saw it," Rhiannon said.

"Let me see a copy of the playbill," Loki requested.

Belle handed him hers.

Loki read it, scanning it for the names of the director and writer.

"Could someone have rewritten the script to make you look bad?" Belle asked.

"Uncle Thor called you "Ungodly Monster". That's something Mama called you," Abby said and Lok's eyes widened.

"You're right, Bright Heart. She did," Loki said.

"Then someone really did rewrite it?" Rhiannon asked.

"It appears so," he said then looked at the kids. "I will ask the director tomorrow. Right now, all of you go to bed."

"Are we grounded?" Sam asked.

"I believe we should all listen to Prince Loki." Rhiannon said and started walking toward her room.

"Yeah... look at the time." Vince said, stretching and yawning. "Don't bother Dad with dumb questions, Sam."

"Goodnight, Dad!" several of them said.

"Wait," Loki said and they turned to look at him. "Yes, I am angry with what you did, but you were with Rhiannon and I trust her when it comes to taking care of you. So, no, no one is grounded."

"Awesome!" Vince said and high fived Hunter.

Rhiannon walked back to her rooms, opening the door and vanishing through it as all the kids scattered to theirs.

Loki walked to Rhiannon's door when he knocked and she slowly opened the door.

"I am not angry with you," he said.

"But I took them on an outing without asking," she said.

"Yes, you did, but nothing bad happened."

"Something could have," she said, looking down. He gently lifted her chin as she looked deeply into his eyes and he smiled.

"I forgive you," he said and lightly kissed her lips. She felt her heart soar as she slid her arms around him and he held her for a few moments. He moved back when he gave her a little bow and she watched him walk to the chair and picked up the book.

"Good night, dear lady," he said as he vanished and she smiled, closing the door.

"Whoa." Vince said and the kids went into their rooms.

"Belle," Abby said as she undressed and put on her nightgown. "I really think you _could_ write a better play than the one we saw. I could help."

Belle looked up from brushing her hair. "I know I could. You could be my proofreader and my assistant. You could ask Uncle Thor what really happened with the Dark Elves. Dad doesn't really like to talk about it."

Abby nodded. "I could."

"And Nate is good with art and sets. He can paint really well. He helped do that in school." Belle recalled.

She chewed her fingernail thoughtfully. "But who would we get to be in it?"

"Fenris could play Father. He is tall." Abby said, smiling.

"You're right. And he looks like him too. We could just style his hair differently. Jorgy could play Uncle Thor if he changes his eye color and puts his hair down. He's pretty buff."

"Sleph could play Uncle Balder." Abby suggested.

"He'd have to double as Bestefar," Belle remarked. "He just needs a fake beard and a wig."

"Sam could play two parts. She could be Jane and Bestemor." Abby said quietly.

"She would hate being Jane. But she would play her right."

"Who could play my mama?" Abby wondered.

"Do you want to? Then you can make her look really bad." Belle said. "Like stomp around and act nasty to everyone."

"That sounds so fun. Serena could play Rhiannon. She is pretty and light haired." Abby said.

"Max and Aleta and Lucy can play themselves." Belle murmured.

"When do we want to have our play?" Abby asked, covering herself.

"What if we do it as a wedding gift? That's probably a while away so it'll give us time to write it and rehearse and stuff?" Belle said.

"That sounds perfect. Rhiannon and Father will be really happy." Abby said, frowning. "That play was terrible, Rhiannon looked so sad for taking us."

"I know. She didn't know it was going to be that bad. Or make Dad look stupid." Belle said. "Hey, we could ask Tavi to do the music and the special effects. He's a skald, he has entertainment magic."

"That is a great idea!" Abby said and grinned. "I am glad Father was not cross with her."

"There really was nothing for him to be mad at. It was a silly play, not like we went and saw an R rated movie or something." Belle said.

"Are those really bad? The ones with an R?" Abby asked.

Belle nodded. "Yeah. They have a lot of swearing-like the F word and scenes with naked sex and people getting killed and blown up and stuff. The R is really for adults or kids over 17."

"By the Nine! I wouldn't want to see that." Abby exclaimed.

Belle took Loki's poetry book and began to read some more of it.

"Are the poems really good?" Abby asked, snuggling under the blankets with her stuffed kitten.

"Yeah. You want me to read you one?" Belle asked.

"Please!" Abby said.

"Okay." She flipped a page. "Ooh! Here's one about a cat."

 _Eyes that shine in the night,_

 _That see all secrets, ears that hear the whispers in the dark._

 _Sleek huntress on the prowl,_

 _Stalks her prey on silent paws_

 _Quiet as the breeze,_

 _Patient as time itself._

 _Then she pounces, dagger-sharp claws reaching_

 _To catch her supper._

 _After she washes herself until_

 _Not a hair is out of place._

 _Paws tucked beneath her, purring on the hearth,_

 _Her eyes at half-mast, black velvet fur glistening_

 _In the fire's glow._

 _Gentle companion sleeping,_

 _Until it is time to hunt again._

 _Proud, bold, beautiful, she chooses her person wisely_

 _For a cat does what it wants._

"That was so good. Why do Uncles Thor and Balder tease him about his writing?" Abby asked.

Belle sighed. "I guess because they think guys shouldn't write poetry. Some guys in my school back home are like that. They think all a guy ought to care about is sports and watching sports on TV and stuff like that. Like it's unmanly to like different things."

"That is silly." Abby said. "I think boys who write poems at more romantic.

"So do I," Belle laughed. "I like guys who can use their brains for more than getting them bashed in with swords and stuff. Like Wulf." Then she went red as a strawberry. "Uh . . . I mean . . ."

"I like him too. Do you think I will ever fall in love?" Abby asked, sighing.

"Yes. I think there is someone somewhere for all of us. We just have to meet them. Or they will meet us."

"I hope mine is like Father." Abby giggled.

Belle nodded. "Wulf is similar. He is quiet and a little shy till he gets to know you. And he has magic too and loves books. He is also a gentleman. And adorable! But right now we're just friends. Maybe someday though . . . we will be more."

"I will hope that for you. I would like to see everyone happy." Abby said and smiled at her.

"So do I," Belle agreed. "I will live here when I am grown. Because I am the Lorekeeper of Asgard and my job is to advise the king."

"Maybe I will come back here too. I am curious about Midgard." She said and blinked at Belle. "I am excited to see it.

"You will like it," her sister told her. "There is a lot to see and do. More than there is here."

"What sort of things will I see?"

"Well, New York City, where we live, is huge. The part of the city we live in is called Greenwich Village . . ." Belle described Manhattan, Central Park, Chinatown, Little Italy, and Broadway. She told Abby about the Statue of Liberty, The Empire State Building, and the World Trade Center memorial.

"But my favorite place to go is the New York Public Library," she said dreamily.

"Can we see it all?" Abby asked, looking excited.

"Yeah. Dad will take us. There's museums and the zoo too. And he'll show you around his work, Laufeyson Tech. Oh and we can go to the Avengers mansion and Stark Towers. Uncle Tony owns them. He's really Dad's friend, but we all call him uncle out of respect."

"It all sounds amazing. And all the different mortals there."

"Yeah, everybody from all over the world comes to New York and they live there too. You'll see."

"Is that why Father chose to live there?"

"Well, after he was resurrected, the Norns sent him there. He woke up in a white tunic on the Avengers front lawn. Then he passed out again and Uncle Steve, he's Captain America, found him there and brought him inside. When he got better, they decided to make him an Avenger too and he lived with them for awhile till he bought the town house and adopted all of us."

"Even though he did some bad stuff?"

"Yes. He was controlled by Thanos and the Chitauri, who used him to invade Earth after he fell off the Bifrost. Once he told the Avengers that, they accepted him."

"I shall like them then."

Abby yawned, closing her eyes a bit and dozing.

"Goodnight Belle." Abby said, falling asleep in her bed and dreaming of a city, so very far away.

Belle placed the poetry book on the nightstand and curled up and fell asleep, dreaming of cats and Wulf.


	31. A Rather Fortunate Prank

**31**

 **A Rather Fortunate Prank**

 _Sometimes a prank can create a fortunate coincidence~ Loki_

The next morning, Loki woke with his mind on that play. He wondered who wrote it, but it was like trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle upside down.

He could not see the picture, let alone the clues, but he had names. That was a small start.

"Tavi." He thought and sat up. "I could ask him about all this, he may know something."

The skald prince had connections with almost all the prominent members of the entertainment business and might recognize the names of the writer and the director.

Out in the hall, he heard the children running about. They were giggling, some form of mischief carried in it.

Loki's lips quirked up and he thought, _well they ARE your kids, Trickster._

Suddenly, a maid shrieked and he heard her run away. The children in the hall burst out laughing, the hall filled with the sound.

"Set it up again!" Vince said, and he heard someone run across the hall.

Loki sighed, getting up and opening the door. He saw the boys hiding behind a pillar and a Maid walking down the hall. Suddenly, the boys pulled a string and a furry fake rat darted across the hall. The maid saw it, screaming and running back the way she came with her bundle of towels.

"Boys!" Loki said as they looked at him and Max smiled.

"He sounds like the dad from Brave," Max said.

"Are we in trouble?" Fenris asked.

"Aw crap on a cracker." Hunter said and picked up the toy.

Loki gestured and said in a broad Highland accent, "What are ye wee divils up to nae?"

"Just a wee bit of fun, Da," Hunter said in the same accent.

Nate, Vince and Max broke out laughing and Loki shook his head, smiling.

Down the hall they heard Rhiannon talking to Thor and they set up the prank again, running into Loki's room.

Loki rolled his eyes. "Wee divils!" he drawled, amused.

"I can make you a tunic Prince Thor, but I have another project first." She said and Hunter yanked the string. They heard Rhiannon scream and Thor shout in surprise.

The floor shook as Thor used his hammer to kill the toy rat and Rhiannon leaned against the wall, trying not to faint, gasping for air.

Loki opened the door, finding Rhiannon in Thor's arms bridal style.

"I did want you in my arms Lady, but not this way." Thor said and Rhiannon blushed.

The boys howled in laughter, all of them collapsing to the floor and shrieking.

"A rat came in her room, brother, and I killed it but she almost fainted so I caught her," Thor explained.

"It was a toy rat," Loki said as he picked up the now nearly obliterated toy and held it up for them to see.

Thor handed Rhiannon to Loki, she was still catching her breath from the shock.

"I have been pranked." Thor said and took the toy.

"Yes, you have, Brother," Loki said while Rhiannon placed her head against his.

"Tricksters Rule!" they heard the boys chant.

"Whoa! She actually fainted!" Vince said and laughed.

"I didn't think it looked that real," Hunter commented.

"When it shoots across the hall, it looks real enough." Thor said, looking at the couple.

"It was clever, but I advise against doing that again." Rhiannon said, laughing a bit.

"Okay. We'll only do it with people we don't like," Hunter said. "We have a salamander one too."

Vince smirked. "Remember the snake on a stick we put in Jane's bath?"

"That was you?!" Thor bellowed.

"Uh...," Hunter said then Thor broke out laughing.

"I... I have never saw her run so fast!"

"With bubbles all over her too!" Vince whooped. "Uncle Tony's eyes nearly fell outta his head!"

"And Uncle Steve turned three shades of red," Nate said.

"And Pepper ran after her with a towel going Put some clothes on, this ain't a peep show!" Hunter snickered.

"You better not do that to me." Rhiannon said and glanced at the floor. "May I be put down?"

"Aww do I have to?" Loki pleaded, grinning.

"Yes, if you don't mind."

"That reminds me, I have to go fetch Jane." Thor said.

She said, kissing him quickly on the end of the nose.

"You can't carry her around forever." Thor said and Loki smirked at him.

"I accept that challenge."

"Please, I have some things to do, Loki." She laughed, wiggling in his arms a bit.

"Oh very well," he said, pouting slightly. He set her gently on her feet. "Parting is such sweet sorrow."

"I will not go far. I promise." She said and smiled at him.

"Dad, you're quoting Shakespeare?" Hunter groaned.

"I don't know what that is, but he is My Prince." Rhiannon admitted.

She gave into the pout, kissing him softly on his lips.

"Gross!" Vince said and made a gagging sound.

"PDA!" Nate cried, covering his eyes.

"My virgin eyes!" Hunter said.

"Eeeww!" Max said. "Daddy is going to get cooties!"

"You better get used to that," Thor grinned. "You're going to be seeing that a lot."

"I'm moving in to the mansion!" Vince cried.

Loki lowered Rhiannon to her feet as she smiled and headed off to her room.

"Can I come too?" Max said. "That is yucky."

"No one is going anywhere," Loki said. "If you don't want to see it, just walk away."

"Besides, you'd see that more at the mansion," Hunter said. "Uncle Thor and Jane, and Uncle Tony and Pepper do that all the time."

"Oh yuck!" Vince said.

"Come on, let's go to breakfast," Loki said.

"Yeah we gotta tell the girls about Mighty Mjolnir Rat Crusher!" Hunter giggled.

The dining hall was busy while the servants served food and poured coffee or goat milk into the goblets and mugs and Loki led the boys to their usual table.

"Good morning," he said with a nod and Sam noticed Rhiannon wasn't with them.

"Where is Rhiannon?" she asked.

"She said she had something she had to do. I will bring her some food later," Loki said.

Rhiannon watched them walking down the hallway when she smiled and silently thanked the Norns for bringing Loki and his family into her life.

 _I will always be on my toes at least._ She thought, laughing to herself and walking on.

She held her side, a small pain from the corset pinching her when she jumped to get away from the rat bothering her. She had to stop again, feeling dizzy and having to catch her breath again.

"I need to take this off," she thought and went into her rooms.

She stepped into it, thinking her life would be easier if she didn't need to wear this bloody cage.

A maid walked by and saw her holding her side and asked, "Do you need some assistance, Lady?"

"Yes. Can you help me with my corset?" she asked quietly. "It's too tight."

"Oh, aye," the maid said and came into the room, shutting the door behind her. She undid the laces on Rhiannon's bodice, removed it and then went to unlace the corset.

Once the corset was off, Rhiannon felt much better. "Thank you." Then she recalled that Loki had given her some kind of undergarment to wear with her betrothal gown. She had meant to ask Sam about it but with the play and then all the excitement this morning she had forgotten. "Could you bring me that bag over there, please?"

The maid picked up the small bag with the undergarment and handed it to her. "Is this right?"

"Yes," Rhiannon said, and removed something similar to a corset but much more pliable and silky. "My!"

"Pardon me, Lady, but what is that?" the maid asked curiously.

"It's a . . . well, I don't know what it is called on Midgard, but it is what ladies wear there instead of corsets," Rhiannon said. She studied the garment. "But I am not exactly sure how it goes."

"Where did you get it?"

"Prince Loki . . . he gave it to me to wear with my betrothal gown," Rhiannon admitted, coloring slightly.

"Oh! He's a clever one, he is!" the maid giggled. "I am Rhonda, Lady."

Rhiannon held up the garment. "It looks like this would go on with the cups here . . ." She examined the closures.

"Perhaps I ought to fetch one of the princesses, Lady?"

"Yes, that's a good idea. Fetch Princess Samantha," she told the maid.

Rhonda ran out of the room..

Soon she returned with Sam. "Hey, Rhee. Rhonda told me you had a few questions about the bra Dad made for you."

"Is that what it's called?"

"Yup. Only that's a special bra called a strapless one to wear under evening gowns like the one you have. Regular ones have straps."

"And this can be worn in place of a corset?"

"Yeah. I wear mine and no one knows the difference," Sam assured her.

"Does it really work the same? It looks so . . . light compared to the corset."

"Oh yeah. You couldn't pay me to wear a corset." Sam grimaced.

"I... I don't know." She said and bit her lip. "I have worn one since I was six."

"And you kept passing out, right?" Sam asked.

"Only when I wore them too tight. I developed too large a chest, and I had to hide it to keep men from staring."

"So... you are not built like a boy?" Sam asked, pointing at her chest.

"No," she said with a shake of her head.

"What are we talking? An apple? An orange?" Sam asked and Rhiannon laughed.

"A good sized orange." Rhiannon said and blushed.

"You're lucky," Sam said. "I don't have much up there. It's why I can pass as a boy."

"You are still growing." Rhiannon said. "I finished when I came of age."

"Dad says everyone develops in their own time," Sam said with a nod.

"You discuss such things with him?" Rhiannon asked in astonishment.

"Yeah. He's kind of like both parents," Sam laughed. "I mean, he can become a woman too."

Rhiannon's jaw dropped. "He can?"

"Uh huh. As a woman he's really pretty too. You should ask him to show you Lady Loki." Sam grinned. She eyed Rhiannon's chest. "Wow! You have nice ones!"

"Thank you," Rhiannon laughed. "Sometimes I used to wish they weren't so . . . prominent."

"We are going to have to adjust your dresses too." Sam sighed.

"They were sized to my corset." Rhiannon admitted.

"But look at all those marks and outlining.," Sam frowned. "They look painful."

"It was a bit tight today. It is meant to shape my body." Rhiannon said. "May I put my dress back on?"

"We need to put the bra on first," Sam said.

"Yes Princess." She said and held her hand out for it.

Sam helped her put the bra on when Rhiannon noticed it hooked in the front and Sam showed her how to hook the bra closed.

"There. How does that feel?" Sam asked.

"It feels...amazing," Rhiannon said with a grin.

She pulled the dress on. She found she could do so easily and breathe deeply. She could move more freely and bend at the waist.

"It does not fit right anymore." She said and looked at the girl.

"We need to let out the seams up top," Sam said.

"But my gown for the ceremony. It cannot be altered." Rhiannon said, looking very upset. "It was so beautiful."

"I think Dad made it so the gown can be worn with the bra," Sam said.

"Oh." Rhiannon said. "This is most comfortable, but men may stare."

Sam shrugged. "Yeah. Some men at home do too. Just ask if they have an eye problem."

"Yes Princess." Rhiannon said, and Sam worked at letting the dress out.

A few minutes later, the dress was fixed as Rhiannon looked in the full length mirror and smiled.

A knock on the door made her turn as the door opened a crack and Loki made a small cough from behind the door.

"Is she dressed?" Loki asked.

"Yeah Dad. Rhiannon. Your... oranges are in the basket." Sam said, thinking. "It is cool."

Loki opened the door as he and the boys walked in the room and Rhiannon slowly lowered her arms

"Loki" She said and curtsied to him.

"Dad. Corsets should be burned. She was tortured in that thing!" Sam said and showed him the rigid garment. "She has sore and raw spots on her stomach and back."

"Gross," Vince said.

"Can we burn that thing?" Serena asked, staring at it.

"That's not up to me," Loki said

"I would like to be rid of it," Rhiannon said.

Loki thought so too. He hated them even the brief time he'd worn one. He wanted them all burned. "You look beautiful, darling. The way the Norns intended."

"Really?" she asked and he nodded.

"I don't lie, darling."

"But other men will stare."

"Then tell them politely to look away. Or better yet act like they are invisible. They will stop when they don't get a reaction."

"Is it true you can turn into a woman?" she asked frankly.

"Yes. I can become Lady Loki," he answered and blurred into his feminine form.

Rhiannon gaped at her. "Oh!"

Lady Loki was tall and well rounded in all the right places. She had Loki's dark hair and eyes and wore a familiar mischievous grin. "Like what you see?" she asked, her voice clear and sweet.

"You look very attractive," Rhiannon said, then flushed. "If I were a man or . . . or a woman that liked other women I would want to get to know you better."

Lady Loki laughed. "Thanks for the compliment, darling."

The next instant she became a man again. "And I think _you_ are very attractive wearing that."

"You do look really pretty," Max said with a smile.

"Yeah," Nate said and the other boys nodded.

"Thank you," Rhiannon said with a curtsy.

"Where were those hidden?" Hunter asked, not really able to figure out Rhiannon and her corset.

"Hunter!" Loki scolded.

"It is a valid question! She looked like a boy before." Hunter groaned.

"Welcome to puberty, Dad." Sam sighed.

"A gentleman never talks about that in public." Loki told his sons.

"Brother," came from the hallway when Loki walked out into the hallway and saw Thor, Sif, Hogun, Volstagg, Balder, and Fandral and they all had worried looks on their faces. "We were told Rhiannon was ill."

"She just felt dizzy and a bit faint."

"Is she alright now?" Sif asked.

"A fair maiden injured needs a tender touch." Fandral said, walking past him. "I have that tou... Holy Valhalla!"

"What are you looking at?" Volstagg asked when he looked at Rhiannon and his eyes widened. "Oh!"

Rhiannon covered herself, slamming the door shut and Loki heard it lock.

He gave them a warning look as Fandral knocked lightly on the door and sighed.

"My Dear Lady. I do apologize for my rude behavior," he said.

"So do I," Volstagg said.

"Rhiannon, dear, it's Frigga. Please let me in," Frigga said and the door unlocked. The door opened enough for her to come in then the door closed again.

"Yes My Queen?" She asked, locking the door and standing quietly.

"I understand why you feel so shy. I was when I first appeared in public," Frigga said.

"You...? You were shy?!"

"Oh yes! I was so afraid of men looking at me when I appeared in certain gowns. But, after awhile, it got easier. My mother told me to just ignore their stares. They are just admiring perfection."

"But I am larger than most girls. I wish sometimes . . .." She said and blushed.

"Everyone's body is different, dear. There is no need to feel ashamed."

"But Father said that men would hurt me because of..." Rhiannon said, looking down. "Because they would want to see them out of my dress."

"You father was wrong. He was the one who hurt you, dear. You should just ignore whatever he told you. And any man who wishes such things are cads."

"And perverts," Sam said.

"A true gentleman treats his woman, or any woman, with respect."

"But not all men do. What if a man makes improper advances towards me?"

"The laws have changed. Now no noble can order a commoner to do anything they do not wish. If a man says something improper or does something improper you are free to have him up before a magistrate on charges of sexual harassment. Everyone knows this, the king has posted copies of all the new laws and sent them round to all the Noble Houses. So your virtue is safe from them."

"That's how it is in New York," Sam said. "Dad did that. So those idiot men better watch it."

"Sam is correct. And there is no such thing any longer as Prima Nocta. Those were laws made by Bors but he is gone forever. The power of the nobles is broken. Now the laws are equal for all." Frigga declared.

"I do not know all the new laws yet, Princess. Will you please tell me all of them?" Rhiannon asked, sitting down next to her. Frigga smiled, and looked at Sam.

"Will you get me one of those as well, they look much more comfortable than my corset." Frigga asked Sam and the girl nodded.

"Oh, it is. You can breathe and stretch, possibly even run." Rhiannon said and smiled at the Queen.

"I believe it is time, that even I made a new fashion change." Frigga said and smiled.

"I can get Dad to get you a couple." Sam said and ran to get them. She returned with the bras, handing one to Frigga and helping her grandmother put it on. She looked amazed at the garment, studying herself in the mirror and smoothing her teal gown over it.

"This looks wonderful, let us make a statement together." Frigga said and took Rhiannon's hand. "Where are you going today dear?"

"To the fabric seller." Rhiannon replied. "I want to make Loki a new suit of clothes because he made me a gown."

"Let us go together, and we will show everyone, that we are true women and we are not possessions." Frigga said and Rhiannon nodded as she took the Queens offered hand. They left the room together, walking the hall and past the stunned Warriors. Proud of their new bras that earned them whispers of envy from other noblewomen, all of them wanting the garments that they wore.

 _Back at the palace:_

"Do you have it written?" Abby asked Belle a day or so later at breakfast.

'Yes, but it's just a rough draft. We can change things if we need to," her sister answered. "I made copies for everyone with their parts highlighted."

"How long do you think we're going to need to rehearse for this?" Hunter asked.

"Maybe a week?" Belle said. "No one's parts are that difficult, even if you need to play two people."

She handed out copies of the scripts so her siblings could read them, except for Aleta and Max, who she would have memorize their lines.

"This is very good, Belle," Jorgy said. "You just need to make Boda a little more vindictive. Oh and she liked to throw things. She used to throw her shoes at us and probably Father too."

Belle made some notes on her copy. "Okay. I can fix that."

"Now this seems more like what really happened in Svartalfheim," Fenris agreed.

"It is. I asked Uncle Thor," Belle told him.

"We need to make the Dark Elf who hurt Daddy look like this," Max said as he showed them his drawing of Kurse. The drawing was outlined in green lines and Belle looked at the drawing.

"He looks really scary," Belle said and made notes on her copy.

"We need to figure out how to do the part where the ship cuts off the head of Great-granddad's statue," Vince said.

"Yeah, that's one of the funny parts," Nate said.

"We could use a hologram," Sleph said.

"If I was better at illusions, I could just magic it up," Belle sighed. "But that's not really my talent, like it is Dad's."

"Who can we get to make the costumes? The ones they're using are terrible," Serena said.

"We can ask Bestefar," Abby said. "He's a thread mage. He could do it."

"Yeah!" Aleta said.

"Let's go ask him!" Max said as the kids left the room. They found Odin in his study as he smiled at them and sat back in the chair.

"What do I owe this visit?" he asked.

"Bestefar, we are writing a play about Dad and we need someone to make the costumes," Belle said as she showed him the play and he read it.

"This is really good. So much better than that drivel."

"You've seen it?" Fenris asked.

"Only once and that was enough."

"We think Boda had it written to make Dad look bad," Sam said.

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Will you help us with the costumes?" Max asked.

"I would be honored," Odin said and the kids cheered.

"Now we just need to ask Tavi to help us with the score and the special effects and we'll be set," Belle declared happily. She looked at her grandfather. "Where can we rehearse?"

"Well, I do have a large chamber that used to be an extra dining room. No one uses it now so you may rehearse there. I will show you."

They all followed Odin down the hallway and up some stairs, eager smiles upon their faces as the excitement of performing the play grew.


	32. Of Spitfires and Bonfires

**32**

 **Of Spitfires and Bonfires**

 _Burn baby burn! ~ Loki_

Rhiannon returned not long after with bolts of fabric and leather in a rich royal blue, white, and silver. She quickly sketched out what she wanted to make, drafting a pattern and cutting it out and laying everything out on the table in front of her. She worked through lunch, pinning the pieces together and preparing to start sewing the blue leather together when she heard Thor and Balder through the door. Their voices carried, and what they were saying takes against a raw nerve in her. She clutched the scissors in her hand, squeezing them tight enough to turn her knuckles white and she grew angrier with each word spoken.

"Writing poetry. That is what women do, not kings and warriors." Thor laughed, and Balder joined him.

"He had better stop all that, or the wedding night will lack response from his intended." Balder replied.

"Loki has always been book mad. He walked into a tree once because he was reading and walking at the same time!" Thor giggled.

Balder bellowed with laughter. "Norns help me! But even that wasn't as good as the Barrel Rolling story!"

She glared at the door, never as angry as she was and what she heard next brought her anger to a boil. They both laughed hard, and the story Balder told about them throwing Loki in a barrel and pushing him down a hill made her crush her scissors in her hand until the metal shrieked as it bent. She growled, her hand bleeding but she was far too angry to let the pain bother her.

She yanked the door open with so much force, it slammed into the wall and the sound even made Loki jump to attention in his chambers as he read.

"How dare you both!" Rhiannon screamed at them, the bent scissors falling from her hand and clattering to the floor.

"Rhiannon?" Thor said, shaking and Loki darted from his chambers in shock. He stood in the hall, watching Rhiannon confront his brothers. He could see the destroyed scissors, and a drop of blood fall from her fingertip.

"He is your brother, and you are lucky to have him as such! If he had not sacrificed his own life, your precious Jane would be in the grave!" She snapped at Thor then turned on Balder.

"Your own blood sought to kill him! And for that, you should be ashamed! He showed you truth, and you scoff him at every turn!"

"It was just a bit of fun," Thor began.

"Like it was fun when your friends hung him upside down from a tree and told him to get himself down? That kind of fun?"

"We were children then—" Thor protested.

"That's no excuse. You were old enough to know better. And you seem to be continuing the tradition. You are not Princes of Asgard, you are spoiled children with poor tempers! He is your brother, not an inconvenience , not a thing to toy with and set aside until you are in the mood to bully something! HE IS YOUR EQUAL!" She bellowed, both men staring at the small woman in shock.

"Rhiannon... I..." Balder said and she struck him across the face and smeared blood on his cheek. He blinked in shock, the sound echoing like a gunshot. Maids gasped, all of them unable to believe that anyone would dare strike a Prince of Asgard.

"Not. Another. Word." She warned him and he held his reddened cheek in shock. "You should be grateful for his patience, for he is far more clever than you and is twice the man both of you are." She hissed, turning and slamming the door behind her. Both men stared at the broken scissors, neither one of them knowing what to say.

"Nine Hells." Thor said finally.

"Did you know she could do that?" Balder asked, both men blinking at each other.

They were unaware that Fandral and Sif had also seen what had occurred until the dapper warrior commented, "I had better not make her mad. She might bloody my nose and ruin my tunic."

Sif rolled her eyes. "Like that hasn't happened before."

"Not from a woman!" Fandral objected.

"Then you had best remember that Rhiannon is not someone to dally with," Sif warned.

"I know that!" Fandral said, offended. "I do want to continue living, you know."

"Yes, because if you did anything improper, Rhee would punch you in the nose, Loki would turn you into a statue and then Thor and I would smash you to pieces," Balder informed him.

"And that's if we were in a good mood," Thor added gleefully.

"No thank you!" Fandral shuddered. "I don't fancy going to Valhalla anytime soon."

"Then best you all mind your manners," Sif mock-scolded, waving a finger at them. "Or else Rhee and I can teach you better."

Fandral and Sif strolled off together, leaving Loki staring after them.

Loki stood in shock, not from the outburst but what Rhiannon had said. He picked up the scissors, looking at them. He used some magic and they were repaired and sharpened, his fingers gliding over them. He heard a sniffle from the room next to him.

Loki walked to the door then he softly knocked at it. Rhiannon was standing in front of the window as he placed the scissors on the table and approached her.

"Rhiannon?" he asked, but she didn't turn around.

"Go away," she said and sniffed. He turned her to face him and brushed some hair out of her eyes.

"There is no need to be upset. You had all right to get angry with them. I have been numerous times, but they always came to me and apologized."

"Even when they put you in a barrel, rolled it down the hill and you ended up with a broken arm?"

"Yes," he said with a nod. "They took turns feeding me until it healed. Talk about a mess!"

She made a little giggle as he slid his arms around her and gave her a hug.

"I used to think my mother was the spitfire around here when it comes to defending me. I am glad to see I have found another one."

"I am not..."

"You are! Who was it who fought those slavers?! Who was it who took my children on an outing?! Who just told off my brothers?! That was you, Spitfire," he said with a grin and kissed the tip of her nose.

"Loki..."

"Yes?"

"Should I go apologize to Thor and Balder?"

"No. They deserved their tongue lashing and they will apologize to not only you, but me in due time."

Loki then noticed the bolts of fabric as he walked to the table and pressed his lips into a thin line.

"What is this?!" he asked and she walked to him.

"This is for your surprise," she said with a blank look. "Now, if you will excuse me, I need to get to work."

"No clues to what it is going to be?" he asked with a teasing look.

"No. Now go," she said waving her hand toward the door.

"As you wish, Spitfire," he said as she watched him leave then she giggled, shaking her head.

She took the scissors, a blush creeping across her face and she returned to her work. Loki watched the door close and he had to catch his breath a moment, and he smiled to himself. She truly was meant for him.

Loki walked down the hallway when he saw Balder and Thor and he put on a blank expression.

"Is she still angry with us?" Balder asked.

"Yes, she is," Loki said.

"Oh," Thor said.

"We were just jesting about your poems, Brother," Balder asked.

"I know that," Loki said with a nod. "That is why I hid the book."

"You shouldn't have. Some of them are very good."

"Aye, they are," Thor said with a nod.

"And we are sorry for what we said about your wedding night. If anyone should know what a horrible wedding night is like, it's me," Balder said.

"I did hear you ended up sleeping alone."

"Well, no, that is not true. I ended up sleeping on the couch."

"Hel," Thor said and he nodded.

"What you two need to understand is this is all new to Rhiannon. She lived away from the palace and didn't know how things were between us," Loki said as he leaned against the wall. "And she doesn't feel at home just yet. She wants to fit in, but can't due to her feeling unwanted or beneath us. "

"What would you have us do?" Thor asked.

"Talk to her. Tell her stories about our childhood..."

"She might slap us again," Balder teased.

"I'm sure she will," Loki said with a grin.

"Treat her like a sister, for she will be once we're married, and assure her we all love her as well as she does belong here. Remind her it is alright to call us by name instead of "My Prince" and that she has all right to yell at us if we get out line."

"I can do that," Thor said.

"As can I," Balder said with a nod.

"For now, just leave her be," Loki said as he walked away and went around the corner.

"Guess we've been told," Balder said with a small laugh.

"Want to go do some sparring?" Thor asked and they headed down the hallway.

"Oh, Balder. You have some blood on your face." Loki teased and laughed as Balder wiped his cheek.

Rhiannon finished stitching the seams. She was growing weary, her eyes tired form looking at the small stitches for so long.

She had worked through supper, and taken a bit of lunch. It was catching up to her when someone knocked at the door and she set everything aside. She opened It, seeing Fenris, Jorgy, and Sleph standing behind the door with a large, framed portrait.

"What is that?" She gasped, seeing the portrait of Boda that had been stolen from the gallery.

"Kindling for the bonfire we're going to have on the beach," Jorgy chuckled. He held up a bag of marshmallows and a package of hot dogs. 'There's this mortal custom called a weenie roast. well we can do that and burn this abomination at the same time."

"I have to admit, I am very hungry." Rhiannon said with a smile. "Will Abigail be joining us?"

"We should ask her,' Fenris conceded. "She doesn't really remember what our mother was like because she was a baby, thank the Norns, but she should be there to celebrate too."

"I will ask her," Sleph said and raced off.

"Get in here, before you are seen!" She said, pulling Fenris in the room. He propped the picture against the wall and Rhiannon cringed at it.

"Gods, that is the ugliest dress I have ever seen anyone wear."

"Isn't it, though?" Fenris laughed. "It looks like someone vomited a jewelry store on it. Father was horrified when he saw it."

"Why is she even wearing that offense?" Rhiannon asked.

"Because she thought it made her look glamorous." Jorgy snorted. "Bestemor almost passed out when she what she was wearing. She asked Father if it was borrowed from a madam."

"I will choose something like this for my portrait." She said, indicating to her plain cotton dress.

"What about the dress Father made you? That will look good," Fenris suggested.

"Do you think that one would be more appropriate for a portrait?" She asked him.

"I think it would look stunning," Jorgy coughed. "Father is very talented. None of us inherited his ability to make clothes like Bestefar."

Just then Sleph returned with Abby.

"I believe I shall wear it for my sitting then." She said, turning to Abby. "Would you like to join us in some fun, Abby?"

She nodded. "Sleph told me we are going to have a bonfire and burn the monstrosity." She giggled , pointing at the portrait.

"That's right."

"Good. It's really ugly."

"It's hideous!" Sleph stated.

"Should we invite the rest of the kids?" Jorgy asked.

"Yeah. I think we should ask them." Sleph said.

"What about Father?" Abby asked. "Should we ask him?"

"Yep," Fenris asked.

"Are you sure that is wise?" Rhiannon asked, remembering how she dodged trouble with him the night before.

"He's always hated it, so, yeah, it's fine," Jorgy said,

"We asked him if we could burn it and he said go ahead," Fenris added.

"Then let's go," Sleph said and headed for the door. Loki and the other kids were in the hallway as he smiled and Rhiannon gave him a puzzled look.

"Hope you don't mind," Loki said with a nod to the kids.

"We were going to ask if they wanted to join us," Jorgy said.

"Sure, we wanted to," Sam said and the other kids nodded.

The moonlight cast a silver glow to the sand as Loki watched the children build the fire circle and pile the wood into a large tower.

"Isn't the sky lovely?" Rhiannon asked and he looked up. The stars twinkled above them as a thin mist of clouds moved over the moon and he nodded.

"Daddy," Aleta said as she walked closer and he could see she was holding her left hand against her chest. "I got a splinter."

"Poor child." Rhiannon said softly, squinting at it in the pale light. "I can't see to remove it."

Loki had brought the first aid kit, just in case, as he handed Rhiannon the kit and removed the small flashlight, magnifying glass and the tweezers. Aleta stood still as he handed Rhiannon the flashlight after turning it on then he used the magnifying glass and tweezers to remove the splinter. He placed some of the green salve on Aleta's finger then placed a Disney Princesses band aid on her finger and Aleta smiled. Loki and Rhiannon kissed the injury as she ran back to help with the pile and Loki placed things back into the first aid kit.

"She was so brave," Rhiannon said.

"She's had splinters before," Loki said with a smile and slid his arm around her.

"Right," Fenris said as he placed the portrait on the sand and looked at them. "Who wants to be the first to break this thing into kindling?"

"Me." came from behind them and they watched Rhiannon walk to the portrait and could just see Boda' face glaring up at her.

"Go on," Jorgy said and Rhiannon sighed. She stomped her feet on the portrait as the canvas started ripping and she started dancing.

"Whoa!" Sam said when Abby joined Rhiannon and jumped on the canvas. Sleph, Jorgy and Fenris started dancing as well when Lok walked closer and had an ax in his hands. They stood back as he lifted the ax and started smacking the frame with the ax.

Silently, he cursed Boda for everything she had done to him, to Rhiannon, to the girls she enslaved and to what she had done to Abby. He finally dropped the ax as he breathed hard through his nose then brushed the hair from his eyes.

"Make sure we burn all of it," Loki said.

They placed all the pieces on the pile when they stood back and two large fireballs appeared in Loki's hands. He launched the fireballs at the pile as the wood caught and the flames crackled, reaching up toward the sky.

The blankets were spread out as they sat around the fire and Sam and Hunter watched over Aleta and Max while they roasted marshmallows and hot dogs.

"They are not really made from dogs, are they?" Rhiannon asked while Loki placed a hot dog in a soft bun and handed the bun to her.

"I asked the same thing the first time I had one," Loki teased and she smiled.

"They're made from chicken, beef and pork," Belle said as she placed some homemade relish on the hot dog and took a bite.

"The best hot dogs come from Coney Island," Sam said, biting into the hot dog.

"I read the reason they are called dogs has to do with a joke about the little German dogs called Dachshund," Loki said as he waved his hand and made an illusion of a Dachshund.

"Oh!" Rhiannon said as the illusion faded and Loki placed some bacon onions and barbecue sauce on his hot dog. She looked at him when he smiled and allowed her to have a taste.

"Don't Germans call frankfurters "little dog sausages"?" Belle asked.

"Yes, they do," Loki said.

The fire crackled around them as they ate and drank some juice when Fenris started humming and leaned back on the blanket.

"This little tramp, ran all over town. Six men the night before, three men today! Won't be the first, won't be the last. But man, her ass is sweet." Sleph sang, laughing.

"That is awful!" Rhiannon gasped, laughing and blushing.

"It describes her well." Jorgy said and smirked.

"Once, as my heart remembers,

All the stars were fallen embers.

Once, when night seemed forever

I was with you.

Once, in the care of morning

In the air was all belonging.

Once, when that day was dawning

I was with you.

How far we are from morning,

How far we are

And the stars shining through the darkness,

Falling in the air.

Once, as the night was leaving

Into us our dreams were weaving.

Once, all dreams were worth keeping.

I was with you.

Once, when our hearts were singing,

I was with you." Rhiannon sang, the last note carried to the stars above them. Everyone was dead quiet, no one daring to say a word as she opened her eyes.

"Wow," Max said and Loki slid his arms around Rhiannon.

"It is just a song I knew from long ago."

She looked up at him, the man who had been her prince and savior, her defender, her heart's desire, and the one she would love for all of eternity. "That was for you, Loki. You are my star in the darkness."

"And you are the one who mended my broken heart," he whispered in her ear.

Then he kissed her, a kiss that was sweet as honey yet it ignited a fire in her like the one that burned upon the beach, a fire that swept through her like an inferno and banished all her inhibitions. She was no longer Rhiannon the commoner, but Rhiannon the Valkyrie disciple, the golden hawk that ruled the sky, and with him she was complete, two halves of a whole, and the stars danced about them in celebration of their glorious union.

"Aww man! Do we have to see the kissing part?!" Vince groaned, sounding like the little kid from The Princess Bride.

Sam covered his eyes, grinning.

"Hey!" he protested.

"You didn't want to see the kissing part," she laughed. "So now you can't!"

The other kids giggled and continued roasting marshmallows, getting sticky as the sweet confection melted on their faces and hands as they ate.

"Are they ever gonna come up for air?" Nate wondered as he licked his fingers.

"Eventually," Jorgy chuckled, eating another hot dog.

Finally, Loki and Rhee drew away from each other, flushed and grinning, and feeling slightly lightheaded but joy sparkled like fine wine through them.

As Loki showed Rhiannon how to toast a marshmallow, Balder and Thor spotted the bonfire along the beach and came to investigate.

"Oh it's you, Loki," Balder said softly. "We weren't sure what was going on here."

"Looks like you're having a bonfire," Thor observed.

"Yes, we are." Loki replied, biting into a perfectly toasted marshmallow. "Want a marshmallow? Or a hot dog?"

The two brothers nodded. "Thank you, Loki." Balder said. "We are sorry about earlier. We didn't mean to upset you or Rhiannon."

Both men looked ashamed.

"I forgive you," Loki replied, sensing they were truly sorry.

"I forgive you also," Rhiannon said. "This mallow thing is delicious, Loki." She had marshmallow all over her cheek.

Grinning, Loki used his finger to wipe it off and then sucked it. "Mmm!"

"Stop that!" she laughed, and swatted his hand playfully.

"It's a good thing she didn't have a spoon in her hand," Balder smirked. "Remember the time Grisel smacked you with hers, Thor? Because you called Loki an old woman?"

"Don't remind me!" Thor said. "That damned thing left a welt on my leg!"

"And you ran from her like she had a sword in her hand!" Loki recalled, snickering.

"You would have too!" the Thunderer protested. "That's the Spoon of Doom!"

Everyone burst out laughing and their quarrels were mended.

Thor and Balder joined in the marshmallow and weenie roast and Aleta told them how they had burnt up the wicked witch's portrait.

"You burned Boda's portrait?" Thor guffawed. "Why didn't you tell me? I would have helped!"

"Me too!" Balder said. "Now I don't have to see her ugly face anymore when I go past. I should bring Karnilla's down and we can burn it too."

"I thought Father had it removed," Loki said.

"No, I think he forgot. Or the specter had better things to do. It's still there." his elder brother said.

"Then take it down and burn it," Loki urged. "No one will care. Father banished her for life."

Thor and Balder went to get Karnilla's portrait. They soon returned with the portrait of a pretty woman with dark hair and haughty expression. Balder scowled and threw it down on the sand.

Then he took the axe Loki handed him and chopped it into kindling.

While he did that Loki sang "I've Got Friends in Low Places."

The kids joined in on the chorus.

Then they all helped Balder throw the kindling on the fire, cheering.

"Burn, baby, burn!" the kids yelled.

Balder watched the portrait go up in flames, a satisfied look on his face.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Loki said, punching him lightly in the shoulder.

Balder nodded. "Yes. Now I am free of her shadow."

Loki felt freer also, even though Boda was in the dungeons, awaiting the king's judgement. He knew that once he showed Odin the red journal, that would seal her fate.

He wondered if Tavi had figured out who wrote and directed that play yet. The skald had been busy composing so Loki had left him the playbill with a note.

As if his thoughts had conjured him, Tavi appeared, strolling along the beach with his lute over his shoulder. The skald waved. "Well met, Loki! Having a celebration?"

"We're burning away the past," Loki replied. "Did you figure it out yet?"

Tavi nodded. "Yes, my friend. The director of that play was Lord Fornaker. One of your former wife's most ardent lovers. And the writer, Timachus, was another. I think you can put two and two together, Loki."

"I can. They were either in her pay or they bore a grudge against me." Loki said tightly.

Tavi shook his head. "They are dumbasses. And they can't write anything that's actually good. Either of them. They flunked out of skald training. Eirunn could write a better play than that trash. The only reason people come to see it is the free food and drinks."

"Thank you for finding that out, Tavi." Loki said. "Here, have a marshmallow."

Tavi took one and placed it on a stick and began to roast it.

They stayed until the bonfire died to embers and the children were all sleepy. Then the adults each took a small child and carried them back to the palace with the rest of the kids following and yawning.

Loki tucked them all into bed and wished them goodnight. He left Rhiannon at her door and kissed her goodnight.

"Dream of me," he teased.

"Glady," she smiled. "And will you do the same?"

"Indeed. Sweet dreams, Rhee."

"Pleasant dreams, Loki."


	33. The Unknown Child

**33**

 **The Unknown Child**

 _A discovery waits where you least expect it~ Loki_

That morning at breakfast, Odin stood and announced he was awarding Loki and Belle the title of Defenders of Asgard for saving him from the revenant that had possessed him. He placed a shining gold medallion on a purple silk ribbon around their necks and said their deed would never be forgotten.

Everyone clapped and cheered. Loki caught Rhiannon's eye and saw that she was beaming proudly at both of them.

Afterwards, Rhiannon hurried off to finish Loki's suit while Loki retrieved the red journal and went to Odin's study.

Odin looked up from some paperwork as Loki entered. "Loki, is there something the matter?"

"It's not something new, Father. But I found this at Boda's estate and wish you to read it. I warn you, it is very disturbing and best you read it before you eat or you may get ill." He handed the red journal to his father, his face a mask of revulsion.

He sat back in the chair trying to retain his composure.

Odin flipped it open. "This belonged to Boda?"

"Yes."

The king flipped the pages, scanning each one and cringed at each entry. His son saw Odin lose his temper slowly, becoming more and more angry.

"How dare they do this to a child?" He hissed.

"They did not consider her that, Father. To them she was a creature they used as a weapon. I did not tell you this before, but the conditions we found her in . . . Father, we would not treat a dog so."

He told Odin where they had found her and how Abby had lice and wore rags that a beggar would have scorned.

"What did they plan for Rhiannon?"

"To use her as a prostitute until she went mad. At least that was what I learned from Boda and Malius and their groom."

"Nine Hells! I am going to be ill!" Odin gasped.

Loki conjured a basin just in case. "Don't feel bad. I was."

"How did you find all this out?" Odin asked and sighed. "And about the other girls?"

"I shifted into Rhiannon and let the groom take me to Boda's brothel. They talked quite freely to their new acquisition." Loki's lip curled in disgust.

"And you are sure they were letting men buy the services of underage girls?" Odin asked, trying not to be ill.

Loki swallowed and nodded. "Yes. They admitted to that right in front of me-when they thought I was Grevin. Boda even offered Abby to Rurik, saying she knew he liked them young. And there was a pregnant girl there-she said she had been sold when she was ten and she was now thirteen-thirteen and bearing a child! We brought her back with us."

"Where is this girl? Has she seen a Healer?" Odin asked in shock and looked sick.

"Yes. Thor and Balder brought her to see Stefan. If she can, she will tell you more about what went on there." Loki said. "This is not the first time I have seen this sort of thing. In New York, the manager of the orphanage, Edwin Grimes, also ran an underage prostitution ring. He used the orphanage as a cover for his illegal flesh trade. I went and helped an undercover officer named Frank LaRusso bring him in. He's in jail now and will stay there for life. And I now own Second Chance."

"I can assure you, Boda, Malius, and this footman will be punished for this. I believe they should never be let go." Odin said and sighed.

"I think so too. They will only do it again if they are let go."

"How did this happen in my kingdom to begin with?" Odin said, rubbing his eye.

"I think part of it was due to the revenant, Father. You know what Bors was like better than anyone. His disregard and disdain for women and commoners allowed this to go on. The laws were made to give the nobles free reign to do as they pleased, and there are people who love this kind of vice and who are quite ready to exploit it if given the opportunity."

"I am sorry it happened to all of them." He said, becoming depressed.

Loki went and laid a hand on his shoulder. "It wasn't your fault. You were controlled. Like I was with Thanos and the Chitauri."

The old king gazed remorsefully at his son and said, "Oh, Loki, forgive me for what I did to you when he had me in his grasp. Only you and I know the horror of watching yourself do things you would never even consider doing and the guilt and shame you endure afterwards. I was aware much of the time when he was in control . . ." He shuddered.

Loki's hand clasped his father's shoulder. "Do not look too deeply into the abyss, Father. For that way lies madness. You are free now, and I have forgiven you."

"Thank you, Loki. But sometimes I still dream . . ."

"Perhaps some guided meditation will work? I can lend you my iPod," he offered.

"Yes. That would be good. Does Rhiannon know the truth behind that? The torture you endured and the nightmares?" Odin asked him, hoping she would understand.

"Yes. I told her what happened. She understands."

"She is a good woman, she deserves only the best treatment now." Odin replied and looked at Loki. "Two portraits have gone missing from the gallery, you would not know what happened to them would you?"

"Yes, I do know. Balder and I destroyed them. As a kind of therapy."

"You destroyed those paintings, Loki? They belonged to the Crown!" Odin said in shock. "Boda's father is screaming with anger and demands it returned."

"Tell him it was stolen. I wager he will not want it once she is imprisoned for the crimes she committed. He will be lucky to even be received by any of the Houses."

"I will, and I plan to meet with him to discuss the charges against his daughter." Odin sighed.

"I do not envy you that meeting," his son said sympathetically.

"I don't even envy myself, I hear you and Rhiannon experienced a bit of a prank yesterday. Something your sons did?"

"With a toy rat, yes. Perhaps once all of this is over, and my betrothal ceremony as well, we can do something relaxing and fun. Like going fishing. Just you, me, and my brothers. Like we used to before . . ." he trailed off.

"That sounds wonderful! Just the boys! I have not fished in a long time, it will be done!" Odin said, laughing. "What about your sons? Can they accompany us?"

"I don't see why not. They all know how. Thor taught them."

"Good! We shall all go then, and it will be a great day as well." Odin said and smiled.

"I will look forward to it. I haven't fished since the vacation I went on with Thor before we came here. I'll have Kara pack us something to eat too."

"Beware of her spoon. I hear she is quite deadly with it." Odin laughed, and wiped his good eye.

"You heard right. Like her mother." Loki smiled.

"Oh Norns help us then." Odin laughed.

"Once you speak with the young girl who is expecting, I think I should like to take her into my household. To help Halgran with Aleta and Max."

"She will find that agreeable, to herself and the child she carries. I need to know what happened to the other children those unfortunate women bore." Odin said.

"Yes. Perhaps she could answer that. Or one of the other women."

"I pray she did not kill them." Odin sighed, worrying about those children.

"So do I." Loki shivered. "Or throw them out on the streets." Then an idea occurred to him. "Perhaps there are records at the Crimson Slipper?"

"What is that?" Odin asked, looking at Loki with interest.

"The name of the brothel."

"I see. Search it and see if there was a ledger, I want to know exactly who abused those girls as well." Odin said and returned to his reading.

"Yes, Father. I will take some guards with me just in case there are some clients hanging around there."

He figured that Bjarten and three of his House guards would be enough.

"Good. If anyone on my Council paid to be with a child..." Odin said, letting the threat hang in the air.

"I hope that is not the case," Loki said, looking disgusted. "Good day, Father."

Loki left and went to summon Bjarten and his three guards.

"Do we go now?" one beefy guard with red hair asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. The king wishes this matter investigated at once."

"Very well. I will prepare myself for the journey." The Captain said and chose two other men.

They rode out soon after and arrived at the Slipper. They saw that the house had the door slightly ajar and sounds of cleaning came from within.

A young girl in a pink pinafore dress was playing in the yard and upon seeing them ran up the stairs, she called for her mother and father. Both parents walked to the porch and the woman leaned close to the girl.

"Go inside, Marnie. We will see what they want." Her father said and she ran into the house.

"We are here on a mission for the Crown," Loki began. "Are you the new owners?"

"There is no one here, My Prince! No need for violence. We are merely cleaning the house and preparing to lock it up." The man said, raising a hand.

"I was a maid in the lady's household." The woman confirmed. "The house goes to the Crown."

"I am not going to harm you. I simply wish to know if you have found any kind of record books or ledgers when you were cleaning out the office where the madam worked."

The woman looked nervous, clutching her broom. Her husband put an arm around her and reassured her.

"We have not touched the office yet, My Prince." He said and nearly choked on his words.

"Please don't take Marnie from us." The woman begged suddenly.

"I would not take your child from you," Loki reassured them. "Let me examine the office and if I find what I am looking for I will leave you be."

"Yes, My Prince." The woman said, her eyes falling.

Loki entered the house with Bjarten and said, "We need to see if there are any kind of records in there concerning the girls and any children they bore."

"I believe we found one of them, My Prince." The Captain said and pointed to the child that peeked at them over the back of a couch.

"Hello," Loki said softly. "What's your name?"

"Marnie Magnusdottir."

"I am pleased to meet you," Loki said, smiling at her. "I'm Prince Loki. Are you helping your mama clean?"

"Yes, My Prince. Then we are going to go to our new house in the city. Mama said that there were new people to help clean there." She said and looked at him.

"I see. Do you know anything about the people who used to live here?"

"No. Mama and Papa said it was not a place for little girls." Marnie replied and the woman ran in and scooped the child up.

"Marnie, don't bother Prince Loki and go upstairs and play with your dolls dear." The woman said and ushered the girl out of the room.

Loki frowned at the odd behavior but continued on into the office.

"The girl is well cared for, and obviously loved." The Captain said in a low voice. They began searching the room, finding two ledgers and Loki read them carefully.

One was a record of all the customers the house had served. What girl they went with, the cost, and how long they were there. There was a page on reoccurring customers as well and what girl they preferred.

"This is disgusting." The Captain said, removing his helm and shaking his head. "I feel the need to bathe when I return." There was a strong scent of musk in the air, the lingering odor of Boda's perfume.

Rurik's name was on that list, as was Malius'. Loki scowled. "Yes, Bjarten. Me too. The smell is making me sick." He coughed into a handkerchief.

He found a notation next to a girl, her name sending a shiver up his spine. It said **: Marnie, died at seventeen, childbirth. Replace her soon.**

"Sir, I believe that girl was her daughter." The guard said, handing him a birth record and the names of the maid and her husband who took her in.

"Well at least one was saved from this horrible life," Loki murmured.

He found names and dates in the second book of all the girls who had borne children and what they were. A page told him what happened after they were born.

Two boys were adopted by a farmer and his wife. A little girl was taken in by a blacksmith. The list went on and he found several other names, two of which were currently being raised by a noble family.

"She had enough heart to send the babies to families that would care for them." Bjarten said, sighing.

There were amounts of gold beside each baby, Boda had made a lot of money on each transaction.

"For a large sum of money," Loki responded. "Don't mistake that for having a heart."

"Do we go and arrest the parents?" He asked his prince, looking sad. "Some of these children may not know what their true parentage is."

Loki saw the little girl peek around the doorway at him suddenly, in her arms was a doll and a stuffed dog.

"That will be up to the king. Our mission here is done," Loki said quietly. He tucked the ledgers into his satchel.

"Can I stay with Mama and Papa?" The child asked, startling the guard.

"Child, you were told to play." The Captain said, shooing her away.

The little girl looked at the guard and started to cry. She hugged her toys to her and shook her head, the golden curls bounced around her shoulders and she trembled.

"It's okay," Loki soothed. "Don't cry. We aren't here to take you away." He held out a peppermint star from his pocket.

"Mama is worried that you are." She said and took the candy.

"No. We are here to find information. Now that we have we will go back home."

"Oh." She said and the more Loki looked at the girl, the more she looked like Rhiannon in a way. She had the same eyes and the same soft rosy cheeks. Even her nose was shaped the same way.

 _Norns help me!_ He thought. _Is this her half-sister?_

He opened the book with the names of the mothers again. This time he saw another column labeled Sired By.

He saw her father's name, and his mouth fell open. This beautiful child was Rhiannon's kin, who gazed up at him and smiled, though her eyes were hazel.

He smiled back at her. "May I see your dog?" he asked gently.

"Yes." She said and handed the toy to him. "Mama made it for me for my birthday."

"That is a special present," he told her, stroking the soft fur and casting a tracking spell on it. "You must sleep with him every night. My little daughter has a stuffed kitty she sleeps with." He handed the dog back to her. "How old are you, little one?"

"I sleep with Brave every night, he keeps bad dreams away. I am five." She declared proudly.

"You are practically a lady. My daughter Lucy is your age," Loki told her. "Well, I must be going, Marnie. Take care now, darling."

"Yes sir. I will." She said and hugged him.

He hugged her back, feeling a warm glow inside him. _Thank the Norns you did not grow up with the man who sired you. He would have crushed you._

He released her then and slipped his phone out. "Do you mind if I take your picture?" he said.

"No. What do I have to do?"

"Just smile for me, darling."

She did so, hugging her toy and the same smile Rhiannon gave him was on the child's face.

Loki snapped a picture of her.

"Thank you, Marnie."

"Can I see it?" She asked him and walked over.

He showed her the picture on his phone.

"It is done in seconds!" She said and giggled. "Is that magic?"

"It's a kind of magic," he grinned. "Be good, sunshine. "

"Yes My Prince." She said and ran down the hall with her dolls.

"What was so special about that child?" Bjarten asked him, adjusting his helm. "She will be quite the beauty when she grows up."

"She reminded me of someone." Loki replied. "I also want to show her picture to the king to make sure he sees that she is well cared for and happy."

"Do you think he will be lenient on the ones who cared for the children they bought?" The Guard asked and followed him.

"I would hope so. If the child is happy and loved then they should continue to be so." Loki said. They saw the little girl sitting on a swing and her father pushing her on it.

His mind was spinning. _That is Rhee's baby sister!_

He debated if he should tell her about the little girl, wondering if she would want to meet the child or raise her herself. He wondered if knowing that Marnie was loved and happy would help her through grief or shock.

He debated it over and over as they rode back to the castle. On one hand, it would come out eventually and on the other, it was her right to know that she had a sister.

He let the boy take his horse, he walked back to Odin's study with his evidence and he knocked. Inside the room he heard his father call him in.

"I have what you requested, Father." Loki told him.

"It seems from your troubled expression, that there is more." Odin said and opened the ledgers. His eye studying them and he grew more and more angry.

"She sold the babies for profit?" Odin asked, shaking with anger.

"Yes a very good one."

"I should hang the lot of them for this. This kind of thing should never have happened here!"

"I understand your anger, but I wish you would go easy on the ones who bought the children. I have met one and she is very well taken care of and happy," Loki said as he looked at his phone. "Here. This is what she looks like.

Odin looked at the photo when he frowned then arched an eyebrow.

"She looks a little like Rhiannon," Odin said.

"She is Rhee's half-sister."

"Do either of them know?"

"No, the girl doesn't, but I might wish to tell Rhee about her."

"By the Nine! This child is related to your..." Odin said, looking at the photo. "She is well cared for. Where is her mother?"

"Dead."

"Do you plan to accept her if Rhiannon wants to take her in?" Odin sighed. "She is a lovely child."

"I will accept her, but it's up to Rhiannon with what we are to do about her. She really is happy where she is and her adopted mother is worried we would take her from them."

Odin knew what a life for an adopted child who didn't know their true past was like as he nodded and handed Loki back his phone.

"I will send messages to the other families and will ask them to tell their child the truth. If the child asks, I will do what I can to find out who their real families are," Odin said and Loki nodded.

"And if the child wishes not to know?"

"Then that is their decision."

Loki gave Odin a thoughtful look as Odin sighed and lowered his head.

"Would you...? Would you have wanted to know the truth about the adoption if I had told you sooner about who and what you were?" Odin asked.

"I would have, yes, but I would not have wanted to go and live in Jotunheim. My parents are right here. My brothers and little sister are here. This is my home," Loki said and Odin smiled.

"I am sorry that you learned the way you did, Loki. Frigga was right, we should have told you long before." Odin said and sighed.

"That is in the past, Father," Loki said with a smile.

"True. Now, go tell your betrothed about what you have found out. I have some death warrants to write." Odin said and Loki nodded, leaving the room.

He walked to Rhiannon's rooms, knocking on the door politely and she opened it with a soft smile. She looked tired, but happy and he saw over her shoulder what she had been working on. She had just finished it, and was excited to show him the fine garments. He saw the royal blue leather pants with silver piping up each leg, and the tunic in white silk with silver embroidery up each sleeve. She embroidered each one with small leaves and vines, the work stunning and he admired the vest made from the blue leather, and smiled at her.

"I hope you like it. You made me such a beautiful gown, that I had to make something special for you." She said, blushing as he ran his hand over the carefully pieced leather and noticed that she had cut is to make his shoulders look a bit broader.

"This is incredible!" He said to her. "You did a wonderful job with this." He put the vest on. "Perfect!"

He turned around and she admired the way the vest accented his back and shoulders, as well as noticing his long legs and trim backside. She stared at it, her mouth dry with longing, unable to look away.

"How do I look?" He asked without turning around.

"You look .. .you look . . . breathtaking!" she stammered, going scarlet.

He turned around, seeing the expression on her face. "I told you that you did a stunning job." He grinned. "It's okay if you look, darling. That's how it should be. Now let me take this off so I don't ruin it. Many thanks, my love." He carefully removed the vest.

"I enjoyed doing so and you look incredible in it," she laughed. Then she sobered upon seeing the expression on his face. "What is it?"

"Now I need to tell you something I found out today " he began and told her about the children and showed her the picture of Marnie.

"Those poor children. Who is this one?" She said, looking at the picture.

"Her name is Marnie. Her mother died having her. She is your half-sister."

"My... sister?" She asked him, shock crossing her face. She looked at the picture again in amazement. Now she saw the resemblance. "Is she happy and loved where she is?"

"Yes. The couple who adopted her love her. Her mother was terrified I had come to take her away. Her father was pushing her on a swing. She loves them and wishes to stay with them."

"Then leave her with them, and let her keep the illusion that she is theirs." Rhiannon said and handed him back the phone. "It would be awful for her to find out who she really was."

"She understands she is adopted." Loki replied. "But I believe that is all she knows. If you wish to see her, I can take you to her. You don't have to let them know. I can Veil you and you can see for yourself that she is loved."

"I would like to see her." Rhiannon said.

"When? Today?"

"Yes, if that's agreeable," she said.

"All right. I can blink us there. Take my arm, please. And close your eyes. Sometimes it can make you dizzy."

She took his arm, closing her eyes. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach.

"Ready? One, two, three." They vanished in a puff of green smoke.

His tracking spell drew him right back to the house, and once they appeared he used a Veil, which was a seeming, to hide them from sight.


	34. Little Sisters and Pranks

**34**

 **Little Sisters and Pranks**

 _There is always a special bond between siblings. Especially when playing pranks. ~ Loki_

Little Marnie played in the grass, her dolls were having a tea party. She used a stump as a table and she served all of her toys as a good hostess.

"She is so young." Rhiannon said and a tear fell down her cheek.

Loki watched her, smiling, thinking that this was how Rhee had looked long ago.

"She is five," Loki whispered back.

"She is very pretty." Rhiannon said and smiled.

"Like her sister," he commented.

"She does not have my scar at that age." Rhiannon said and blushed.

They saw a man of medium height with sandy blond hair come out of the house. He wore a blue tunic and brown trousers. "Marnie, darling, Mama says it's almost time for lunch."

"Yes, Papa. Would you like some tea first?" she held out a little tea cup.

"Why, that sounds lovely." He knelt and took the cup and drank from it. "It tastes just like your mama's."

They laughed at his whimsy.

"Is that her father? He is good to her." Rhiannon said and smiled.

"Yes. He loves her." Loki indicated the pair who were cleaning up the tea party together.

A woman came out on the porch. "Lunchtime, Magnus, Marnie!" She wore a blue apron and had her hair in a bun. She smiled at the pair.

They came up on the porch and the man bent to give the woman a kiss and the little girl giggled.

"Papa, you can kiss Mama later! I'm hungry!"

"Now we can't have that, can we? What did you make us, Etta?"

"Come in and find out, dear!" the woman grinned and ushered them inside.

Rhiannon watched wistfully and thought that had never been the relationship she had seen between her parents. It had been all angry words, tears, scowls, shouting and fists. She was glad that her little sister would never know such tumult.

"She belongs here," Rhiannon murmured to Loki. "With her family."

"That is what I think too."

"I am glad she is surrounded by so much love." She said and looked at Loki.

"Yes. She told me they will be moving soon to a house in the city. I think her mother got a new position there as a housekeeper." Loki said. "If you like I can send them money, enough to send her to school and the Academy when she is older. The laws have been changed so now commoners may get an equal education and I usually pick one or two children to sponsor so it will not look strange."

"May I send my wages as well, to see that she has enough to eat?"

"You do not need to send all your pay, but perhaps some of it so they can buy extra things, though they look like they are doing well to me. If you like we can also send a birthday gift on her birthday."

"I would like that very much." Rhiannon said. "When was she born?"

"Her birthday is on August 18th. So you have time to pick out a nice present for her," Loki said quietly. "Shall we go back now?"

"Yes, thank you for bringing me here." She wrapped an arm about him.

"Close your eyes," he whispered and when she had done so, blinked them back to her rooms.

She opened them in her room, and walked over to the couch. She sat on it, quietly.

"What will your father do about the other children?"

"I have suggested that he not disrupt the family too much if the children are happy. He may request they tell the children they are adopted however. Based on my own experience, that is always best. They may also, if the child wishes, tell them about their birth parents. And if not that is okay too."

"Would you have wanted to know?"

"That I was adopted? Yes. I would not have wanted to go and live with Laufey, but I would have liked to have known the truth. It's why I tell prospective parents who wish to adopt at Second Chance to tell the child when they are old enough if they adopt a baby."

"It is best to be honest." Rhiannon agreed.

"Yes. My father now says he wished they had done things differently with me." He looked at his watch. "It's almost lunch time. Would you like to eat with me in the garden?"

"If it pleases you." She said and stood.

Loki rang the bell for Artos and the boy appeared at the door. He asked him to go down to the kitchens and request lunch for two in the garden terrace on the table by the flowering pink rhododendron.

"Yes, My Prince. I will tell Kara. Would you like anything in particular?"

Loki looked at Rhiannon. "Do you wish to have anything special?"

"I don't, Loki." She said politely.

She was still coming to terms that she had a sister, and that the girl had been cast off by her father as she had.

"Just tell Kara to make something nice, and add in some pie and a pitcher of pear juice." Loki told his squire.

"I will, Prince Loki," Artos said, bowing and then scampering away.

'Let's go for a walk in the meantime," Loki suggested, leading her out into the sunny garden.

She walked quietly next to Loki, her thoughts her own. She stopped and admired a rose, slowly moving on eventually.

She stopped near the flowering bush, looking at the pink blooms and watched the bees dance along them.

"So what will your new nanny do after her baby is born?"

"I would need to ask her what she plans after the baby is born," Loki replied. "She could stay on in my household, Mother would make sure she can take care of the baby and gets schooling. She would always have a place to live and food and clothing here."

"I am glad. She seemed like a nice girl." Rhiannon said, and smiled at him.

"Yes. I will ask her if she has any family she wishes to contact. Sometimes in these cases the girl is stolen from them."

"Maybe they would have her come back home." Rhiannon said, and she looked up at him.

"Yes, they could. Unless they were the ones who sold her in the first place." Loki agreed. "Or she does not wish to return to them because she feels ashamed."

"I believe we should leave it to her. It is only fair." She replied.

"I shall speak with her after lunch," Loki decided, and they promenaded back toward the table, where they could see servants putting place settings down and crystal glasses.

"We really don't need a fancy setting for lunch." Rhiannon said and laughed.

Loki shrugged. "They just do that. I suppose they think we need to look good eating."

"I don't see why. But if they insist, I suppose we should just go along with it." Rhiannon said and shrugged.

He chuckled thinking they would be scandalized if they knew he ate off of paper plates and used plastic forks at home when he ate outside on the back porch on sunny days.

"Do you think the King will judge Boda soon? And will there be further charges against... . Rurik?" She asked, standing still.

"I know he plans to discuss the charges against her with her father today. So that means yes he will. As for your father . . .having a child out of wedlock is not illegal. And if he was not involved in the sale he would have no further charges. He is already imprisoned for life so I doubt Father will do anything further to him."

"I just feared... having to..." She started, but could not finish.

"I understand." He put an arm around her. "Shall we talk about something else? Like the dinner for the betrothal ceremony?"

They walked back and sat at the table, sipping on some pear juice while they waited for their lunch. "So what type of food would you like served? Is there something that you like especially?"

"I am not sure. What is traditionally served at these events?" She asked, looking at him.

"Uh . . . usually there are two appetizers, and one or two main dishes with a soup and some side dishes and dessert. There's no real set menu because it depends on what the couple chooses." He waves a hand and a sample menu pops up. "Here's a sample menu that will give you an idea of the kinds of things you could request."

"These all sound very good. I have never attended anything like this before, and it makes choosing hard." She said, looking at the food in front of her.

He drank some more pear juice. "I will suggest that you pick an appetizer and I pick one and then we each pick a main course and side dish. I am easy-I would like scallops wrapped in bacon for my appetizer. And broiled salmon with dill butter sauce."

He thought for a moment. "With mashed sweet potatoes with brown sugar, butter and cinnamon."

"That sounds pleasing. I will choose..." She said, looking down the list and sighing. "Everything sounds good."

"Maybe you should just close your eyes and point and whatever your finger lands on is what you pick. I do that sometimes when I can't decide what I want to eat."

"Very well" She closed her eyes, waving her hand over the menu and her finger stopped on an item.

"It says, stuffed crab." She said.

"That is a great choice. You can have it for an appetizer or a main dish."

He took his green and gold pen from his pocket along with a piece of paper and wrote down what he had picked and the stuffed crab.

She waved her finger over the menu again, it landing on the roasted red potatoes, and then on the shrimp skewers.

Loki wrote them down. "What do you say to the green beans with garlic and ham and a salad with walnuts, cranberries and goat cheese?"

"Those sound delicious. What about the soup?"

"You can pick that."

"May we have the chicken with dumplings?"

"Yes. And what about the mini steak pastry puffs? They are similar to your meat pies but with steak and mushrooms inside a pastry crust and are small enough to eat in two bites."

"Yes. Now my mouth is watering." She said and nodded.

He wrote that down. Then he read back the list so far. "For appetizers we have the scallops, the shrimp skewers, and the steak puffs. For the two main courses we have the stuffed crab and the salmon. Chicken and dumplings for the soup. Sweet potatoes, roasted red potatoes, green beans with garlic and ham and the salad. All we need now is dessert."

"How about that strawberry pie?"

"Oh yes! And maybe some chocolate banana trifle also in case some people don't like strawberry pie." He suggested.

He wrote them down and then added Drinks-writing down frost wine, wildflower mead, pear juice then coffee and peppermint tea with honey.

"There! It's done. That was easy, wasn't it?"

"It was, Loki. Easy as pie." They laughed.

He wrote his signature at the bottom and at the top wrote Loki and Rhiannon's Betrothal Dinner Menu. "When Artos comes with our lunch I will give him this to give to Kara so she can start preparing for it."

Their lunch arrived. It was lobster pot pies with a side salad and flaky cheese garlic rolls. Also included were slices of pear pie.

"This all looks delicious. I am starved." She said and smiled.

"Me too. Let's eat." He picked up his fork and dug in.

She began to eat, enjoying the food immensely. But then she yawned in the middle of a bite. "Sorry."

"Tired" he asked while eating a cheddar garlic roll.

"Yes. I did not sleep well last night."

"Nightmares?" He took a sip of pear juice.

"Yes." She said, looking ashamed.

"There is nothing to be embarrassed about. I get them too."

"You do?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Even me. But if they are really bothering you, perhaps you would like me to cast a pleasant dreams spell on you before you go to sleep tonight?"

"Could you? I cannot find sleep after they wake me." She said. "I wake up with a sore throat as if I were screaming."

"Of course I can." He said alarmed. "You should have told me sooner."

"I didn't want to be a bother. You are so busy with other matters." She replied.

"Those things aren't important. You are," he said and she lowered her head.

"I am not used to being as important as Matters of State."

"I'm not a king and the only things I have been doing lately are helping my father revise existing laws and bringing a child prostitution ring to an end. " He reminded her. "You are as important to me as any of my children."

"I will have to get used to this feeling. It is very nice." She said and smiled.

"Now, I suggest you go get some sleep," he said.

"It is the middle of the day."

"Close your eyes," he said as she leaned against him and closed her eyes.

"What are you doing?" She asked him, feeling shy.

"I am casting the pleasant dreams spell on you." He replied and his hands wove some runes above her head that vanished and dusted her hair with magical sparkles. Then he bent and kissed her forehead, sealing the enchantment. "Now you will sleep and dream only good things."

"Will I dream of you?"

"If you wish."

"Thank you, Loki." She said and blushed. "I assure you, they will be proper dreams of you."

Loki laughed huskily. "Your dreams are your own, whatever they are. You do not need to censor them."

"I would hope that I do not start a scandal in my sleeping hours." She said.

He smiled at her. "Sometimes dreams reflect the deepest desires of one's heart. At least that is what Halgran used to tell me. You go and rest. I think I will take a walk along the beach. I need to work off some of this lunch."

"All right," She said and smiled at him. She stood and left him sitting, a boy running up and bringing her a letter that she slipped into her pocket to read later.

Rhiannon vanished around the corner, opening the letter and finding it to be a request from her father to see him in the dungeon. She frowned at it, crumpling it up and throwing it into a brazier _. In Hel I will see you Father, not one moment before._ She thought, and walked to her chambers to rest.

Loki walked along the beach musing on how he needed to relax more on this vacation. He thought about the funny pranks his kids and Rhiannon had pulled and thought it was high time the God Of Mischief planned one of his own.

He thought long and hard about what prank to play, wondering if it should be something to scare another person.

As he walked, he realized that the girls had not pulled any pranks in a long time.

His girls were the best at playing wardrobe pranks. One time they had superglued all their brothers shoes to the closet floor. Another time they had washed all their clothes in bleach so everything turned out pastel.

He decides to see what fun the girls could come up with, and walked back to the castle.

As luck would have, all of his daughters were in the private dining hall finishing up their lunch.

"Hey, Dad. S'up?" Sam asked when he came in.

"Hi Daddy!" Aleta said and showed him her plate. "I ate my vegetables!"

"That's great spark." He smiled at her.

"Have any plans this afternoon?" he queried.

"No plans really dad, maybe just be lazy." Lucy said.

"What are you thinking Dad?" Sam said, knowing her father was thinking up some trouble.

"I'm thinking it's time for the Trickster and his girls to make some mischief." He smirked.

"Like what?" Belle asked, grinning.

"On who?" Abby wanted to know.

"Your uncles and the Warriors."

"Yes!" Aleta cheered.

He sat at the table and they all huddled around him. "Now what shall we do?"

"We can decorate the Warriors armor." Aleta suggested.

"That's pretty good. What else?"

"I know!" Serena exclaimed. "We can make Uncle Thor and Balder and the Warriors clothes day-glo!"

"How do we do that, number cruncher?" asked Sam.

"With the solution Belle and I made." Serena grinned.

"Why didn't I hear about this?" Lucy asked.

"I learned it from Wulf," Belle confided.

"How does it work?" Abby asked.

"You paint it on somebody's clothes and it dries clear. But when they go out in the sun it activates and their clothes glow like neon disco stuff! We did it to his grandma's scarf."

"What did she say about that?" Sam asked.

"She thought it was funny. She said now she won't get lost in the dark. It fades after a day anyway."

"That sounds really good, girls!" the God of Mischief praised. "I say we should do it. Are we all agreed?" He put his hand flat in the middle of the table.

"Agreed!" Serena put her hand on top of his.

The rest of them followed suit.

"I want to paint hearts on Uncle Thor's." Aleta said.

Her sisters giggled.

"How can we do it without anyone seeing?" asked Lucy.

"I'll magic you all invisible. Just make sure you don't make any noise," Loki warned.

"Get the solution, Belle," Serena said.

Belle summoned the solution, and Loki conjured paint brushes and little pots to put them in. He gave a brush and a pot to everyone.

"Okay, let's glow-ify their wardrobe." Loki snickered. He waved a hand and they were all invisible.

"Come on, spark. We'll do Uncle Thor's." Loki said, taking Aleta's hand.

"Can I paint a kitty and a flower too?" She asked him, giggling.

"You can paint whatever you want!" he laughed.

They crept down the hall like ghosts and slipped into Thor's chambers. At this time of day he was out practicing with Mjolnir in the field.

"How do we get his armor Daddy?" She asked.

"He's wearing that, but we can do his clothes." Loki opened the wardrobe and pointed to all the tunics capes and pants. "Let's paint!"

"How do you write "Uncle Thor is pretty" daddy?"

"Hang on let me do these zebra stripe trousers," Loki said.

Loki helped her write that on his cape, then she painted hearts and flowers on a tunic. Meanwhile, Loki did smiley faces on another tunic. Then he painted a smiley cloud with a rainbow on the front of another one.

He painted the Mighty Kitten with a kitten sleeping on Thor's red cape.

"I like that Daddy. This is fun." Aleta said and painted flowers on the toes of his boots.

As Serena had said, the solution went on white but dried clear so none of the artwork was visible. When they had done the entire wardrobe, they crept out of the Crown Prince's chambers and down the hall to see how the rest of the tricksters were doing.

"We got Uncle Balder." Lucy said, giggling.

"What did you do?" Loki whispered.

"We painted tiger stripes on his cloak and a unicorn on his tunic."

"Good one!" he high-fived them.

"I am glad you approve. Sam is painting bunnies on Hogun's"

Loki nearly choked to death laughing. "Who has Fandral?"

"Belle and Abby are painting leopard spots on all his tunics and teddy bears on his cloaks. And moons and stars on his pants." Serena whispered.

"Let's go and do Volstagg's," Loki whispered.

"O.K. he needs a unicorn." Aleta said.

"And some paw prints and a fluffy puppy," Loki added.

They painted all of that and also a baby giraffe, smiley faces, and flying pigs.

"What about Sif? Should we prank her, too?" Sam asked.

"Yeah." Aleta said. "She needs a rainbow on her clothes."

"And bunnies," Abby said.

They headed into Sif's room when they painted bunnies and rainbows on Sif's clothes and Loki smiled.

"Who is next?" Lucy asked, wondering if they got everyone.

"I think that's enough, Valkyrie," Loki said and they left the room.

"Are you sure we don't want to prank anyone else?" Sam asked, pointing at Rhiannon's door.

"We could paint pretty butterflies on her clothes," Aleta said.

"Please, Father?!" Abby said with sad puppy eyes.

"No! Not the sad puppy eyes!" Loki said with mock shock then laughed. "Fine."

"Come on Dad. It will be fun." Lucy said and the crept into her room. She lay asleep on the bed, the sheer canopy closed and her hands folded on her stomach.

Loki hushed them as the girls quietly crawled onto the bed after he moved the canopy back. He watched them paint butterflies on Rhiannon's dress and he smiled at her sweet face.

She shifted slightly, her face turning toward the sunlight and everyone backed up for a moment. She settled back down into sleep and returned to her peaceful nap.

"Daddy, she looks like Sleeping Beauty." Aleta whispered.

"Yes, she does," Loki whispered.

"You should kiss her."

"No. Not right now. She needs her sleep."

"Come on, we gotta leave and hide the evidence," Serena whispered.

The paint dried and vanished from sight and they snuck away, leaving the woman sleeping.

A short time later, Thor, Balder, Sif, Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg appeared in the dining hall and everyone stared at their brightly colored clothing.

The boys nearly fell off their chairs laughing.

Odin nearly choked on his wine and Frigga hid her smile behind her glass.

"Oh Mah Gawd!" Sam cried, in her best Valley Girl voice. "Gag me with a spoon, it's the Glow Brigade!"

The girls and Loki all burst out laughing.

"I believe we have been pranked." Thor said and sighed.

"I'm covered in . . .leopard spots!" Fandral shrieked, sounding like he was about to go into cardiac arrest.

"Norns, Thor! Your cape!" Sif giggled. "It has The Mighty Kitten on it and a kitten sleeping!"

"You have bunnies!" Thor shot back.

"I have a unicorn, paw prints, a fluffy dog, some long neck animal. smiling faces and flying pigs on mine," Volstagg said, but didn't seemed too vexed by it.

"Aww! It's a baby giraffe!" cooed Serena. "How adorable!"

"Daddy! I want a puppy on my dress!" Gudrun cried running up to him.

"Wait until they see Rhiannon." Sam whispered.

"I think I need to go wake her up," Loki said and vanished in a puff of green smoke. He appeared in her room when he leaned down and gently kissed her lips. Rhiannon softly sighed as she woke and opened her eyes. "Hello."

"Hello," she said.

"Did you have a good rest?"

"Yes," she said as he took her hand and she got up. The sunlight hit her dress as the butterflies appeared and she gasped. "How did that happen?!"

"You have been a victim of a prank," he said and she saw the sparkle in his eyes.

"Did you do it?"

"Well... I might have had a hand in it. It was mostly the girls."

"I love it!" she said and kissed his cheek.

"Wait until you see what they did to Thor, Balder, Sif, Volstagg, Fandral and Hogun."

"Oh dear," she said then they vanished in the green smoke.

They appeared in the hall, and she burst out laughing. She doubled over, trying to breathe as Thor crossed his arms.

"They ruined your dress. Why are you laughing?" He demanded.

"I rather like mine." Rhiannon retorted.

"Yay!" Aleta said, clapping her hands.

"You look so pretty," Abby said.

"At least they are not orange bunnies." Sif groaned.

"Uncle Thor has flower power!" Lucy cried and she and Serena held up peace signs.

"It goes away after a day anyhow," Belle said.

Rhiannon turned around, her skirts flaring a bit and showing off the purple drawings on her skirts. She laughed, dancing on her toes and Frigga clapped her hands.

Odin watched the merriment as he smiled and raised his goblet toward Loki.

The servants came in with the trays of food and nearly dropped them because they were hysterically laughing.

"At least Rhiannon does not look like a nightmare. I think I know who did this." Balder said.

Aleta jumped up. "I did!"

"You are not supposed to tell, Aleta." Sam moaned.

"Me, too!" Abby shouted.

"We all did," Belle said and the girls nodded.

"Way to go," Hunter said and did a high five with Sam.

"And I think I know who put you up to it," Thor said.

"How did you not wake up Rhiannon?" Volstagg asked.

"Do you, Brother?" Loki said and Rhiannon smiled.

"I placed her under a sleep spell," Loki said.

"Yes. I have been having nightmares lately," Rhiannon said. "But I didn't have one this time."

She smiled, blushing as she took her seat next to him.

"It only lasts a day," Loki explained as he sat down and Thor, Balder, Sif and the Warriors went to sit down.

"I do admit it was a funny prank," Hogun said as he slightly smiled and Loki smiled back.

"I do hope no one else is angry." Rhiannon said and laughed.

A lady walked by Fandral and eyed his smiley face trousers. "Happy faces!" she giggled. "How very appropriate, my lord!" She gave him a wink and then sashayed back to her table.

"Hmm . . ." Fandral looked thoughtful. "Maybe I shall start a new fashion trend. . . ."

"Oh great. There will be no living with him now." Balder said and sighed.

"I need you and Rhiannon to go over invitations to the Ceremony tonight dear. Will that be a problem?" Frigga asked, leaning over in her seat.

"How does that sound to you, Rhee?" Loki asked his betrothed.

"I find it agreeable My Prince." She said softly, smiling between small bites of food.

"After dinner we can do that, Mother," Loki agreed, eating his roasted chicken. "We gave the betrothal dinner menu to Kara today."

"Oh good. I hope it will all go well." She said and smiled

Rhiannon ate slowly again, enjoying the tastes of the food. It was such a far cry from what she was given before, she wanted to savor each bite.

"I look forward to picking out the patterns." Frigga said and smiled.

Loki nodded. "Yes, that should be interesting."

"Do you need earplugs for the wedding night, Loki?" Fandral asked, laughing.

Loki rolled his eyes. "No. Rhiannon does not snore like a buzzsaw like Boda. I swear, I thought I might go deaf."

"Even I could hear her, brother," Thor shook his head. "I swear, I pitied you."

"Who wouldn't?" Balder snorted. "She snored worse than Skrymir and had a worse temper than Skadi."

"Let's talk about something else," Loki said quickly. "Talking about her always ruins my digestion."

"Sorry, Loki," Fandral said.

Rhiannon thought that she might wish to speak to another woman about what to expect on her wedding night. Her father had filled her head with such horrible images that she no longer knew what was true and what was false. She knew Frigga was right and she could not trust what he told her, but then she had heard stories from other maids in the dormitory and wasn't sure if they had been telling the truth or exaggerating to scare her and other girls who had never known a man. Some of them were petty snips. She was not afraid Loki would hurt her, as he had promised he would not, but she was unsure what she was supposed to do or not do and she didn't want it to feel awkward or foolish.

But she did not want to embarrass herself in front of Frigga, who would be her new mother-in-law. She wondered who she could ask, and at first considered Kara, but then saw Lady Sif sitting across from her. _Perhaps she would know. I heard she was married once._

Just before the dessert course was served, Rhiannon got up and pretended to drop something on the floor near where Sif was sitting. As she knelt to retrieve it, she said softly, "Can I have a word with you in private, Sif?"

"Of course," the older woman said. "Meet me in the garden after dessert. Or would you rather have the talk in your chambers?"

Rhiannon thought. "Perhaps my chambers are best. It won't take long. I do need to meet with the queen."

Sif nodded. "Very well. I shall meet you there."

She left early before dessert was over, saying she needed to change her dress, as she had spilled some wine on it. She had done that on purpose and hurried into her chambers and put a new dress on then waited for Sif to arrive.

The warrior woman knocked soon afterwards and Rhiannon let her in. "Please, come and sit down," she gestured to the chairs around the table in the sitting room.

Jewel was curled up in the flower crown on a chair.

Sif smiled at the kitten. "She sure does like that crown."

"Yes. I think she thinks she's a queen when she sleeps in it," laughed Rhiannon.

"My father used to say all women are queens in their own way," Sif murmured.

"Why, Aleta said that Loki says that to his daughters," exclaimed Rhiannon.

"He probably learned it from my father. He was Loki's history tutor."

"Your father was a teacher and a noble?"

Sif nodded. "My father was a teacher before he became ennobled. And once he had a title he saw no reason to stop doing what he did best."

"How did he become ennobled?"

"He saved the life of the queen long ago from some Dark Elf assassins. As a reward, the king made him a lord." Sif related. She sat in the chair and crossed one boot over the other. "But you didn't ask me here to talk about my father. What is on your mind, Rhee?"

Rhiannon bit her lip, looking nervous. She paced before she sat down in a chair. "Well . . . I suppose I may as well say it straight out. I pray you don't think me a foolish idiot. But . . . my mother passed on to Valhalla when I was only five and so I never was able to ask her about . . . what goes on between a man and a woman in the marriage bed. I have heard many stories . . . but I don't know what is true and what is just exaggerated."

"I see," Sif chuckled. "Rumors are always suspect, little hawk. But I can tell you what little I know. I was married long ago, when I was twenty to Rolf, a young lad who lived on the estate across from my family's. We used to play together as children, so Father thought he would be a good match for me. I agreed and then we were married. But the marriage did not last because he was called to fight and he died somewhere in Vanaheim two weeks after our nuptials."

"Oh! How terrible! I am so sorry."

"It was long ago. And Rolf was never more than a friend to me, though I did mourn him," Sif said quietly. "But we did have a wedding night nonetheless."

Rhiannon waited quietly for Sif to continue.

"Was it . . . awful like some women say?" she asked, shivering slightly.

"No. Rolf was not rough with me. He was tender and he went slowly," Sif said, thinking back. "He was funny and told jokes and made me laugh. We shared chocolates on the bed and played cards before we went to bed."

"Then he didn't . . . rip you open or . . ."

Sif gaped at her. "Rip me _open?_ You make it sound like he was attacking me or I was fighting a battle. Rhiannon, when you make love it is not a fight, it is a coming together of two people—body and heart and if you are very fortunate to marry a man you love, then your soul is also included in that. I don't know where you heard that but it is only true if a woman is forced. Otherwise, it is a good experience, if the man knows how to give a woman pleasure."

"Give her pleasure? But my father always said it was a woman's duty to please the man not . . ."

Sif snorted. "And your father was no authority on anything like that if all he knew besides your mother were tramps. It's totally different when you and your husband love each other. Because then you are careful and gentle, and you learn what the other likes."

"How?"

"Well, you talk and he shows you. And you do the same for him."

"What about the pain? I have heard horror stories—"

"And that's what they were—stories." Sif interrupted. "Forget what they said. They were probably lying anyway. There is a brief amount of pain, and a few drops of blood on the sheet. That's all. If your husband is gentle there is almost none. Loki will be gentle. And he is also a mage. The magic folk know ways to make a woman's first time painless."

"They do?"

Sif nodded. "Yes. It's a branch of magic. Any mage worthy of the name can cast the spells. Loki is the top mage in Asgard. He would know them."

Rhiannon blushed but simply nodded. "Then you . . . liked it?"

"Yes. Although I would have liked it better if it had been . . . someone else." Sif said mysteriously.

The Healer felt her ears prick like a curious kitten's. "Who?"

"You cannot guess?" Sif teased. "You see him next to me almost every meal."

Rhiannon cupped her chin in her hand. She thought about who sat next to Sif during meals. And then she recalled that Sif nearly always sat between Volstagg and Thor.

Since Volstagg was happily married that could only mean one thing.

"You love Thor!"

"Yes. I have for a very long time," Sif admitted. "But he has never seemed to notice me as anything except his sparring partner. Or his friend. And now he dates a mortal and I remain invisible."

"I know what that feels like," Rhiannon said sympathetically. "But . . . is he in love with this mortal Jane Foster?"

Sif shrugged. "I do not believe he is. He might think so but he does not act it when he is here. He does not pine for her or talk about her to us. So he does not really miss her. That is not how a man in love acts when he is separated from his beloved."

'I have heard the queen does not like her."

"Well, she is not fond of her. She did meddle with things she had no business in with the Aethyr and it was because of that she nearly caused Frigga's death and did cause Loki's. That's enough right there to not make the queen like her. Also, the last time she visited with Thor, they quarreled and Thor was upset and growly for a day or two. No mother wants to see her son upset. I believe she thinks Thor needs to find an Asgardian woman. Because mortals live such short lives compared to us. And because Jane does not wish to be queen of Asgard. She simply wishes to be a scientist."

"Then why is she with Thor?"

"I don't know. Perhaps when she comes for the betrothal you can ask her." Sif said. "All I know is that Thor does not seem happy when he is with her and that is reason enough for me not to like her. Even if I wasn't in love with him."

"What will you do?"

"I do not know yet," Sif sighed. "But I will think of something."

"If you wish my help, just ask." Rhiannon said, grinning conspiratorially.

"Thank you," Sif said. "I shall consider it."

The two women smiled at each other before Sif asked, "Have I answered all your questions?"

"I have just one more. If a man truly loves you, then when you lie together, what does it feel like?"

Sif laughed. "Well, I have never done that with a man I loved but from what I have heard it is a magic beyond your wildest dreams, sweet and fulfilling."

"Do you think . . . it will be like that for me and Loki?"

"Rhee, from what I have seen, that is exactly what it will be like. Loki adores you. You are like the sun to him, he loves you more than he does his books or his magic. Just like he loves his children. You will have a wonderful wedding night. Trust me on that."

Rhiannon felt a warm glow spread through her at the thought. Now instead of being afraid, she found she was actually eager to become Loki's wife in all ways.

"Thank you, Sif. If you need me to help you win Thor just come to me."

The other woman laughed. "I shall. It is always good to have a partner in a battle."

Then she waved and left the room.

Rhiannon sang as she put on her shoes. "Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, never let it fade away . . ."

Rhiannon ran to Frigga's chambers, knocking at the door and not receiving an answer. She turned, thinking that she saw a man ghost by in a black hooded cloak but saw nothing more. She knocked again, waiting in the hall.

"Come in, dear," Frigga called.

She opened the door, glancing back and wondering if she actually saw the hooded man. She shook her head, deciding that it was probably her nerves.

"My Queen. I have come as summoned." Rhiannon said politely.

"No need for such formality, dear," the Queen said kindly. "We are going to be family, after all." She smiled warmly. "Please sit down at the table. I have gathered some templates, as you can see," she gestured at the different types of invitations. "Loki should be along shortly. He is speaking to his new nursery maid."

"The young lady from the house?" Rhiannon said and smiled at Frigga. "She has accepted the position?"

"She has indeed, poor thing. Apparently, her stepfather sold her into bondage when her mother passed to Valhalla. So she has no kin she can go to. Her name is Joy, such a sweet child."

"Has she decided what to do with her child when it is born?" She asked, sitting down in a soft chair.

"She says she is not sure how she will manage but if possible she would like to keep the baby," Frigga replied.

"I believe that the maids and other people of Loki's household will help her. They have been good to me." Rhiannon said and smiled.

"Yes, they are kind hearted people. The king and I shall help too." Frigga said.

Just then there was a knock at the door. "Mother, may I come in?"

"Yes, Loki."

He opened the door and came inside.

"My Prince." Rhiannon said, standing and giving him a curtsey.

He gently raised her to her feet. "There is no need for formality, darling. Here I am just Loki."

"Have you settled things with Joy?" Frigga queried.

"Is she well?" Rhiannon asked him.

"Yes, we have worked out a schedule with Halgran and she is happy in her new home. I have also scheduled some visits with Stefan to make sure she is healthy during these last months."

"How far along is she, and did you have her take the room next to the nursery as I suggested?" Frigga asked.

"I did. Stefan says she is about six and a half months and doing well." Loki replied.

"She should be comfortable there. So close to the children." Rhiannon said and sat back down.

"Yes, so she will not have far to go if the children need her during the night."

"Well, I suppose we should look at the invitations then." Frigga said.

"Yes, let's look at what we can pick out." Loki said, eager to see the choices.

"I have not looked yet." Rhiannon said, and Returned to her seat.

"I think we should first look at paper. Perhaps, it would be best to start there?" Frigga said and held out a stack of samples.

There were many kinds of paper to choose from. Some were thick creamy parchment. There was one that was a pretty robin's egg blue that was thinner. One had rosebuds printed on a lavender background. Another was yellow with sparkling jewels on it.

"I did not know they made so many different papers." Rhiannon said.

"Oh yes! The scrivener has many kinds of paper printed up. Some of the ladies of the Houses have their own custom paper with their House badge on it." Frigga said. "If you don't like any of these, you can request something just for yourselves."

"That one is nice." Rhiannon said, pointing to an emerald green cardstock with gold leaf trim.

Loki nodded. "I like that one. It is elegant and not too ostentatious."

"That is a very good choice. dear," Frigga approved. "Now what about the ink?"

"Why not gold?" Rhiannon said.

There was a tray with many different colors of ink.

"Let's see how the gold looks on the paper," Frigga said. "Sometimes the ink may not show up well on certain backgrounds." She took a pen and dipped it in the ink and wrote on the top of the green sample Loki and Rhiannon. "How does that look?"

"Very nice." Rhiannon said and nodded.

Frigga wrote again, this time with black ink and again with silver ink.

Loki looked at the writing and said, "I think Rhee is right, the gold looks best."

"Now for what it will say. I think your house crest Loki, followed by your name, then Rhiannon's, and then the date."

"Shall we say cordially invite you to the betrothal ceremony, or wish you to attend?" Loki asked.

"How about we cordially wish you to attend?" Rhiannon suggested.

"That is very good, Rhee." Frigga wrote out what it should say, making sure to spell Lyr correctly.

"We cordially wish you to attend the Betrothal Ceremony of Loki Laufeyson, Prince of Asgard, Archmage, and Heir to the Jotun Throne. To Healer Rhiannon Lyr." Frigga read, proud of herself.

"That sounds agreeable." Rhiannon nodded.

Loki nodded too. "That looks good."

"I will send these to be printed then." Frigga said and collected everything. "I do love planning these events."

"I know you do, Mother." Loki chuckled. "Shall we have some tea?"

"I can order some brought up." Frigga said, clearing everything away. "It is helpful when the bride is not fighting everything."

Loki grimaced. "Boda would have argued with the sun that the sky was blue, Mother."

"I know that. I remember there being so much red at the ceremony." Frigga said. "It looked like someone had a battle."

"Yes, or there was blood spilled on the ground," Loki sighed. "She wore a red gown too and I thought you were going to faint."

Outside, they heard guards running back and forth. The door shaking with someone banging at it, and Rhiannon jumped.

"We have had an escape! From the dungeons!" The guard shouted.

Loki was on his feet, summoning Laevateinn to his hand. His first thought was Rhiannon's father or Malius had escaped.

"Rhiannon can stay here with me." Frigga said, and a scream tore through the halls.

"Someone kidnapped Princess Aleta!" Halgran screamed as she ran toward the guards.

"Nine Hells! Where did you see them?" Loki demanded.

"They were in a black cloak with a hood, I saw him carry her off. She was screaming and crying!" Halgran said and Rhiannon gasped.

"I will track them!" Loki cried and blurred into his wolf form with the white star on his forehead. He sniffed the air and tore off down the hallway, howling softly.

"I saw a man in that cloak earlier. He moved past like a shadow." Rhiannon recalled. "I could have stopped him."

"You didn't know, dear. Besides, he might have harmed you," Frigga said, patting her hand.

"But she is Loki's child. She is precious to him." Rhiannon murmured. "Besides, I am trained to fight. One man is no match for me."

"I know. She is precious to all of us. But so are you, dear. Loki would be destroyed if anything happened to you or her."

"Yes My Queen." She said softly and an explosion rocked the castle.

 **A/N: Yes, I know, an evil cliffy! Who can't wait to see what happens next?**

 **I may manage another chapter before Christmas if you wish as a gift for all my fellow Loki fans.**


	35. Boda's Fate

**35**

 **Boda's Fate**

 _The Norns weave as they will, and none can change their fate. ~ Loki_

Loki found Aleta's scent easily. He followed it, finding a man waiting with four horses. He threw back his hood as a woman in a dirty shift ran up, followed by two men.

"Hurry up sister, unless you like living in squalor." Boda's brother said. He was tall with blonde hair and beard.

"Shut up! Why do you have her?" Boda hissed as she mounted her horse.

"Insurance." He replied.

"My Daddy is going to put you in Time Out for a long time!" Aleta shouted, screaming loud enough to wake the dead again.

"Silence, you unwanted vermin!" Boda shouted and slapped Aleta's face.

"Daddy!" Aleta screeched as Loki started forward then stopped when Meadowsweet appeared out of the treeline.

"That... That is a unicorn!" Boda's brother said with wide eyes.

"Ignore it! Get her on the horse!" Boda shouted as she tossed Aleta at her brother and Loki slowly moved closer.

"You are going nowhere!" Loki shouted as she turned and looked at him.

"Go!" she shouted, but Meadowsweet ran in front of the horses and snorted. The horses nervously moved side to side, but didn't move and Aleta bit Boda's brother's hand.

"Ow! The brat bit me!" he said and Aleta slid to the ground.

"I hope I don't get rabies! You're dirty and stinky!" Aleta shouted and Loki smiled.

"Kill the little bitch!" Boda shouted, glaring back at Loki. "I hope your commoner slut dies!"

Aleta dodged Boda's brother and the other two men and ran to Loki's side.

"Kill them!" Boda shouted when Meadowsweet snorted and shifted into his darker form.

"Nine Hells!" one of the men shouted and both men fell onto their bottoms.

Meadowsweet turned as his red eyes fixed on Boda and she slowly backed up. Before she could run, Meadowsweet charged at her and Loki knelt down, turning Aleta's face toward him.

"Don't look," he whispered and she nodded.

Boda's eyes widened until they nearly popped from their sockets as the unicorn charged at her and the spiral horn lowered. She screamed as the horn speared her stomach and lifted her off the ground. She tried to wiggle free, but Meadowsweet tossed his head back and she flew into the air.

"By the Norns," Boda's brother whispered as she landed hard on the ground and the unicorn ran at her. Screams filled the air as Meadowsweet rose onto his hind legs and his front legs slammed down onto Boda over and over. The screams finally died down as Loki looked at the trampled remains of his former wife and he gently lifted Aleta off the ground.

"Is it over?" Aleta whispered just as Thor, Balder, Sif and the Warriors arrived and Boda's brother and the other two men surrendered.

"Yeah, spark, it's over," Loki whispered and sighed.

"I want Rhiannon!" She cried, hugging her father around the neck.

"You will see her soon," he assured his frightened daughter and Thor walked closer.

"Is she alright?" Thor asked.

"She is frightened, but unharmed."

"She slapped me, Uncle Thor!" Aleta screeched and Thor took her from Loki and held her.

"Hush now," Thor said in a soothing tone and she buried her face in his hair.

"Take her back to the palace," Sif said. "We can handle this."

Nodding, Loki followed Thor and Aleta when he saw Meadowsweet grazing in the grass and the unicorn looked at him.

"Thank you," Loki said and the unicorn nodded.

"Can I pet the unicorn Daddy?" Aleta asked, wiggling in Thor's arms. "Please?"

"Of course," Loki said as he took her from Thor and they walked towards the unicorn. Meadowsweet looked at them when Aleta reached out her hand and patted the soft mane.

"Thank you," Aleta said and the unicorn winked.

"Would you like a ride, Little Princess?" Meadowsweet asked.

"Can I?" she asked, looking at Loki.

"Yes," he said and placed her on the unicorn's back. They followed as the unicorn headed for the palace and Loki smiled up at his daughter. "Having fun?"

"Yeah!" she said and patted the unicorn's neck.

"Can we keep her?" Aleta asked and Thor laughed.

"No, I am afraid not," Loki said.

"But you can have a ride whenever you visit," Meadowsweet said and she clapped.

"O.K. Daddy, I was scared they would not let me go." Aleta said.

"I wouldn't have let them take you," he said.

"Neither would I," Thor added.

"I know Daddy. Can I sleep in Rhiannon's room tonight? On her Princess Bed?" Aleta asked.

"I think she would like that," Loki said.

"Can you sleep there, too?" she asked and Loki made a slightly startled look. He knew Rhiannon would refuse to let him sleep in her bed. "We'll see."

"Okay Daddy." Aleta said and yawned. They approached the castle gates, Rhiannon and Halgran standing with Frigga and waiting for them to return. Rhiannon had a basket of medical supplies, and she looked fearful as they approached.

"Was she injured?" Frigga asked, walking toward them.

"She slapped me!" Aleta said as the unicorn stopped and Loki helped her down. Rhiannon saw the red mark on Aleta's cheek as she gasped and Loki handed Aleta to her after taking the basket.

"I will tend her." Rhiannon said and the girl wrapped her arms around her.

"Can I sleep in your room tonight? Aleta asked.

"Yes, you can."

"Can Daddy sleep there, too? I don't think he'll sleep well if he didn't."

Rhiannon felt her heart slamming in her chest as she looked at Loki then blinked.

"This is a special circumstance," Frigga said as she walked closer. "No one will say anything."

"My bed is very small Princess. How will the three of us fit?" She asked, smiling at the girl.

"What if I took the couch?" Loki asked and Rhiannon nodded.

"It would be very agreeable, Skytreader." Rhiannon said and smiled.

"Daddy can tell us stories!" Aleta said and clapped.

"If I have to," Loki teased and she giggled.

"Right. Off you go," Frigga said and Loki followed Rhiannon and Aleta as they walked to the palace.

Thor walked closer as she looked at him and saw the anger in his eyes.

"Boda?" she finally asked.

"Dead," Thor said.

"And her conspirators?"

"They have been caught and will be placed in the dungeon."

"I will inform your father."

"Does she know that they killed her father?" Frigga asked very softly and Thor shook his head.

"I will let Loki tell her," Thor said as he took her hand and they walked to the palace.

"I can see to her cheek. It still looks very red." She said and smiled.

"I have some salve which will take care of that," Loki said and lightly placed his hand against the small of her back.

"Your salve is wonderful." Rhiannon said. "I will wash her feet and be in bed with her when you return."

Loki smiled, kissing Aleta on the forehead and walked to his chambers. He changed quickly, grabbing a brush for the next morning and added a blanket to his load. He walked back to Rhiannon's, opening the door quietly and could hear Rhiannon singing to Aleta. They were both snuggled under the blankets of the bed, and her voice was soothing to the child. He could see a warm glow around the two, and it was a sight he would never forget.

He walked to the couch and Aleta saw him laying out the blanket.

"Daddy. Are you going to tell us a story?" Aleta asked.

The glow faded, Rhiannon's song ending and he moved the canopy back to see the two snuggled together.

The sight was etched onto his heart as he smiled and sat on the edge of the bed.

"What story do you want to hear?" Loki asked and Aleta snuggled closer to Rhiannon.

"Hello. I hope you do not mind the arrangement." Rhiannon said.

"A princess story!" Aleta said.

"Ah, how about Beauty and the Beast?" he asked.

"Yeah! I love that one!" Aleta said.

"I don't think I have heard that one," Rhiannon said.

"It is a nice story." Aleta said. "It has a pretty lady, and a big monster that is nice."

"And a magical castle," Loki included.

"Oh!" Rhiannon said with a smile.

"Then I shall enjoy it. Especially if it has a happy ending."

"Tell the story, Daddy. Please?" Aleta begged.

Loki told the story as he made little illusions to show Rhiannon what the characters looked like and she giggled when Loki sang the song he made up about the hunter.

Rhiannon found herself identifying with the commoner beauty as she listened and loved watching the illusions of the enchanted objects which lived in the castle. She pictured Loki as the magical prince, not a beast, and she was shocked when the people attacked the castle.

"Are you sure she should be seeing this?" she asked and Loki nodded.

"We have the movie at home," Aleta said.

"A what?"

"It is like these illusions, but with people providing the voices," Loki explained.

"We can watch it when we get home," Aleta said and Rhiannon smiled.

Loki finished the story as Aleta clapped and Rhiannon smiled.

"That was an amazing story," Rhiannon sid.

"Goodnight Daddy." Aleta said and buried her face in Rhiannon's hair.

"Goodnight, spark. Good night, spitfire." Loki said softly.

"Goodnight, Skytreader." Rhiannon said, and hugged Aleta as the little girl dozed. Loki tuned and smiled at Rhiannon, happy to hear her say something other than a formal title.

He got up after watching them fall asleep when he headed for the couch and got under the blankets. He waved his hand and the room darkened then he glanced over at the bed. He could barely see them as he sighed, moved the blanket up and closed his eyes.

Loki woke first the next morning, looking over at the bed and seeing Rhiannon and Aleta still asleep.

Aleta was sprawled all over the small bed, one of her feet on Rhiannon's forehead, and her arms locked around the woman's arm.

He tried to turn his head and felt something upon it. _What in Hell?_ He thought and reached a hand up. His fingers encounter soft fur and he realized Jewel was asleep on his head!

The kitten purred away, sleeping and began kneading at the top of his head. He winced in pain, not understanding why cats did that.

"Well, this is not the first time," he whispered as he thought about the number of times he woke to a cat sleeping on the top of his head in New York.

Rhiannon sighed in her sleep on the bed, Aleta running out of the bathroom and climbing back up on the bed. She snuggled under the blankets with Rhiannon again, hugging close to the sleeping woman.

Loki sat up as he picked up the kitten and held her against his chest.

"Morning, Daddy," Aleta whispered.

Loki was happy that the kidnapping had not caused Aleta to have an accident, since sometimes trauma did that to small children.

"Did you sleep well, Spark?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said with a nod.

"Don't wake up Rhiannon, Daddy. She is still sleepy." Aleta whispered, the kitten stretching in his hand.

He scratched Jewel on the belly and she purred and flopped over.

"I like that. More, please." She purred.

He laughed, obliging the kitten and scratching her belly.

"Why are you laughing?" Rhiannon asked with a sleepy voice as she woke and looked at him.

"Your kitten enjoys belly rubs. Like my shepherd."

She kept herself covered, her eyes still shy and her hair tousled from sleep. He found it alluring on her and he found himself staring as she pushed herself off the mattress.

"Oh. Did she wake you?" Rhiannon asked softly.

"Yes," he said and went to get her robe. She blushed as he helped her put the robe on and she smiled.

Jewel attacked her sash biting it. "A snake!"

"Thank you, Loki. I should probably dress for the day." She said, trying to free her sash.

"She's so silly," Aleta said while watching Jewel and Loki lifted her off the bed.

"She is that, and very active." Rhiannon said, setting the kitten on the floor. She followed her mistress around, swatting at her bare toes.

"I think Mischief would like her," Loki said.

"Odin would like her, too," Aleta said.

"I do hope they get along." Rhiannon said, the kitten biting her little toe. She yelped, jumping on one foot and the kitten when after another toe.

Loki waved his hand as a clockwork mouse zoomed around the room and Jewel's eyes widened. She darted after the mouse as they laughed and she caught the mouse.

"Perhaps I should find her some toys." Rhiannon said and watched the kitten play.

"We have toys at home. For now, she can have these," Loki said as he waved his hand and a box filled with cat toys appeared at the foot of the bed.

"Thank you," she said and he kissed her cheek, making Aleta giggle.

"Let's go get you dressed," Loki said as he looked at Aleta and they left the room.

In the hall, he found Thor waiting. His brother wore a serious expression, and he was debating telling Loki something.

Loki noticed the look in his big brother's eyes and a cold chill moved through him.

"Spark, go to the nursery and get dressed," Loki said as he placed Aleta down on her feet and she nodded. They watched her run down the hallway then go in the nursery when Loki looked at Thor and folded his arms over his chest. "What's wrong?"

"I have some news," Thor said.

"Go on," he said with a nod.

"Rhiannon's father is dead," Thor said and Loki's eyes widened.

"When did that happen?!"

"It was during Boda's escape. He had begged for her conspirators to free him as well, but they refused and killed him in order to keep him from alerting the guards."

"Seven Hels," Loki sighed then looked back at Rhiannon's room. "I need to tell her."

"True, but let her have something to eat first."

"She is going to blame herself."

"Remember what you told me, Brother," he said as he placed a hand on Loki's shoulder. "Remind her she is family now and we love her."

"I will," Loki said when Rhiannon appeared in the doorway to her room and looked at them.

"Is everything alright?" she asked as she walked closer and Thor smiled at her.

"Good morning, Sister," Thor said and her eyes slightly widened.

"I... I am not your sister," she gasped.

"You will be soon," he said then nodded to Loki and walked down the hallway.

"Oh my," she said as she slightly lowered her head and Loki lifted her chin. He checked to see if anyone was looking, he lightly kissed her lips and she blushed. "Loki."

"I know," he whispered and she placed her hand on his chest. "And don't be so shocked when Thor or Balder call you "sister." They will be doing it quite often after we're married."

"I know, but I never had any siblings that I knew of. My father told me he didn't want anymore monsters."

Loki snorted. "He was a hypocrite." Then he sighed. "I have some bad news."

"Is Aleta all right? She isn't sick or something?"

"No. Aleta is fine. I sent her to get dressed." He beckoned her into her room. "I need to tell you something but not here in the hallway."

"Oh." She said and felt fear pierce her heart. She let him guide her into her room.

Loki left the door open. "Thor came to me this morning and told me that your father . . . is dead. He tried to get her conspirators to free him and when they refused they killed him to stop him from alerting the guards. I'm sorry I had to tell you this."

"Dead?" She said, her knees buckling and she felt for the nearest chair. "What should I do? I don't know what I should feel."

He helped her sit down. "I know this is a shock. Would you like me to make the funeral arrangements? It need not be anything extravagant. Is there any of his relatives you need to inform?"

"I have no family, I am not sure." She said and looked at him.

"We can have the funeral quickly before the ceremony." He would have liked to say "Just throw the beast on the fire and be done with it." But he didn't want to seem insensitive. Then he had another idea. "My father is High Priest of Asgard and he can declare you have an abbreviated period of mourning. No one will question why if he decrees it such."

"I would prefer that, if it is possible." She said and looked at Loki. "I am free of him. He cannot hurt me ever again."

"Yes. It is a relief, is it not? I imagine you probably feel the same way I did when I banished Bors into the Void. For he was the demon that haunted me all of my life." He clasped her hand in his.

"I don't know, I am a bit shocked." She replied and shook. The kitten pawed at the toe of her shoe, meowing that she was hungry.

"I think your little shadow is hungry," Loki pointed out, knowing that doing something normal would help the shock.

"Yes, I should feed her before she becomes cross with me." She said and picked the kitten up. "What if we have to wait the full year of mourning?"

"No. We won't. That is going out of fashion anyway. I will make the arrangements," he reassured her.

He would also see to it that any debts her father owed were paid, and he would not let Rhiannon know for he didn't want her to feel guilty. All he cared about was getting this thing over with so they could move on with their lives.

"Thank you. I pray this all passes quietly." She said and sighed. "Shall we go and eat?"

"Yes. Then afterwards I will speak with Father."

"I believe I will need to tidy the farmhouse as well, in preparation to sell it." Rhiannon said as she stood.

"Yes, perhaps we will visit it with the children and help you," Loki said, he could imagine the mess it was given Balder's description of how badly it was in disrepair.

"Yes. That would be good." She said and nodded. "I may look for things as well."

"That would be fine. After all you are the owner now." Loki said.

"I forgot that I was. This is strange to me."

"Come on, let's go eat. You will feel better," he said encouragingly and gave her a sweet smile.

"Yes, Skytreader. I should be more myself after a meal." She said and followed him.

They walked along quietly, the kitten following Rhiannon and almost prancing. People laughed at the trio, a few maids pointing at the kitten and feeling jealous.

Loki wondered if his parents knew about Rurik's death, if Thor had told them or not. He also suspected his mother would wish to help her new daughter by giving her lessons in court etiquette. She would have done the same for Jane if she didn't think Thor could find someone better.

"I need a moment." Rhiannon said and leaned against a pillar. She stood quietly, taking deep breaths and shaking.

She collected herself, walking on to the dining hall and following Loki to her seat. Jewel trotted to her dish of food, purring loudly as she ate.

The rest of the family filed in, some yawning and others bright eyed. Serena looked grumpy, but then she was never a morning person.

"Hello dear." Frigga said to him and smiled.

"Good morning, Mother," Loki greeted and gave her a smile.

"How is everyone recovering from last night's excitement?" She asked, looking at Rhiannon with concern.

"Aleta seems fine, though she slept with Rhiannon last night." He leaned over and sent to her _. Did Thor tell you? Rhiannon's father is dead. He was killed by the conspirators who freed Boda because they would not free him and he was going to summon the guards. I just told Rhee before we came here._

"I had heard, is she coping well?" Frigga asked, glancing at her again and whispering.

"She is still a little shocked. Does Father know?"

"He does. She will have to wear black, and we hope to have the funeral this evening." Frigga said and smiled. "We don't want to make you wait."

"I had thought that went out of fashion a while ago. Thor told me that when I died he simply dyed a lock of his hair black and braided it with green ribbon for mourning and so did Father and Balder. He said you did also, but wore a black rose also. Can't Rhee do that?"

"If she wishes to. But why damage such beautiful hair?" Frigga said and smiled.

"I can do it magically, and it will last only until I remove it." Loki told her.

"I see. Your father told me of the fishing trip you, your brothers and your boys are going to go on with him after the ceremony. I think that will be a good idea, Loki. He has been under too much stress lately."

"Yes, I know. I figured this would be a good way for us to spend some time together and relax." Loki said.

Rhiannon choked on her juice, coughing and sputtering. Loki patted her on the back.

"Where will you be fishing?" Rhiannon asked, sopping juice.

"Uh, just by the big lake that is behind the palace. We always fish there. It is quite large and has many bass and rainbow trout in it." Loki replied.

Loki turned to Rhiannon and explained what Frigga had told him about the funeral and the new mourning lock and the black rose. "Will you feel comfortable doing that?"

"If it pleases everyone." She said softly. She continued to pick at her food, eating small bites and pushing the rest around.

"Don't pick at your food dear." Frigga said and smiled at Rhiannon.

"Sorry Queen Frigga." Rhiannon replied, sitting back in her seat.

Rhiannon returned to her plate quietly, eating slowly again and trying pick at her food again.

"What will you be doing today?" Frigga asked Loki.

"Making funeral arrangements. Then taking Rhiannon over to the farm house to clean it to sell. I'll take the kids with me, they can all help. They clean very well when motivated to do so."

"Shall I have Kara pack you all a lunch, you may get hungry."

"That would be wonderful."

He finished his breakfast and then went to tell the children what had occurred.

"Is Rhiannon going to be O.K?" Sam asked.

"Should we get her flowers?" Max also asked.

"Yes, you can do that. But we really need you to help us clean up the farm house so she can sell it. You do a good job and I will shift into Toothless and have you fly on my back for an hour or two sometime next week. Deal?"

"Sure!" Vince said, looking excited and laughing.

"I am so stoked!" Hunter. "Where is that broom?"

"That is the fastest they agreed to do anything." Sam said.

"Can I ride Daddy?" Max asked, grinning.

'Yes, you all can. " Loki said.

"When do we leave?" Serena asked.

"Not yet. I have arrangements to make first. I'll come and get you when it's time."

"Be fast? I wanna ride Toothless." Aleta wined.

"Calm down Aleta." Lucy said and shuddered. "I hate that house. We should just knock it down."

"We could if it looks unlivable," Loki said. "But we need to see what's inside first."

"It is in very poor shape." Jorgy said and sighed. "The roof is falling in, the front door is missing, and many of the walls have holes in them from rats. She may not get fifty gold for the house."

"Well, after she goes and sees what's inside, we could always burn it," Loki said. "That's easy enough for me to do in my dragon form."

"It would improve the view." Fenris growled. "I cannot believe she grew up there."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "Would any of you like to tell Fenris about the hole in the wall Second Chance was before I took it over? It was probably just as bad, am I right?"

"It was so gross inside, we had rats." Serena said.

"Some of us did not have beds." Lucy said.

"Roaches too, disgusting!" Belle recalled.

"And the spiders in the basement," Nate coughed.

"The bathroom faucets leaked," Vince remembered. "And one of the showers never had hot water."

"Or any water when the pipes froze because Grimes was too cheap to pay the heating bill," Hunter sneered.

"It was awful." Serena agreed.

"Why do places like that exist?" Fenris asked.

"They don't anymore. Dad fixed that." Sam said, thinking about her time in the orphanage.

"I am glad it is not horrid anymore." Fenris replied, looking at his father.

"As am I." Loki replied, he smiled at the children he rescued from that hell house, proud to know they were all given a chance now. "All right. I will meet you soon in the front courtyard. Hopefully these arrangements won't take long." He rose and went to see the king.


	36. Sweeping Away the Past

**36**

 **Sweeping Away the Past**

 _Sometimes it's necessary to sweep away the past and make a fresh start ~ Loki_

He walked to Odin's study and knocked firmly on the door. Inside, he heard the shuffle of pages and an invitation to enter.

"Loki, what brings you here?" Odin asked, glancing up.

"I've come to make arrangements for Rhiannon's father." He replied.

"The pyre is tonight, what more did she wish done?" Odin asked, setting his pen down.

"I just wanted to make sure everything was ready. We are going to the farm now to see if there is anything there she wishes to have. And if the house in unsalvageable, I shall burn it down and we can sell the property."

"I hope all goes well then. Do be careful as you travel and express my condolences to Rhiannon." Odin said, blinking at Loki.

"Thank you, I shall."

"Good day then. I have a few other things to plan for your ceremony this weekend." Odin replied.

"I will see you later, Father. I'm taking the kids with us." Loki replied, then left.

He walked out to the courtyard, all the children and Rhiannon were waiting. Fenris stood with Hunter and Vince, both of them looking in a backpack.

"Hi, Daddy!" Aleta said, waving at him. Max held Rhiannon's hand, looking up at her in adoration.

"Hello, spark." He greeted. "Let's get our horses and we can leave."

"Can I ride with Rhiannon?" Max asked, looking at him.

"If Rhee says you can," Loki agreed.

"If you approve." Rhiannon said and smiled at Max. "He is an agreeable friend."

"Yes, imp, you can. Aleta, you come with me."

"Where is your horse, Daddy?"

"Let's go get her from the stables," Loki said.

"O.K. is she pretty?" Aleta asked, smiling.

"I think so. Her name is Starflight. She is a silver gray with a gold mane and tail and blue eyes."

"She sounds beautiful!" Aleta said. "Like a fairytale horse."

Loki chuckled. "I never thought of her that way before, though she is very pretty. Rhee, would you like to ride my other mare, Arcana?"

"If she does not mind." Rhiannon said politely.

"I don't think she will." Loki said. He led the way to the stables, where Sleph, Rath, and Sethlyn had several horses saddled and waiting for them.

"You have many horses." Rhiannon said, her mouth falling open. "Is Snowdrop well?"

"They aren't all mine," Loki said. "Just the two mares. The others belong to the king."

"She is doing well, my lady," Sleph replied.

"I am happy she is thriving. I want to give her to Queen Frigga." She replied.

"Perhaps we can do so after we return from the farm." Loki suggested.

Starflight whinnied a greeting when she saw Loki, who answered back in Equus. The gray mare tossed her finely boned head and her gold forelock fell over one eye.

The Archmage dug in a pocket and handed Aleta a sugar cube. "Give this to her, spark."

Aleta walked over to the beautiful mare and the horse gently lipped the treated from her hand.

"She tickles, Daddy!" Aleta giggled, petting the mare's nose.

Starflight blinked her lovely cobalt eyes at her.

"She is beautiful." Rhiannon said and smiled at the horse.

"She is that," agreed Loki. "She has beautiful foals too. Remind me to show you her son when we come back. His name is North Star."

"I would like that." Rhiannon said and nodded. "I suppose we should go then."

Loki nodded, and mounted Starflight. Sleph picked up Aleta and gave her to their father.

Rhiannon struggled to get onto her horse, her feet kicking a bit as she wiggled up the side of the horse. Sleph ended up helping her and she managed to sit sideways in the saddle. He handed Max up to her and she held him.

Loki thought that he should suggest to Frigga to make Rhiannon a divided riding skirt so she could sit astride because that was an easier and safer way to ride.

"I am ready." Rhiannon said, holding the reins

Loki looked back and called, "Is everyone ready?"

"We are!" Sam shouted, Rhiannon looking nervous.

"Okay. Let's go." Loki turned Starflight and led the way out of the yard and down the road.

"Daddy, there are no animals on the farm." Max said.

"I know, Max."

"O.K. It has trees, but that's all," he said. The dusty road made Aleta sneeze.

They rode peacefully down the King's Highway, as this main thoroughfare was called. They passed people walking and farmers and merchants with carts and wagons.

"Are they going to sell all that food?" Aleta asked, pointing at a cart overflowing with produce.

"Yes, darling, that's what they come to the city markets for." Loki explained. "Like they do at home in Little Italy."

"Oh. I hope they sell everything." She replied.

They came to a fork, Rhiannon indicated that it was where they needed to go.

Loki turned down it and the others followed.

"It is not much further." Rhiannon said, looking down.

"That's good. Don't want our helpers to get tired." He smiled at her.

He saw the fallow land first, then the partially collapsed barn. The sight of the one-bedroom house was the most depressing. The house was leaning, a good wind could have blown it over.

 _Norns!_ he thought, dismayed. Then he chided himself. _What did you expect? Jorgy said it was bad. The wastrel spent all his money on drink and women._

"It is not much." Rhiannon said, slipping off the horse and sighing at it. "I slept next to the stove in the kitchen."

Loki's jaw tightened, thinking she had grown up similarly to his adopted children-and it never should have been that way. "Let's tie up the horses and I'll start in the barn with some of the kids. You can look in the house with a few of the others."

"Be careful for the floor in the barn. Many of the floorboards are loose." Rhiannon said, picking her way through the debris that littered the yard.

"You too, darling," Loki said and helped his children tie up the horses. Then he beckoned to some of his sons and Lucy to come with him into the barn.

"Are there spiders?" Lucy whispered, shaking.

"I'll make sure they are gone, honey," her father reassured her. As he approached the barn he cast a spell that would send all the spiders away.

"It is partially collapsed." Fenris said and sighed. "It is useless."

Loki nodded. "We may as well leave it. I don't want any of you inside. Look around here for anything Rhee might want."

"What about this old saddle?" Hunter asked, holding up a saddle that was definitely Jotun. It had a family crest on it.

Loki stared at it. "Sweet Valhalla! That's the Snowfall House crest." There was a snowflake upon a tall mountain surrounded by a diamond.

"Is that good?" Vince asked.

"That's the crest of one of the most prominent noble houses in Jotunheim. The Snowfalls have a strain of royal blood in them from marrying a younger prince. They served as Ambassadors until Valithor retired and my twin cousins Starkaad and Mitzi took the job."

"So... She is a royal?" Sam asked, looking at the saddle.

Loki shook his head. "No. But noble, yes. Half anyway. And connected distantly to the Icefyre House, which is my House."

"Good thing she is not a cousin." Hunter said. "This is heavy. Do we want to save it?"

"It needs polish but is still good." Jorgy said.

"Dad!" Lucy said and pulled his arm. "There is a trunk over here with the same seal."

"Yes, save it. She doesn't know it yet, but I plan on giving her Arcana as a betrothal gift." Loki whispered.

He noted that the saddle, which had to have belonged to her mother, was not a sidesaddle, but a regular one, meant to be used astride with either breeches or a divided riding skirt. The Jotun did not believe in side saddles which really were to show off a woman's dress to start with, not to ride seriously.

"Dad!" Lucy tugged his hand again and he walked to her. He saw the trunk half-buried under moldy hay in a recessed space beneath the floor at the corner of the barn and brushed it off. He saw that it had a lock on it and wondered where the key was.

"This must have belonged to Rhee's mom." He said.

"How do we get it open? Lucy asked.

"I can try and pick the lock," Hunter offered.

"We could just smash it. It looks super old." Vince said.

Loki shook his head. "No. I don't want to damage anything inside." He pointed a hand and performed a simple unlocking charm. "There! Now one of you go call Rhee to see this. I'd wager she never knew this existed."

"I will get her." Sam said and ran off.

"I wonder what is in it?" Lucy said, looking at the seal.

"Maybe there's gold?" Vince guessed.

"And the deadbeat didn't find it?" Hunter scoffed.

"Could have been hidden," his brother argued. "With a spell."

"Oh man. Can't she hurry up?" Hunter said.

"Will you relax? It's probably been there for a hundred years." Fenris said.

Rhiannon ran in with Sam, the rest of the children behind her.

"What is going on?" Rhiannon asked.

"We found an old trunk! It could have something valuable inside it." Hunter said, pointing at it.

"That does look like Mother's." Rhiannon said and walked toward it.

"Why don't you open it?" Loki suggested.

"Yes." She said and opened the chest. The hinges protested, unused and inside there was several folded cloths.

"Just old clothes." Vince groaned.

"Maybe and maybe not." Loki replied.

"There is a journal, and some papers." Rhiannon said, taking items out of the trunk.

"Is that a map?" Sam asked, looking at a paper.

Loki peered over her shoulder. "It is, butterfly. Looks like a treasure map."

"What treasure could Mother have had?" Rhiannon said, studying the map.

"We should follow it!" Vince said, looking at the map as well.

"But, what if there is nothing there?" Rhiannon asked. "It would just be a disappointment, and I have Mother's journals now."

"Dad said that your mom was part of a noble House, Rhiannon! There has to be something." Lucy said, pointing at the seal.

"Maybe there's a clue in the journals?" Loki guessed. "That would make sense, after all this was hidden here."

"Where do we start? There are four of them." Rhiannon said and sighed.

"Look at this family tree. It says that it is the Snowfall Clan." Belle said and showed them the page.

Loki nodded and pointed to the last entry, which was Rhiannon's name. "Well, you're the granddaughter of a Jotun Head of House."

"That's like equivalent to a Jarl here, right, Dad?" Belle confirmed.

"Correct. The ranks are slightly different over there but yes. That would be one step below a Duke, which only direct relatives of the royal family are there."

"But he died in the war." Rhiannon stated, looking up from the page.

"Did he? I would read those journals, sweetheart. Something tells me there's secrets in those pages you never knew about," Loki murmured.

"All right." She looked at the books, blinking at them. She felt like her world had been turned topsy-turvy. She was not only a commoner, but had noble blood in her from her mother's side of the family? She stared at the journals in her hands, and the old-fashioned clothing with Jotun embroidery upon it. The clothing was musty and yellowed but still well made.

"And while you're doing that, we can try and figure out the map," Serena said. "Dad's great at doing scavenger hunts and stuff."

Loki picked up the map. "First off, it would help if we turned it the right way." He turned the map right side up and suddenly they could see it was a map of the farm. "That's better!" He showed it to his kids. "Now, tell me what you see."

"That is the shack." Hunter said, pointing at the building.

"That's the barn," Belle said. "And there is the road."

"I wonder what is at the end?" Hunter said and grinned.

"Why don't we see if we can find the location?" Loki suggested, sensing that Rhiannon probably wanted privacy to read the journals. "We'll come back in a bit," he told her. He had a feeling whatever it was required something in the journal to reveal it.

"All right, who remembers how Uncle Thor taught you to find directions without a compass?" he asked the children.

"I do." Hunter said and grinned.

"If it is treasure, we are rich!" Vince said.

Sam hit herself in the forehead. "We already are rich, dodo brain!"

"Okay, but remember, whatever this leads to, it's not ours. It's Rhiannon's," Loki reminded. "Hunter, what direction does the map say we should go?"

"It says we should go east." Hunter said.

"She might share." Vince smirked.

"It is hers." Fenris warned, rolling his eyes. "Let us walk east then?"

"Let's find Rhiannon's treasure!" Aleta shouted.

"Yeah!" Max shouted.

They walked through the field, finding a path. Along the way, they saw a forgotten old swing hanging from a tree. It moved back and forth on its own in the summer breeze.

"Do you think that was Rhiannon's, Dad?" Belle asked, looking at Loki.

"It could have been, perhaps her mother made it for her." He replied, smiling at the swing.

He thought about a shy little girl sitting on that swing and how lonely she must have been.

"She must have had fun playing there." Max said.

"I bet she did, Imp."

"Should we check the map?" Sam asked and they stopped briefly.

Loki checked the map as he looked at the path and nodded.

"We need to go this way," Loki said and they headed down the path.

"How much further?" Aleta asked, holding his hand.

"I don't know, Spark," he said, picking her up.

"We need to go this way," Hunter said after taking the map from Loki.

"Are you sure?" Fenris asked and sighed.

Loki looked at the map when he sighed and rolled his eyes.

"If we go that way, we go off a cliff," Loki said and Hunter blushed.

"Trying to off us, Bro!?" Vince teased.

"No, I read it wrong," Hunter said and handed the map to Fenris.

"Where do we go?" Sam asked and looked at the map as well.

"This way," Fenris said, pointing to the right. They walked for a little while longer when they stopped and he looked at the map. Before them was a large cave entrance with some ivy hanging down and the ivy moved gently in the breeze.

"Yes! A spooky cave!" Vince said and Nate gave him a high five.

"Do you think it's safe for Nate to go in?" Sam asked.

"Hold on," Nate said and pushed some buttons on the control panel. The hover jets roared into life as he gave them a smug look and Loki laughed.

"Are we sure this is the way?" Serena asked, looking at the cave nervously.

"Looks like," Fenris said.

"Don't worry, moonpi," Loki said, waving his hand and several floating orbs appeared. He also cast a spell to scare away bugs and spiders and they headed for the cave.


	37. Treasures Untold, Secrets Unfold

**37**

 **Treasures Untold, Secrets Unfold**

 _The past hides treasures and secrets~ Loki_

Sam picked up Max while they entered the mouth of the cave and the floating orbs started glowing in a bright white light.

"I hope we find a huge treasure." Vince grumbled .

"Ooooooo!" Aleta said as she looked at the crystals hanging from the rocks on the ceiling and the whole cave shimmered. There were opalescent crystals across almost the entire surface of the porous limestone. Even in the dimmer light of the mageglobes, the entire cave glistened like something out of a myth or a legend. Serena, Lucy and Belle picked up some crystal shards lying on the ground as they walked along and Fenris sniffed the air. It was cool but not damp and there was an odd scent of frost in it. Loki noticed some writing on the walls as he blinked and realized the words were Jotun.

"What do they say, Dad?" Hunter asked.

"This says _My dearest daughter. If you found my journals, follow my clues and you will find something amazing_ ," Loki said.

"This cave is amazing." Sam said and looked at the gems.

"Are theses diamonds?" Vince asked, his jaw dropping.

"Not diamonds. They are rarer than that. These are Frost Opals." Loki replied.

"But I thought they were only native to Jotunheim" Belle said.

"Yes . . . except if you are an earth mage with a specialty in gems," Loki answered quietly. "Most earth mages have a plant specialty but some-a rare few-have a specialty with gems and crystals. It would seem Rhiannon's mother-I wish I knew her name-had that ability."

"How do you know, Dad?" Nate asked, looking about in awe.

"Because a gem mage can create veins of ores and mines of gems wherever they choose," Loki explained.

"Then why was Rhiannon poor?" Serena queried.

"Obviously, her mother did not wish to share that knowledge with her husband," Loki surmised. "Given his nasty nature. I can see why."

"Should we take these to Rhiannon?" Aleta asked, touching the pale blue stones with hidden fires deep within them.

"I think we should bring her here," Loki said. "This was left for her to find."

"Go get her. We will wait." Lucy encouraged. "She will be so happy to see this. They are beautiful!"

"These Frost Opals, are they worth a lot?" Vince wanted to know.

"On Jotunheim, they are a semi-precious stone. But here in Asgard . . .they are worth more than diamonds because they are so rare." Loki replied.

"Wow!" Vince said, touching one. "Rhiannon could sell these and make a lot of money."

"I will go and bring her here. All of you stay here and make sure you are quiet. We don't want anyone else knowing about this place." Loki cautioned.

"We will," they assured him. He teleported away.

Rhiannon started at his arrival, nearly dropping one book that she read from.

"Oh! It's you!" She gasped and closed the journal. She had tears in her eyes, and she wiped her face.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." He said. "You're upset, love. Why were you crying?" He knelt beside her, concerned.

"I wasn't . . . it's just that what I read . . . both shocked me and saddened me." She said, looking at the journals. "Mother was forced to marry Father... and I... I have relations in Jotunheim that still live."

"It was an alliance marriage? Like mine with Boda? And your relatives are alive? That's great news!"

"Yes. Only . . .." She bit her lip, her expression one of mixed anger, sorrow, and hope. "Father lied to me. He told me they were all dead."

"I am sorry for that. I know how that feels," he said sympathetically.

"Thank you, Loki. You would know, if anyone would, how it feels to find out what always believed about yourself was fake. I know this shouldn't come as a surprise, not after what I already learned he had done, but I feel as if I don't know who I am anymore." She blinked down at the books, a name embossed into the covers.

"Larimar," Loki read. "That's a blue gemstone in Jotunheim. Was that your mother's name?"

"Yes," she said while tears rolled down her cheek. He reached out a hand and gently wiped the tear away, and their eyes met in shared understanding.

"How well I know what you are feeling." He murmured. "For it is what I felt when I learned that I was an adopted Jotun prince. All I had once known crumbled like sand beneath my feet and I was left with nothing but dust that slipped through my fingers." His hand cupped her cheek.

"Does it get better?" Her hand closed upon his wrist, and clung like a lifeline to him.

"Yes. When you accept that your past is only part of who you are."

"Let me show you something," she said as she opened one of the journals. "She mentioned she was going to leave my father," she said, pointing at the journal entry. "She was going to take me, she wrote that she had been beaten terribly, and that she was weary of his treatment."How could I have been so blind? How could Father?"

" _Rurik thinks Frost Giants are monster, but it is HE who is the monster!'_ ," Loki said as he read the entry and he tried hard not to growl. Then he looked into Rhee's tear-glazed eyes and murmured, "Rhee, you were a child. You shouldn't blame yourself for not seeing how unhappy she was. Lots of times parents try and hide their feelings from their children, to protect them. As for your father, he only saw what he wanted, he was a selfish _kvarik!_ " The word Loki used was Jotun for "cruel-hearted bastard."

"There is so much more. I was to be a sister, but Mother lost the child because he hurt her terribly." She wept into her hands.

Loki paled. "Norns have mercy! Tell me." He sensed she needed to confide in someone, so she did not make herself sick from keeping everything inside.

"He poisoned her to keep her from using magic, he kept her too weak to protect herself."

Loki hugged her. "Poisoned how?"

"He made her drink some potion, to prevent her from shifting or using magic." She said and sobbed. Loki stroked her hair and handed her a handkerchief.

"I'm so sorry. May I read it?" Loki asked, and she handed him the journal. He read aloud, " _'I fought back from his abuse. I am a princess as well as a warrior and I will not be forced to bow to his wishes. He became frightened when I did fight back and swore he would do something to prevent me from attacking him again."_

"Yes, she was a proud woman. She would not let him touch her after a while." She said, wiping her eyes.

Loki looked through the pages when he found what sort of potion was used and his heart slammed hard in his chest.

"What is wrong, Loki?" Rhiannon asked him, her eyes red and puffy from crying.

"I just read what sort of potion she was given. It has to be taken daily or the potion wears off."

"He forced her to drink it every day?" Rhiannon asked, her face shocked.

"Yes, and he didn't care about the side effect."

"What sort of side effect?"

"Taking this daily caused her to become barren."

"Was she...? Was she taking it while carrying me?"

Loki looked through the journal.

" _'I stopped taking the potion for a while. I prayed he would finally allow me to have a child, and finally I persuaded him he needed an heir,_ " he said and Rhiannon placed her face against his shoulder. " _'I was overjoyed when I became pregnant, but he forced me to take the potion again. I begged him not to, as it would harm the baby, but he didn't care. He would pour it down my throat and laugh about me miscarrying. I prayed for that not to happen, but I was also afraid what the potion was doing to my baby. When Rhiannon was born, I was glad she was healthy and whole, but she showed only some magical skills. Was she barren as well? And Rurik was furious, saying I had given him nothing but a useless girl."_

"Damn him! Because of him I face never having a child!"

"You will have children. Meadowsweet cured you," he reminded her and she sniffed, nodding her head. "And no man has the right to make decisions such as that over a woman's own body. I never have."

"That is because you are a gentleman."

"And I also know what it is like raise a child of a forced union. You see, when I took down Grimes, I found in his records that Serena's father forced himself on her mother."

"No!" she gasped.

"Yes. He was a drug lord, a person who ruled over people who sold illegal medical substances, and she was his girlfriend. According to what I found out, he had attacked her and she became pregnant. She gave Serena up so she wouldn't have to live with the shame, but Serena doesn't know."

"And she never will," she promised and he gave her a small smile. "I suppose, that I should take these books back with me. And the trunk." She said softly.

"You should. And the saddle."

"It was hers," Rhiannon confirmed. "But Father sold her horse before I was born and so she put it away."

"But, before we go, I need to show you something," he said and she gave him a puzzled look. He slid his arms around her then they teleported, arriving in the cave.

"Oh!"

"Surprise!" Aleta and Max said with their arms up, Rhiannon looked at the Frost Opals and other gems in awe.

"It appears your mother was a gem mage," Loki said.

"Did she do all this?" Rhiannon gasped.

"Yes. Remember in the journal where she said she stopped taking the potion to stop her from shifting and using her powers? She must have found this cave and used her powers to make all this."

"Why didn't she...? No, I know why she didn't tell my father. He would have used all this to buy women and drink," Rhiannon growled, her sapphire eyes flashing.

"What would you like to do with the Frost Opals?"

"If you don't mind, I would like to give them to Odin as my way of thanking him for allowing me to marry you."

"What?!" Vince said and Hunter nudged him.

"Shut it," Hunter hissed.

"He wouldn't want you to give him something," Loki said as he hugged Rhiannon. "He agreed to our marriage because he wants me to be happy and he cares about you."

"Then I will give it as a gift to Asgard," Rhiannon said.

"Cool," Sleph said.

"Yeah. That would be really cool," Jorgy said.

"Wouldn't that make them not as rare anymore?" Belle asked.

"You're right, Raven," Loki said.

"But I wish to share them," Rhiannon protested. "I do not need all of them."

"Let us talk about what to do with them with my father. He might have some suggestions."

"I agree," she said with a nod and picked up several smaller pieces of Frost Opals.

"Is this the gift she left me?" She asked, looking around her and her toe brushed an old, metal chest.

She tripped, falling to the ground and rubbed her knee.

"Are you okay?" Loki asked, helping her up. "What is that?" He indicated the old metal chest.

"I don't know," she said, looking at the trunk.

"Open it!" Vince said.

She crawled over, running her hands over it and finding a lock.

"It is locked." Rhiannon frowned and picked up a rock to smash it with.

"Wait," Hunter said. "I can open it." He took out a thin metal instrument. "Lockpick."

"Where did you learn to do that?" She asked him, her eyes going wide.

"Dad didn't tell you? I used to run with a gang. Called ourselves Fenris. I was the best pickpocket and second story man in it. Nobody ever caught me, and I could pick any lock they had-as long as it wasn't magnetized." Hunter answered. "But that was before Dad adopted me."

"He did not mention this." Rhiannon said, watching him open the lock. "I suppose I should have him tell me about all of you."

"Or you can all tell Rhiannon about yourselves," Loki said calmly. "It's usually better if it comes from you."

"Man, there could be something valuable in that box." Vince said and rubbed his hands together.

There was a click and the lock sprang open. "Easy as pie," Hunter declared. "But I'm slow. I used to be able to pick a lock in ten seconds."

"I appreciate your effort." Rhiannon said and opened the box.

Inside were thousands of gold coins, a necklace of frost opals, diamonds, and pearls, and a bracelet with a set of earrings to match the necklace. Vince's eyes went wide at the sight and Rhiannon held the necklace in her hands.

"That is beautiful!" Serena said in awe.

"I bet that was your mother's wedding jewelry. And this was probably money given to her by her family for her new life." Loki surmised.

"Or she was hiding it to run away from my father." Rhiannon said, and Vince picked up an earring.

"You could pay for the wedding on this." Vince said and held the earring up to the light.

"That won't be necessary," Loki demurred. "I can pay for whatever we want. Or we could split it."

"Perhaps I could give these to Queen Frigga, she has pierced ears." Rhiannon offered.

"Dad could pierce your ears." Serena offered, and grinned.

"Why don't you wait a bit before giving anything away?" Loki suggested.

"Yes. Perhaps I should." She said and smiled to herself. She held the necklace in her hands, and picked up the bracelet. "I hope that I am not robbed on the way back for all of this."

"You won't be. Number one, nobody knows you have it, and I can hide it and number two, I can protect you and you can protect yourself if it came to it."

She nodded. "That is so. Where did you learn to pierce ears? Is it with an awl and a cork as Mother's was done?

"In New York. I ended up learning so I could pierce all my girls ears at one time. I bought an ear piercing gun and gold earrings with their birthstones in them and I froze their ears with my frost magic. It took two seconds and was painless. Right, girls?"

"It was." Sam agreed, the rest of the girls nodding.

"And nobody's ears got infected, because Dad made sure everything was sterile and we took care of them right," Serena remembered.

"I don't remember it," Aleta said.

"That's because you were a baby, spark." Loki told her.

"You pierced her ears as a baby?" Rhiannon asked.

Loki nodded. "She was eleven months old when I did that. Some people on Earth have their babies ears pierced a few weeks after they are born. That way they grow up with the earrings."

"And it does not hurt at all?" Rhiannon asked, thinking of having Loki pierce her ears.

"No." Belle assured her. "Once Dad numbed our ears we felt nothing. Even after it wore off it didn't hurt."

"Oh. I never had mine pierced, only nobles did that." Rhiannon said.

"You can do it now." Aleta said

"I can hold your hand." Max said and reached up for her hand.

"Would you like me to pierce your ears?" Loki asked.

Rhiannon hesitated. "You don't need to—" she began.

"That wasn't what I asked," Loki said patiently.

"We-e-ll . . .."

"Do it! Do it!" the girls encouraged.

"Oh why not?" Rhiannon chuckled. "Go ahead."

"You can squeeze my hand if it hurts," Max told her.

"It doesn't," Serena informed him.

"Okay." Loki said, and summoned two things. One was his ear-piercing gun, the other was the set of Frost Opals that had been Astra's. "These are a gift from my mother," he said and he placed them on the gun. "They were Astra's and she would want you to have them. They have an enchantment upon them that prevents anyone from controlling your mind—magically or otherwise."

"Oh Loki! Are you sure?"

"Yes. Now this won't hurt, because I'm going to numb your ears with my frost magic," he explained. "Just stay still, darling."

Rhiannon remained very still and Loki used his magic to numb her ear lobes. Then he cleaned them with a cotton swab dipped in a small amount of alcohol from his medic satchel. After that he held her head and used the gun to pierce her ear and place the earring in. He did the same to her opposite ear.

The entire operation took seconds and did not hurt at all.

"You didn't cry!" Max exclaimed. "Wow! You're brave!"

"It did not hurt, little scamp," Rhiannon told him, tousling his hair.

"Here. Look!" Loki held a small mirror for her to see her newly pierced ears.

"They are beautiful," she said, admiring the shimmering jewelry. "Thank you, Loki."

"You will be the envy of all the ladies at court," he chuckled and kissed her lightly.

She laughed and kissed him back.

The boys groaned at the display.

"Come on, we should take this chest and some of the opals and put them on the horses." Loki instructed.

**A/N: I would like to clarify something because a reader was confused. This story takes places over WEEKS in Asgard, and sometimes several chapters span a DAY or TWO DAYS. For instance the last few chapters and three more upcoming ones span a DAY. While it might seem to some people like months have passed in Asgard for Loki, Rhee, and the kids, that is not the case. So much has occurred within the span of a few weeks, that it may seem like longer. I'm saying this because a reader complained to me about how it seemed as though Loki and Rhee were never getting betrothed and married. Well, it's not going to happen overnight. I am a fan of the slow romance, where people take time to get to trust each other and know each other before they suddenly get married or sleep together. Remember, Loki and Rhee both have huge self-confidence and trust issues because they were abused and hurt before so that will take time to overcome. However, never doubt they love each other. Because they do, very deeply. But the first and most important cornerstone of any relationship is trust. So for those of you impatient that Loki and Rhee are not kissing behind the pillars and shrubbery every second, keep in mind that their passion is secondary to trust and self-confidence, especially in Rhee's case.**


	38. That's Amore!

**37**

 **That's Amore!**

 _When the moon hits your eye like Thor knocked it from the sky—that's amore!-Loki_

"It is heavy, My Prince." Rhiannon said and took out thirteen gold coins from it. She handed them to the children, hoping she was not overstepping boundaries.

"I can carry it." Loki assured her. He picked it up and put it on his shoulder.

"Awesome!" Vince said, Rhiannon handing him the coin.

"What do you say?" Loki prompted them.

"Thank you, Rhiannon." The children chorused. Rhiannon smiled back.

"It was alright that I gave them those?" Rhiannon asked.

"Yes, of course."

"Daddy, will you hold mine?" Max asked, holding up the coin

"Yes, Max," he said taking it.

"Hold mine too?" Aleta asked.

"Okay," Loki took hers and put it in the other pocket.

"Are we going to burn the house down?" Hunter asked, looking around.

"Was there anything in the house you wanted?" Loki asked Rhiannon.

"There is something hidden near the stove."

"The trunk we found, the saddle, and whatever is hidden near the stove," Loki listed the things they were keeping. "Plus this box and the location of this cave. All right. Let's see what's by the stove, then I'm going to torch the house and the barn."

They all walked back to the farm house and Loki followed Rhiannon into the shack to see where something was hidden by the stove.

She reached behind it, removing a portrait of a blonde-haired woman.

"Who is she?" Serena asked.

"Is that Larimar?" Loki guessed

"It is. This is my mother." She said, showing him the portrait. She looked very much like Rhiannon, and their smiles were almost the same.

"She was beautiful. You resemble her greatly." Loki remarked and gave her a smile. "Much as I do my birth mother Astra." He fished the little portrait Odin had given him of Astra out of his pocket to show Rhiannon.

"She was lovely, you do have her eyes and hair." Rhiannon noticed. "You share many features, actually." She smiled at the picture giving it back.

"Your Mommy was pretty, Daddy." Aleta said.

"Thanks, spark. I think so too." Loki put it in his pocket. "Okay, let's get the portrait out of here and then I want everyone to stay back by the horses."

"Yes, Father." Jorgy said, nodding at him.

"Why did she hide this picture?" Hunter said, taking it from his father. Fenris stared at a pile of old rags and blankets, frowning.

"Maybe so her father didn't sell it or destroy it?" Loki said.

"Oh. Come on, Fenris." Hunter said and he looked at his brother.

"She slept there." Fenris said, glaring at the pile.

Hunter nodded. "Some of us slept on stuff like that in the warehouse before we stole mattresses off a furniture truck. We gotta go."

"This is barbaric." Fenris growled, turning to leave.

Once he had made certain all the children and Rhiannon were safely away from the shack and the barn, Loki shifted into his green and gold dragon form.

He crouched and his neck bent into a sinuous shape as he drew in a lungful of air and then breathed in a long cone upon the dilapidated structures.

The dragonfire was so hot it turned electric blue and the shack and barn went up instantly, Loki let the fire burn for a few moments, then narrowed his eyes and willed it to stop. The fire winked out, leaving only a charred circle.

"That is the end of that." Jorgy said, clapping his hands.

"I'm glad it is gone, it improves the land for sale." Rhiannon said calmly, something in her pulling her to shift. She pushed it back down, not wanting to do it.

Loki's scales glittered like purest emeralds in the noonday sun, and glistened off his golden wings and horns.

"That is so cool!" Sam said and Vince ran toward him.

"He is huge!" Nate said.

"It is quite the sight." Rhiannon said admiringly.

Loki turned his massive head and his neck bent almost like a question mark.

"Hi, Daddy!" Max said, waving.

"Hi, Daddy!" Aleta said, waving and jumping up and down.

"Please be careful." Rhiannon said, standing very still. Despite the fact that he still kept his mind as a dragon, this was still a dangerous form for a shifter to take, even a master like Loki. No one knew that better than she did.

Loki gave them a draconic smile, and gently blew warm air on them. "It's okay."

Then he felt a tickle in his foot.

"Who is tickling my foot?"

"You can feel that?" Vince called.

"He is a dragon. Not paralyzed." Nate said.

Loki lifted one foot then the other, but couldn't see who was tickling him.

"Do stop, I don't think he likes that." Rhiannon said, still staring at Loki, worried that the dragon instinct would take over.

"No, I don't mind. I just don't want to accidentally step on someone," Loki said.

"Perhaps we should just stay back, before he crushes someone." Rhiannon said, still looking up in awe.

She felt so small, his snout coming around inches from her face. He took in a long breath of her perfume, smelling her.

She lifted a hand and stroked his nose, finding his scales soft yet harder than steel. "You are impressive and beautiful in this form."

He smiled at her, the way dragons do. Her hand caressed under his chin, soft fingers gliding along it to his throat. He looked back at a sudden weight, seeing Vince trying to climb up his leg.

"Vince, what are you doing?" Loki asked.

"Just seeing how hard it would be to climb up to your back." The boy responded fearlessly.

Loki rolled his eyes. "You can't ride me without a saddle. Even your Uncle Thor needed one when he rode me last time, when we were looking for Mjolnir."

"O.k. Dad, I was just curious." Vince groaned, getting down.

Loki felt a sudden itch by his right shoulder and used the pointed ridge on his tail tip to scratch it. Several scales came loose and drifted to the ground. A dragon's hide had several layers of scales and when new scales grew beneath the old ones, he shed.

"You can have those," Loki told them. "If you make them into pendants and wear them no type of fire, including magical fire, can harm you. It's also protection against magical attacks that try and control your mind."

The kids ran forward, picking them up and laughing. Rhiannon watched them in amusement, all of the children pocketing their treasures and giggling.

"Thanks Dad! These are so cool!" Sam said and looked at hers.

It was a glimmering emerald color, sleek and hard and was deep green at the tip and then shading to a lighter green. It was around one inch thick and about one inch in diameter.

"We need to make a hole near the top, and no one will ever believe us." Hunter said. "But this is super cool."

"I can do that," Loki said, and held out a clawed foot for one.

Sam handed hers to him and he used a single claw to pierce a hole in it.

"Thanks Dad!" Sam said and put it in her pocket. Rhiannon sat on an old, decaying chair and watched the children.

He did all of them neatly and then plucked a larger scale from beside his horn that was both green and gold and pierced it, then handed it to Rhiannon. "For you."

"Thank you." She said politely and slipped the gift into her pocket.

The scale was still warm, and she felt as if she carried him with her.

"Okay, I'm going to change back. Then we can eat the lunch we packed and return to the palace," he said, and all the kids groaned when he shifted.

"Okay." Vince huffed.

"Can we ride Toothless today, Daddy?" Aleta asked, jumping up and down.

"No, not today, spark. After we get back to the palace, I have a few things I need to do. Like putting all this in the vault and you all need baths before supper." Tonight was also the funeral, which he wasn't sure his youngest two should go to, he feared it would give them nightmares. "Then we need to get ready for the funeral."

"We should put the FUN in funeral." Hunter said, laughing.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Belle asked.

"Do we have to go, Daddy?" Max asked, looking nervous.

Loki looked at Rhiannon. "Perhaps Max and Aleta shouldn't. They might get nightmares."

"I agree, they could play in their chambers." Rhiannon nodded. She wished she did not have to attend either, but she knew that protocol required it. At least Loki would be there with her, and she took comfort in his presence.

Loki nodded. "That's a good idea. We can have Joy and Halgran give them baths and watch them."

Everyone ran around, the girls finding rocks to hold the corners and Rhiannon setting out the food neatly. The boys set out the plates and silverware, Max handing out napkins.

Loki, Fenris, and Jorgy gave the horses water and nosebags of feed.

"Ready, Dad!" Lucy called, pointing at all the food.

"Okay, let's eat, boys," he said to his older sons and they went over to claim spots on the grass.

"Awesome!" Hunter said, running over to get some of the food.

Loki fixed a plate and went to sit next to Rhiannon. There were familiar meat and chicken vegetable pies, biscuits, pickles, and carrot raisin salad. For dessert there was a very large bag of cookies.

"I am glad they are enjoying the food." Rhiannon said, smiling at him.

"Did you make those pies and biscuits again?" Loki asked, eating a meat pie. He grinned at her happily.

"I may have, Skytreader." She murmured, looking at him from under her lashes.

"I thought so. It's delicious, as always," he praised.

"You cook as good as Dad," Belle said, eating another pie, this one of chicken.

"Thank you." She said.

"You know what I miss?" Nate said suddenly. "Eating spaghetti and meatballs and garlic bread on Sundays."

"What is that?" Rhiannon asked, smiling.

"It's a dish I make for Sunday dinner. I learned from an old Italian lady named Mary. She taught me how to make meatballs and sauce and spaghetti is long skinny noodles." Loki explained. He looked thoughtful. "You know, I could summon spaghetti and my sauce and Parmesan cheese from home. Then I just have to make meatballs here."

"If you wish to." Rhiannon said and set her plate down on the blanket.

"Can we have it for dinner tonight?" Max asked.

"Uh, I guess I can do that. I'll replicate enough for everyone to eat." Loki chuckled thinking of all the Asgardians eating spaghetti and meatballs. "You want garlic bread too?"

"Yes!" Aleta said, cheering.

He mentally calculated how much food he would need for everyone, then quadrupled it because people might want seconds and Thor and Volstagg would be eating.

"Daddy, can I help roll the meatballs?" Aleta asked, that was how she helped Loki cook at home.

"Me too!" Max said.

"You can both help," the God of Mischief answered.

"Looks like Rhiannon will not be needed." Hunter laughed.

"Would you like to help too?" Loki offered, knowing the little ones would almost be more of a hindrance. "I have to make a lot of meatballs and fry them."

"I would. If you need it." Rhiannon said and ate some biscuit.

"I will. I usually fry up some and leave them without sauce and put the rest in it because some of my kids like to eat them that way."

"Yeah and tell Uncle Thor to stay outta the kitchen," remarked Vince. "He usually eats half of them before Dad even puts them on the table."

"They sound very good. I would like to learn how to make these." Rhiannon said excitedly.

"They aren't hard. But you don't really measure the spices," Loki explained. "I'll show you."

They finished lunch, saddled the horses, and rode back to the palace. After Loki put the chest with the gold and the necklace and earrings in his vault, as well as the Frost Opals, he went down to the kitchens to tell Jorsi and Kara what he was going to be doing the cooking for dinner with Rhiannon, Aleta, and Max.

He summoned six boxes of spaghetti, eight jars of sauce and three containers of Parmesan cheese from his house. Then he replicated everything in quadruple the amount. Some of the cheese would be used in the meatballs but the rest would be placed on the tables for people to put over their spaghetti. He told the servers what the cheese was for so they could tell the diners at the tables.

"How do you cook that?" Rhiannon asked.

"You boil water in big pots, and then add the spaghetti to it. It is done in about 9 minutes, then you drain it and put the sauce with meatballs over it. You just need to heat up the sauce since it's made already. I'll put the meatballs in once they are fried."

She turned the jar of sauce in her hands, studying the label.

It said **Marinara Sauce by Loki** in his handwriting. The ingredients were listed on the opposite side-crushed tomatoes, tomato puree, water, and Italian spices, onions, and garlic.

Jorsi and Kara got out huge pots for the sauce and several for the spaghetti and had their scullery maids fill three pots with water, pinches of salt and a small amount of vegetable oil. "That's so the pasta won't stick," Loki explained.

Rhiannon helped open the jars of sauce and empty them into the pots, the chefs and the Healer tasting some as they did so.

"This has an excellent flavor, My Prince!" Jorsi said. "You will need to show me how to do this."

"It tastes delicious." Rhiannon praised, dipping a spoon in it and tasting the sauce.

"Thank you. I will need a morning, since it takes hours to simmer this so everything blends together." Loki said.

The scullery maids got out huge frying pans and put oil in them. They brought several loaves of stale bread at Loki's direction and put them to soak in large bowls with water in the sink. They brought him four pounds of ground beef, eggs, and the following spices-garlic powder, onion powder, basil, oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper. Loki took a few containers of Parmesan as well.

"My, this is fairly simple to make." Rhiannon observed.

He had a large bowl and he explained that you just added the meat, the cheese, one egg for each pound of beef, and you squeezed out the bread and crumbled it into the meat mixture. Then you added the spices. "The problem here is you don't measure, you just sort of eyeball it. Mary said just make sure you have plenty of each." He shook each spice into the bowl. "Now you mix it, use your hands, but first I put some oil on them, makes it easier to roll the meatballs."

He demonstrated, mixing everything thoroughly. "Now you roll the meatballs while you heat up the oil. You want them a little smaller than a golf ball. This size." He rolled one to demonstrate. "Then you set them here on a tray until you are ready to fry. They take a few minutes and you turn them once, until they are brown and crispy. Then you drain them on some paper and either put them in the sauce or leave them in a bowl."

"That looks easy enough. I believe that I can do this." She replied, rolling meatballs quickly.

The kids, Rhiannon, and Loki began rolling meatballs and setting them on the tray. Loki made several of them before the oil was hot enough to fry and he placed a batch in both frying pans and watched them, turning them once with a long fork.

Soon the delicious aroma of frying meatballs spread throughout the kitchen and up the stairs.

Loki put the first batches to drain and then fried up more, until all of the meatballs were fried. Then he replicated them until it looked like there were hundreds of meatballs. Then he gave his helpers one each and ate one himself.

He took half the meatballs and placed them in the pots of sauce. The others he left in bowls for each table.

"It looks as though we are feeding an army." Rhiannon said and laughed.

"Well, how do you like them?" he asked.

"Yummy!" Max said, licking his fingers.

"Delicious!" Rhiannon said, devouring hers.

Jorsi took one from a bowl. "They are delicious! Thor and Volstagg will each eat a bowl, I'd wager."

"I could eat several myself," Kara said. "My mother would be proud of you, Loki."

Loki gave her a slightly embarrassed smile. "Thanks, Kara. And you'd be right, Jorsi. My brother can eat a bowl by himself. In fact, if he were here, that's what he would be doing."

Suddenly they heard footsteps coming down the stairs and Thor's voice. "Balder, I swear I smell meatballs. But that's impossible, because no one here except Loki knows how to make them."

"What are they?" Balder asked.

Thor sniffed. 'They are delicious! Loki makes the best ones." They entered the kitchen and Thor stared at the bowls of meatballs. "I knew it! Loki, you made meatballs!" He grinned in delight.

"There goes all the food." Max said.

"Brother, you have a nose like a bloodhound!" Loki laughed. "I swear you can smell my meatballs all the way across Manhattan!"

Loki waved a hand and two bowls of meatballs popped up. "Here. You can each have a bowl. I know Thor won't share, Balder."

"Not these I won't!" Thor declared and took the bowl and popped a meatball in his mouth. He sighed happily.

"He will want more." Balder said, eating his own.

Loki shrugged, "I'll replicate another bowl."

Thor looked about the kitchen. "Are you making spaghetti, Loki?"

"Yes. But right now I'm making garlic bread." He replied, cutting a loaf of crispy long bread lengthwise and spreading melted butter, chopped garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper on the halves and placing them on large baking sheets.

"What does that taste like?" Balder asked.

"Like bread in Valhalla," Thor answered. He slyly tried to steal a meatball from Balder.

"Hands off, brother." Balder said, glaring at Thor.

Loki shook his head. "Here, you bottomless pit." He gave Thor a second bowl of meatballs and took the other one to be washed in the sink. "Rhiannon, think you can make two more garlic breads and then I'll replicate them?"

"I can." She said, chewing another meatball.

"These are addicting," Kara said, eating another. "Wait until Sigurd and my Loki taste these. They'll want me to make them all the time."

"Did I mention you can freeze them and just heat them up later?" Loki said. "I do that a lot for my family."

Loki washed the bowl and the frying pans, and then set out strainers in the proper sinks for the spaghetti. The under cooks got out the bowls for the spaghetti and serving forks and spoons. Loki put the spaghetti in the water when it boiled and then the garlic breads in to bake.

He replicated the loaves until the counter was covered with them.

He stirred the pots of sauce with meatballs and soon the fragrance of sauce filled the kitchen as well.

He timed the spaghetti on his watch.

"This kitchen smells like Valhalla." Balder moaned, looking down at his empty bowl.

"You want more?" Loki asked.

"Then I won't eat whatever smells so heavenly." His brother sighed.

Loki took the garlic bread out and sliced it and placed the slices on a platter. "Here, taste this."

"Oh Norns!" Balder said, eating the slice with gusto.

Loki gave everyone in the kitchen their own slice to eat.

He gave Thor a half a loaf.

"This is so very good. I hope there is some left." Kara said, looking for more.

Loki replicated more.

While the cooks sliced the bread, Loki's watch beeped and the spaghetti was done. He showed them how to drain it and then mix the sauce with meatballs over it. "Then you add the Parmesan once it's on your plate." He made a sample plate and then gave it to Kara and Jorsi to share.

"Okay, I think we're ready." Loki said, removing his apron. He waved a hand and they were all clean and ready to go into the dining hall. "Let's go upstairs, because I am starving."

Thor and Balder made a beeline for the exit.

Loki just picked up Max and Aleta and had Rhiannon hold his hand, then he teleported them all to the hall.

They could smell the marinara sauce, garlic bread and meatballs in the hall also. Loki's children were all sitting down, sniffing the air and looking delighted.

"Dad, you really made meatballs and spaghetti?" cried Serena.

"Rhiannon helped!" Max said, crossing his arms.

"Yes, Rhiannon, Max, and Aleta all helped me with the meatballs and the garlic bread," Loki agreed.

The maids came in with platter of bread and bowls of spaghetti and meatballs, serving the High Table first.

The squires and pages came around with pitchers of mead, ale, frost wine, and pear juice.

Loki showed everyone how to put cheese on the spaghetti and meatballs and how to twirl the spaghetti with his fork and then eat it.

"Or you can do this." Hunter said, sucking in a long noodle.

"Daddy cooks the best!" Aleta announced and everyone laughed.

For several long minutes the only sounds in the hall were people eating and moaning in pleasure, or asking for more bread, cheese, or meatballs.

"I believe this is a hit." Odin said, eating another meatball.

"It is divine!" Volstagg declared. "Loki, if I knew you could cook this good _I_ would have married you!"

They all laughed at the big man's wit, and Volstagg ate another plateful of spaghetti and meatballs.

"I think Rhiannon would complain about you stealing her betrothed." Thor laughed, Rhiannon sucking in a long noodle like Hunter did.

"After what I heard about her and those slavers, I agree that it is not a good idea to anger the Lady," Volstagg said with a laugh and Rhiannon blushed.

"Is he making fun?" she whispered to Loki.

"Yes," Loki said with a nod and she softly laughed.

"More!" Thor shouted and Loki rolled his eyes.

"Any more, brother, and you won't fit into your armor," Loki teased.

Rhiannon and Hunter amused themselves by sucking in noodles, both of them laughing as they whipped themselves in the face on accident.

"Daddy, you and Rhee should do the pasta kiss from Lady and the Tramp," Aleta said and Rhiannon looked at her.

"What is she talking about?" Rhiannon asked.

"Oh man! Do it!" Lucy yelled.

"It is an animated movie about two dogs. One is a pampered Cocker Spaniel and the other is a mutt. They meet and fall in love and Tramp takes her out for a spaghetti dinner in the alley of the Italian restaurant," Loki explained. He moved a little closer when, suddenly, Bella Notte started playing. She watched as Loki moved the dish closer to her as he scooted over, his eyes shining with love. She watched him nudge a meatball over the spaghetti with his nose and gave her a sad puppy look. Smiling, she ate the meatball while he found a long enough noodle and offered her one end of the noodle. Giving him a curious look, she placed the end of the noodle in her mouth as he placed the other end in his and they both started slurping the noodle. Their heads drew closer and closer until their lips met and he kissed her.

She giggled, her eyes shining, as everyone laughed. As always his kisses stirred her in ways she had only dreamed of and she longed for it to never end.

Loki would have happily kissed her forever, but he knew he had to stop.

"Yay!" Max and Aleta shouted and the room was filled with cheers and laughter. Blushing, Rhiannon moved back then wiped Loki's nose with a napkin and he smiled.

Frigga looked at Odin as he arched his eyebrows up and softly laughed.

"My darling, if I did that, I would have sauce all over my beard and would look like someone smashed me in the mouth," he whispered. She softly giggled then kissed his cheek and he slid his arm around her shoulders.

Then the Queen noticed the glittering earrings on Loki's betrothed. "Why, Rhiannon! You got your ears pierced!"

"Yes, Loki did them for me. He said that Astra would have wanted me to wear these." Rhiannon said proudly.

"She would indeed and I am happy that Loki pierced your ears. Did he use that new earring gun?"

Rhiannon nodded. "Yes, and it did not hurt at all."

Frigga smiled. "Loki, I must try that gun out on my ladies who don't have pierced ears."

"You look very beautiful, my lady," Fandral said gallantly. He looked at her earrings thoughtfully.

"You could get one too, Fandral," Loki said slyly. "The ladies would find it dashing. A small diamond stud."

"Really?" Fandral looked intrigued. "How long will it take?"

"Seconds," Loki said. "Then all you need to do is to make sure you clean the ear with some peroxide and put some salve on the back and turn the earring three times a day. It will heal in a few weeks and then you can take the earring out and put in a different one if you wish."

"Can I get different colors to match my tunics?"

"Yes."

"Oh Norns!" Thor groaned but he was smiling.

"Will you do it, Loki?"

"I shall. Just buy a diamond stud set in gold," Loki replied.

"I shall come to you tomorrow," Fandral said eagerly.

His friends all rolled their eyes.

The servers brought in spumoni, which was Italian ice cream, with whipped cream on top of the chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry scoop and a cherry to top it all off.

Loki knew Rhiannon would be a little embarrassed, but he scooped some of the spumoni onto the spoon and moved the spoon toward her mouth.

"Open," he whispered.

"What?" She asked, looking at the spoon.

"Open your mouth," he said. She opened her mouth as he fed her then handed the spoon to her. "Now you feed me."

"Why? Is this another Midgard custom?"

"Because it's fun and romantic," he said and she shyly smiled. They ignored the giggles and hoots as they fed each other and the kids sighed, rolling their eyes.

"I guess we're going to have to get used to the mushy stuff," Vince whispered and Nate nodded.

Rhiannon snickered as some ice cream got on her nose. "I must look a sight! This is romantic?"

'Yes. Especially if I happen to kiss you afterwards," he murmured.

She colored and looked at the bowl of ice cream, though she secretly longed to feel his lips on hers again.

He gently put a finger under her chin and tipped her head up so she was looking at him. She saw his beloved face, so gentle and handsome and she leaned in and their mouths met in a sweetly romantic kiss that tasted of ice cream and cherries.

"Children present!" Belle shouted, Hunter making gagging noises.

"You had better get used to that!" Thor laughed.

"Speaking of kissing, where is your lady, Thor?" Fandral asked curiously.

"She wanted to wait a day before she came here," Thor explained. "She was doing some research she needed to finish." His tone suggested he was not happy about that.

Loki suspected they had gotten into an argument over it and was glad he hadn't been there.

"Perhaps she will be ready tomorrow." Frigga said, sipping wine.

Thor nodded shortly and ate more ice cream, his expression saying that had better be the case.

He saw Sif smirk to herself, glancing at Thor and sipping some mead.

 _Silly mortal,_ the goddess thought. _Thinking that Thor will wait forever upon her. She forgets, to him his family means everything, and if she cannot grasp that, best she let him be._

Rhiannon saw what was happening, her eyes going wide at Sif and she blushed. _So that's the way the wind blows!_

 **A/N: Hope you all liked this chapter! Next up, the funeral where something happens with a bang! In case you were wondering, I'm Italian and make spaghetti and meatballs almost every Sunday. The "Mary" mentioned that Loki learned to cook this from is in honor of my late mother, who taught me.**


	39. Snap, Crackle, Boom!

**38**

 **Snap, Crackle, Boom!**

 _Some people go out with a bang! ~Loki_

After the meal was over, Loki and Rhiannon left to prepare for the funeral. Frigga had given them both black roses and black arm bands for themselves and the children to wear. Loki and Rhiannon would wear a black braid in their hair, so would Jorgy and Fenris and Sleph, to honor Rhiannon, the other children would wear the armbands and roses alone.

Before leaving her to get changed, Loki used his magic to dye a single section of Rhiannon's hair so she could braid it.

"I wish I did not have to do this." She sighed, looking at the floor.

"I know, but it's only for a little while," he soothed. "Once the weekend comes I can change it back."

 _Three days_ , he thought, _until the betrothal ceremony._

"I know. He was such a monster though."

"I agree," Loki sighed. "Believe me, I would have just thrown him in a hole but we have to appear proper."

"I know. I should go change."

"I will meet you with the children by the front gates."

He visited each of his older children to hand out the armbands and the roses, then went to his chambers to change. He wore simple black trousers with a silver tunic with black ribbons on the collar and cuffs. He put on the armband and muttered, "This is for her, not you, old bastard!" Then he braided a lock of his hair, leaving the rest in a silver diadem.

Rhiannon put on a rose-colored gown, fixing her hair back and pinning on the rose. Her expression was forlorn, hating her father for doing everything he did.

Satisfied she was as ready as she would ever be, she went down the hall to wait for Loki at the main entrance. He was there with some of the children, only Hunter, Vince, and Fenris were missing.

"Hello, My Princes." She said politely.

"We're almost ready," Loki said. "Fenris went back to hurry along Hunter and Vince, who can be slow as molasses sometimes."

"For this, I cannot blame them," Thor said, adjusting his cape so his armband showed. He had a dark braid on the right side.

Balder, Sif, and the Warriors joined them, and soon after so did Hunter, Fenris, and Vince.

"I don't see why they force us to mourn a bastard." Balder said, gritting his teeth.

"You know it's only for appearances sake, brother," Loki reminded him. "Nobody here mourns him."

"I mourn the fact I didn't get to kick his teeth in," Thor growled.

"I think many mourn that, little brother." Balder said with a laugh.

"I hit him a few good ones from you before we arrested him," Loki told Thor.

"Good,"Thor said. "I hope Hel holds no surprises for him."

Soon Frigga and Odin joined them and they processed down to the beach where the pyre was to be lit. The body was already shrouded on top of it.

Loki walked solemnly with Rhiannon, her arm in his.

The children behind him nudged each other and whispered.

"So when are you gonna sing it?" Hunter whispered to Vince.

"When it starts to happen," the Ghost Speaker muttered.

"What did you do?" whispered Nate.

"Something really funny," Hunter replied. "You'll see. Just watch the pyre."

Rhiannon was handed the torch and she let go of Loki to light the fire. She placed the end on the dry wood, backing away as it all ignited. She left the burning pyre, going to stand beside Loki, who put an arm about her.

The kids all stared intently at the flames, waiting to see what was going to happen.

The oil-soaked wood went up in stages, crackling and leaping from one tier to the next. The smell of charred wood surrounded them, as well as herbs that the body was strewn with.

Suddenly a loud pop startled everyone, Rhiannon jumping and covering her head. Everyone glanced at one another, not knowing what had happened.

More hisses and bangs followed and suddenly colored lights shot up from the blazing pyre into the air and exploded.

The kids all cheered and Vince sang the following ditty:

"On top of old smokey

all covered with blood

I shot the old bastard

with a 44 slug

I went to his funeral

on top of the pyre

everybody threw flowers

I threw a grenade!"

No sooner had he said that then a huge bottle rocket went off screaming into the sky to burst in blue, red, and gold streaks.

The kids almost fell down laughing.

Rhiannon blinked in shock, looking around with her mouth wide open. She watched the fireworks explode above her, her mouth twitching, until it all died down.

Loki wasn't sure whether to scold whichever of his kids was responsible or to burst out laughing. He opened his mouth to ask who had done this when he heard suppressed giggling coming from Fandral, Volstagg, and Thor.

"Well, he certainly was sent off with a bang!" Hogun remarked, his mouth twitching into a half smile.

"Told you it was going to be funny." Vince whispered to Hunter.

As if that was a signal, suddenly Rhiannon started laughing, then Loki, and then everyone else.

"Whose-hahaha-idea was this?" Odin tried to ask inbetween giggles.

Balder was holding his side. "I think I broke a rib!" Then he just kept laughing.

Finally Rhiannon fell silent, staying still and letting her eyes fall back on the ground. Some nobles approached, offering their condolences and leaving quietly. One councilman sneered, muttering about Rhiannon being a commoner who deserved nothing before leaving.

Odin scowled at the man and Loki could tell he was marking that one in his mind and probably thinking about giving the man a stern warning or a dismissal.

"I think we messed up." Hunter said and blinked.

Vince shook his head. "No. There are always a few dumb ones who don't get it."

She closed her eyes, and Thor stopped laughing slowly. She stood on one side of the flames from everyone else, alone as the pyre collapsed in on itself. Her eyes opened, and Loki could swear he saw slitted pupils in her eyes.

 _Dragon eyes! I saw her eyes become dragon eyes!_ He thought, but when he looked again they were her normal sapphire blue.

She looked stern suddenly, her expression cold and she stared into the flames. She studied the flames, not moving and leaving by herself suddenly without a word.

"What is wrong with her?" Thor asked, and Balder shrugged his shoulders.

"I do not know. Perhaps she is tired." Balder said and grinned.

"I will go and fetch Jane then. Since the funeral is now over." Thor said, slapping Loki on the back and laughing.

"Are you sure it is a good idea to bring Jane here?" Balder asked, not hiding his dismay.

"Gods, Thor. The poor girl has been through enough, now you are forcing her to meet Jane?" Fandral asked, his eyes rolling.

"That is unfair to Jane!" Thor protested.

"Perhaps, it would 've best to wait on bringing Jane back?" Sif suggested.

"Nonsense! She is looking forward to visiting, and seeing Loki again."

"She called him a jackass who "played field hockey with her friend's brain." Sif retorted, glaring.

"Doctor Selvig is quite recovered, and has stopped hiding behind the couch during thunderstorms." Thor groaned. "And Jane forgave Loki since he was controlled."

"Was that before or after Darcy got drunk and did a striptease in front of our house in the middle of the street?" Sam demanded. "Cause she's lucky Dad stopped her before Mandy called the cops. Or had heart failure. An eighty-year-old lady doesn't need to see that."

"I didn't need to see that!" Hunter chimed in. "I almost needed therapy!"

"Lady Lewis is a free spirit." Thor defended.

"Then she oughta hook up with Mr. Orman 'cause he likes to run naked through the park. "Vince said.

"How do you know?" Sam asked her little brother.

"You can see a lot through Nate's telescope besides stars," he answered impudently.

"She yelled to the whole neighborhood that Jane picked the wrong brother because Dad was hot as the F-bomb. It was horrifying." Sam said.

"Especially because we had school the next day and that was all anyone was talking about-the drunk date that was doing a pole dance in the middle of the street in front of our house," Belle sighed. "I so wanted to erase some people's memories."

"May I meet the lady?" Fandral said, grinning.

"Any woman that takes her clothes off is one Fandral wants to meet," Sif snorted, amused.

"You think you want to, but trust me, you won't last five seconds after she starts laughing like Ed on the Lion King." Serena remarked.

"That was the best when Max said it!" Lucy giggled.

"It was funny," Serena giggled.

"Perhaps we should not speak about Darcy." Loki said, turning five shades of red.

"Yeah, let's not and say we did," Nate remarked.

"Maybe I should bring Darcy and Jane back here," Thor teased.

Loki thought back to the day he had met Jane. She had slapped him because of what he did in New York and he was impressed with her nerve to strike a member of the royal house. What didn't impress him was her reaction after learning he was being controlled by Thanos.

"You're not fooling me. I bet you were working with him the whole time." echoed in his head as well as her disgusted look and Loki sighed, shaking his head.

He really wished Thor would take off his blinders and realize that the two of them weren't any good for each other. They had nothing in common except physical attraction, and all of Thor's friends and family did not really like her. That right there should have been a red flag. As for Darcy . . . "Red flag, Thor! That woman isn't coming within five feet of me. You don't invite your ex-dates to meet your betrothed."

"I agree with Loki," Odin said suddenly. "One mortal is enough right now."

"Come on, kids. You all need to be in bed. It's late." Loki said suddenly, not wishing to discuss Jane and Darcy any longer or have his kids recalling them either. He avoided Jane whenever possible and when he couldn't he polited her to death and left as soon as he could.

"O.K. Dad." Nate said.

The others followed, figuring bed was a better option than listening to Jane argue with Thor or badmouth Loki.

Loki wondered how Rhiannon was faring. He had given her some space, figuring she might need some time alone to process everything she had learned that day from Larimar's journals.

~0~0~0~

Rhiannon sat in her chambers, comfortable with a napping Jewel in her lap. She had changed into a shift, wrapping her robe around her and snuggled with her kitten to enjoy the quiet. It had been a close thing at the funeral, she thought, her hands stroking the sleeping cat. The fireworks had caused her third shape to start to emerge but luckily she had been able to send it back to sleep again. She recalled her mother stressing that shape must always remain a secret, because it was dangerous.

She petted the kitten idly, letting her relax under her fingers and Jewel stretched as she petted the calico's belly.

She heard Loki and the children walk by, looking up at the door to see if he would visit and waiting for his knock.

"Dad, aren't you going to say goodnight to Rhee?" Belle asked and he looked at Rhiannon's door.

"It's ok if you want to," Sam said with a small smile. "I'll get these guys to bed."

Loki walked to Rhiannon's door when he knocked and waited.

"Who is it?" Rhiannon's voice asked from behind the door.

"It's Loki," he said while Sam ushered the other kids down the hallway. "May I enter?"

Rhiannon knew it wasn't proper, but she did want to see him before she went to sleep and smiled.

"Yes, you may," she said and he opened the door. He saw her lying under the covers and he stood in the doorway with his hands behind his back. He walked to the bed then he looked at Jewel and the kitten softly purred.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I feel a little better," Rhiannon said.

"Good. I... I would have been here sooner, but I thought you wanted to be alone for a while."

"I did. But not any longer."

"I just figured I would say goodnight. I hope you weren't offended by the fireworks." His lips twitched in suppressed amusement.

"I was not." Rhiannon chuckled. "It was a bit funny actually."

"Good. I thought it was funny too." He smiled then. "I wanted to warn you, Thor went to bring Jane back here."

"I hope she behaves herself and does not insult you. Or else she will deal with me!" Rhiannon stated firmly, her sapphire eyes glinting.

Loki grinned. "You would wipe the floor with her, my Goldenwing."

She pulled the blankets over herself, gazing at him shyly.

"I shall bid you goodnight, _alskling_. I will see you at breakfast tomorrow. Pleasant dreams." He blew her a kiss.

"Goodnight." She called, a warm smile on her face. _And I shall dream of you, my Skytreader!_

He returned to his bed, to find another cat in it. This one was a white one with tabby stripes on his ears and over his eyes, tail, and back. He appeared to be the same age as Jewel. "Hello!" the kitten mewed.

What is this, the cat rescue bed? he wondered, raising an eyebrow. "Hello. What's your name?"

"My mother called me Trickster," the kitten purred.

"I'm Loki," the Prince of Asgard said.

"Can I stay here?" the kitten asked, blinking at him.

"Yes, just don't attack my feet," Loki replied, changing into his pajamas.

He climbed into bed and the striped kitten curled up in the hollow of his neck and shoulder, purring happily. Loki petted the kitten's head. "Are you one of Jewel's brothers?"

"Yes." Trickster answered. "I am the smallest, and Mama said to stay in the castle so hawks and wolves do not eat me."

"That is sound advice," Loki said approvingly.

"Where is my sister? I can smell her here."

"She was here, but now she sleeps with my mate. She is her new companion." Loki scratched under Trickster's chin and the kitten purred in his ear.

"Can I be hers too?" Trickster asked.

'Umm . . .why don't you stay here with me?" Loki said, then thought, Norns, Laufeyson, you can't adopt another cat! But this kitten was so cute and he felt his heart melting as he petted it.

"It's fine. No one wants the runt anyways." Trickster said, mewing mournfully.

"I want you," Loki said, knowing he couldn't refuse to take this kitten after hearing that. "You won't be small forever. I was once smaller than both my brothers and now I'm not."

"You were?" The kitten asked, purring happily.

"Yes, a long time ago," Loki said.

"You are very tall now." The kitten observed, settling into the pillow.

"But I remember when I wasn't, and everyone said I would be a useless little thing forever," Loki told the kitten. He stroked the silky soft fur, loving how it felt.

"But now you are big, and not useless." The kitten replied.

"And you will be too," Loki predicted.

He noted the small kitten had a white tail tip and two striped toes on his right paw. "You are adorable. My kids will want to hold and pet you."

"Are they nice? I don't like the ones who pull my whiskers."

"They would never do that. We have another kitten at home, somewhat older than you, she is black with very large ears. Her name is Mischief. All of my kids know how to treat cats nicely. Even my youngest ones."

Loki conjured a tiny shimmery green leather collar that stretched and a gold tag with his sigil on it and on the back was Trickster with Loki's phone number. "Look! This is for you to wear so other humans do not try and steal you."

"I like it!" the little tom said and Loki put the collar on him.

"I have a person!" Trickster said and purred loudly.

Loki smiled at his new furbaby.

He curled on the pillow, purring as his tail touched his nose.

The two Tricksters slept, waking only when the sun's rays invaded the room.

"It's morning!" Trickster announced, rubbing his face against Loki's hand.

Loki blinked and woke, automatically petting the kitten. "It's a nice sunny one too!"

"Do you have food to eat?" Trickster meowed. "I'm so hungry."

"Okay." Loki got up and pulled a package of tuna out of his backpack. He put it in a small bowl he conjured. "Here, scamp. This should hold you while I get dressed."

While the small kitten ate the tuna Loki headed into the bathroom.

He could hear the kitten growling and making mewing sounds as he ate, obviously enjoying the food.

Loki was combing his hair when he heard a thump and turned to see the kitten in the bathtub.

"I'm trapped!" The kitten mewed, trying to get out of the tub.

"What were you doing in there?" Loki laughed, and picked up the striped feline.

"Exploring," answered Trickster.

He pawed at Loki's hand, wiggling about and meowing.

Loki set him on the counter while he finished brushing his hair.

The kitten drank out of the faucet.

Afterwards, Loki put him down and Trickster scampered all over as he crossed the room and opened the door. The kitten found a leather boot lace and picked it up.

"Your sister does that with Rhiannon's ribbon," Loki chuckled. "Come on, scamp. We need to meet them for breakfast."

"Jewel? Is she happy?" Trickster asked, prancing around.

"Yes. But you can ask her yourself. Would you like to walk or ride on my shoulder?"

"Yes! My legs are very small."

Loki held his hand out and the tiny kitten ran onto it. He placed Trickster on his shoulder and the little cat perched there. "I'm the king of the world!"

Loki smiled and walked down the hall to Rhiannon's room, Trickster sitting on his shoulder like a furry sentinel.

"I can smell Jewel!" Trickster said and meowed.

"Soon you will see her," Loki said as they stopped by Rhiannon's door.

He knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Rhiannon asked.

"It's me, Loki," he replied and they could hear Jewel meowing on the other side of the door.

"Trickster! My brother is here!"

"Just a moment, Jewel!" Rhiannon said, sounding exasperated.

"Sister! I am here!" Trickster mewed.

"Did you find another kitten?" Rhiannon asked, opening the door.

"He found me," Loki pointed to Trickster. "This is Trickster, Jewel's brother, and the runt. I adopted him. Look how cute he is!"

"He is darling." Rhiannon said, picking the kitten off his shoulder and rubbing his belly. The kitten purred, stretching his paws in happiness.

"He likes you," Loki remarked, kneeling to pet Jewel.

"He barely knows me." Rhiannon replied.

"Cats like people who pet them gently and enjoy them," Loki replied.

"This one is very sweet." Rhiannon asked.

"Yes. he was on my bed when I came into my chambers last night."

She admired the shimmery green collar. "How handsome he looks in this."

"Shall we go to breakfast, my lady?" he asked, holding out his arm.

"Of course." She placed Trickster back on Loki's shoulder and the kitten curled up there. "I think the children will love him."

"They definitely will," Loki agreed.

"They are so sweet to animals." Rhiannon said, smiling at him.

"It's a good thing too," Loki said. "I really dislike people who are mean to them."

They passed Frigga heading toward the dining hall and joined her.

Rhiannon and Frigga walked in the dining hall when Frigga saw Jane sitting next to Thor and she stopped.

"Is there something wrong?" Rhiannon asked.

"Thor's woman is here," Frigga said with a cold tone to her voice.

"I have heard she is not very nice to Thor or Loki."

"No, she is not," the Queen said and Frigga noticed the sharp look in Rhiannon's eyes. "Don't worry, dear. Just ignore her."

"Yes, My Queen," Rhiannon said and they walked to the table.

"Who's this?" Jane Foster asked, looking at Rhiannon.

"This is Loki's betrothed, Rhiannon," Thor said.

"His betrothed? Someone actually fell in love with him?"

"Yes, she did," Loki affirmed. "Rhiannon, this is Jane Foster. My brother's...girlfriend."

"Greetings," Rhiannon said with a little curtsy.

"Hi," Jane said with a small dismissive wave.

"You look really pretty, Rhiannon," Aleta said.

"Thank you," Rhiannon said as Loki moved the chair back and she sat down. Jane rolled her eyes as Loki glanced at Thor and Thor shrugged.

"So, Jane, how are you?" Loki asked, sitting down.

"I'm fine," Jane said.

"Not picking up any strange objects and releasing evil dark creatures?"

"Hey!"

"Brother, that was rude," Thor said.

"I do apologize," he said as he nodded his head toward Jane. He noticed the kids trying hard not to laugh and Jane glared at him.

"Still the same old Loki," Jane said.

The maid brought over the carafe of coffee as she poured the coffee into the mugs then poured the goat's milk into the goblets for the kids.

"Daddy? Watch," Max said as he started blowing bubbles in the goat's milk.

"Max, you know that is not proper mealtime behavior," Loki said.

"Yeah, kid, knock it off," Jane said.

"Jane, let Loki handle this," Thor told her.

"Whatever."

"Sorry, Daddy," Max muttered.

"That's alright," Loki said with a grin.

The maid placed the plates on the table. There were slices of ham, a platter of scrambled eggs, another platter of eggs with cheese, crunchy potatoes and onions, a stack of griddle cakes, maple syrup, and butter. There was also a bowl of berries to put on top of the griddle cakes. The maid walked away as Jewel and Trickster scampered over to the table and sat down next to Loki's chair.

"Food!" Trickster mewed as Loki glanced down in amusement.

"Yes, but it's ours," Loki said and Rhiannon looked down at the kittens.

"Oh! Hello," Rhiannon said when she lifted the kittens off the floor and placed them on her lap. Trickster hopped onto Loki's shoulder and stared over at Max curiously.

"Is this one of your kittens?" Trickster asked.

"Yes, that's my son, Max," Loki said and Trickster hopped off his shoulder, walked across the table and sat down on Max's empty bread plate. "This is Trickster. I adopted him."

"He's so cool!" Max said as he gently picked up Trickster and held him on his lap.

"Oh, that is so gross! It got fur all over the table!" Jane said.

"Cats are very clean animals," Sif remarked. "How small that kitten is, Loki."

"Must be defective," Jane snorted. "Loki likes adopting misfits."

"Don't worry, he'll grow," Thor put in. "Like Loki did."

"Gee thanks, brother," Loki rolled his eyes.

"Thor, really? How can you like cats? They have evil eyes!" Jane remarked.

"No, they don't. Look how cute and fuzzy he is! Look at the little stripes!" Thor grinned.

"Oh brother," Jane said, rolling her eyes.

"Guess she's a dog person," Hunter whispered and Sam giggled.

"And the itty bitty paws and whiskers!" Thor gushed.

"Please, somebody turn him off!" groaned Jane. "It's worse than listening to a mom going on about her newborn baby."

"Babies are so cute! With their little finger and toes," Thor said.

"Thor likes babies. And cute fuzzy animals," Loki put in and winked at his brother.

"Aww!" cried Lucy. "That's so sweet!"

"No, it's weird," Jane said.

"Why? I thought girls liked guys who liked animals?" asked Hunter. "There was a poll on Facebook."

"Not this girl," Jane said while Trickster walked over to her and sat down on her bread plate. "Oh great,"

"Go on, Jane. Pet him," Thor said.

Jane reached out a hand like she was about to touch something icky. Rhiannon giggled and covered her mouth with her napkin.

Trickster moved his head into Jane's hand as she gently rubbed the soft fur. Trickster purred.

"See, it wasn't so bad, was it?" Loki asked.

"No, but I still don't like cats," Jane said as she moved her hand away and Trickster gave her a sad look. "Oh, don't give me the Puss in Boots big sad eyes look. I'm not falling for it."

"You do when I do it," Max put in.

"That's different. You're a kid." Jane said.

"And he's a kitten," Loki said.

"Still not buying it," Jane said with a shake of her head and Thor picked Trickster off the plate.

"But look at that sad face," Thor said, looking at the kitten tragically, while Odin made a small cough from nearly choking on the wine he was drinking.

"Are you alright, dear?" Frigga asked, lightly patting Odin's back.

"I'm fine," Odin said with a grin and the kids giggled too.

"Are cats like a big thing with you Norse gods? I always thought that was wolves and ravens." Jane remarked.

"Yes, we like cats as well," Sif said.

"Freya has a chariot drawn by cats," Balder said. "She's away right now or else you could meet her."

"How can cats pull a chariot?" Jane asked.

"They're magical cats. That are the size of lions," Loki explained.

"Wonderful," Jane sighed.

"And they are just as smart as my goats," Thor said and her eyes widened.

"What goats?!"

Hunter's mouth dropped open. "Uncle Thor! Jane never met your goats?"

"No, I haven't," Jane said.

"They are so cool!" Vince said.

"I'll go get them!" Thor said as he stood up.

"No no no! That's not necessary!" Jane shook her head frantically and he sat down.

"You don't like goats either?" Max asked.

"No, I don't."

"How about horses?" asked Serena. "I love them!"

"Horses are ok."

"I remember asking for a horse when I was banished to Midgard," Thor said. "All the man had were dogs."

"I remember you telling me that," Sif said.

"It would have to be a really big dog," Sam teased.

"Like a St. Bernard!" Aleta cried.

"Or a Newfoundland," Belle said.

"Or an Irish Wolfhound like Uncle Clint has," added Nate.

"I still think she should meet Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjostr, brother," Balder said, sipping on some wine.

"Who?" Jane asked.

"My goats," Thor said.

"And we're back to the goats," Jane sighed.

"I really wouldn't, brother. We don't want a repeat of last time," Loki said.

"What happened last time?" Rhiannon asked.

"It was a while ago. Hunter was being punished and had to take care of Thor's goats," Loki said.

"Didn't they eat Uncle Tony's suit?" Hunter asked.

"Yes, they did."

"I do know goats tend to eat clothing," Rhiannon said with a grin.

"Somehow, after he was done, the gate was left open and the goats escaped," Loki said. "Just like that time we were kids, remember, Thor?"

"You mean when they got into the feast hall?" his brother grinned.

"Imagine the looks on people's faces when the goats went wild and started eating the feast which was on the table," Sif said.

Rhiannon imagined it for a few seconds when she covered her mouth with a napkin to stifle her laughter. Loki gently lowered her hand.

"It's alright to laugh," he whispered and she nodded.

"Were you able to stop them?" Rhiannon asked.

"Yes, but not before one of the goats bit Adabiel's ear," Thor said.

"Who is he?"

"He is Dark Elf."

"He was a brat," Sif said, sipping on some wine.

"Didn't he break Kara's nose?" Balder asked, looking at Loki.

"Yes, he did, but he lied and said he hadn't," Loki said.

"He hasn't gotten any better," Thor grumbled.

"Yes, I hear he still blames you and Loki for what happened afterwards," Sif said.

"Do you think he will be invited to the wedding?" Rhiannon asked.

"I'm afraid so. All the nobles will be invited," Loki said. "And he is an Ambassador of Svartalfheim."

"Nice," Jane said when Jewel walked over to her plate and took a scrap of bacon off her plate. "Hey!"

"Mine!" Jewel said as she scampered off and Jane sighed. The maid replaced the plates as they finished eating and even Jane admitted the food tasted amazing.

"If it is no trouble, I would like to go see the goats," Rhiannon said, looking at Thor.

"It would be my honor, Sister," Thor said.

"You called me "sister"!"

"Aye, I did."

"Better get used to it," Balder teased and she shyly smiled.

"And Jane will join us," Thor said.

"No, Jane is not going to join you," Jane said with a shake of her head.

"Why? Do goats frighten you?" Thor queried, a daring look in his eyes.

Jane huffed.

After the meal was over, Thor led them to the goat pen and Jane growled as she walked next to him.

Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjostr were grazing on the grass while the other goats were either sleeping or playing when Tanngnjostr raised his head and bleated a greeting.

"Hello, friends," Thor said as he opened the gate and they walked toward the goats after he closed it behind him.

"Oh, they are so cute," Rhiannon said as a little white and black kid goat walked to her and sniffed her feet.

"Yeah. They're adorable," Jane said, rolling her eyes.

"This one is Tanngnjostr," Thor said as he led the large goat to Rhiannon and she reached over to touch the curled horns. Tanngnjostr turned his head so she could pet him and she softly giggled. Tanngrisnir snorted as he walked to her and Thor laughed. "No need to be jealous. I was going to introduce you."

"Who is this magnificent goat?!" Rhiannon asked and Tanngrisnir half trotted to her. She patted his head as Tanngnjostr bleated and she giggled. "You are just as magnificent."

Loki was enjoying watching her having fun when he felt like he was being watched and slowly turned to see someone behind him.

"Finally being put in your place, are you?" Adabiel asked while standing with his guards and wives and Loki glared at him.

"What are you doing here?" Loki demanded and Thor walked over.

"I was invited to the wedding," he said then snorted. "Though I don't know why I am wasting my time. What woman in her right mind would marry you?!"

"Hey, Pointy Ears, leave him alone!" Jane called out and Adabiel scowled at her.

"How dare you speak to me like that!?"

"She can speak to you any way she wishes," Thor said.

"If she were one of my wives, I would have her flogged."

"Then it's a good thing I'm not one of your wives. You would be in prison faster than you can blink," Jane said and Rhiannon was slightly stunned.

"I take it this is your betrothed," he said, looking at Loki.

"No, she's my woman," Thor said.

" _I_ am Prince Loki's betrothed," Rhiannon stated proudly.

"You are marrying a goat herder?" Adabiel sneered.

"No, she is a Healer," Loki said.

"You'd be better off with a goat herder. Only one of them can handle a monster like you," Adabiel said then walked off, laughing.

"Am I right in thinking that was Adabiel?" Jane asked.

"Yes, that was him." Thor said.

"What a jerk."

"I agree," Loki said while watching Adabiel walking away and he felt his trouble radar begin to tingle madly.

"Can we go now?!" Jane begged. She had had enough of smelly goats and rude elves.

"I will take Jane back to the palace," Thor said as he led her out of the pen and closed the gate behind them. They walked in silence for a while when Jane looked at him and sighed. "Is there something wrong?"

"Yes, there is."

"Jane," he said as she stopped and he turned to face her. She placed her hands against his chest and felt him breathing.

"Look, we both know this isn't working. Yeah, I do have feelings for you, and you for me, but..."

"But your feelings have faded?" Thor queried, giving her a hurt look. She felt like she had kicked a puppy.

"They haven't faded as much as they've changed."

"In what way?"

"In a lot of ways," she said and strummed her fingers on his chest. "First, there is you being a god and I'm a mortal. Do you really think you can love me when I'm really old and you look...? Well, you look like this?"

"Yes, I would love you."

"Could you handle me dying?"

"Yes," he said with a nod. "It is a part of life. Jane, I may be a god, but I can die. So, you dying is something I have accepted. Just as you should accept the possibility of me dying."

"Fine," she said with a nod. "Second, there is the fact no one here can stand me."

"That isn't...," he said and she placed a finger against his lips.

"It is true," she said, moving her finger away. "I was the reason you had to destroy Bifrost. You didn't want Loki to come to Earth and harm me. In doing so, Loki decides to end it all and ends up being possessed by Thanos. And I was the reason your mother nearly died after I woke up the Dark Elves and Loki did die. Neither of them have forgiven me for it and I have a feeling they never will."

Thor silently agreed, but he still didn't like where the conversation was going and she leaned her forehead against him.

"Your father glares at me and Balder and your friends ignore me or tell me off. Even Loki's kids can't stand me," she said while he placed his arms around her and she sighed. "Finally, there is our careers."

"Our careers?"

"Yep," she said, nodding. "You are not only the Prince of Asgard. You are a hero. A warrior. An Avenger. You go off, fighting who-know-what, and save the day. Sure, you can settle down and have a family. But that isn't for me. I like my life. I like my career. I like my freedom."

"I would never make you stop doing that."

"I know that. I really do. The thing is, at the end of the day, you need an heir and I don't want kids."

"You have told me this."

"And...I don't want a husband."

Thor felt like he was hit by the Hulk as he shook his head and blinked.

"You deserve to be with someone who makes you happy."

"Jane..."

"I get it. I do make you happy, but I am talking about you having someone like Rhiannon. I'm not blind. I see how those two look at each other. They really do love each other."

"True."

"Then you're ok with us being over?"

"Are you?"

"No, but I will survive," she said as tears rolled down her cheeks and he held her. He blinked the tears away from his eyes and he sighed and she slid her arms around him.

"Will you still stay for Loki's wedding?"

"No, I would like to go home."

"Very well."

He let go as they started walking and she looked at him.

"If anyone asks, it was a mutual breakup. We both decided it was for the best," she said and he nodded.

"It was good while it lasted," Thor admitted. "And we can be friends even if we are no longer a couple."

"That would be fine," she agreed. "I will miss you but it just would never have worked out later on." She gave him a playful shove. "Now you need to go find someone who can handle being your life partner and everything that comes with it."

"All right. And you should find someone who is like you so you can be happy," Thor said, and released her. In a way he felt relieved, because he had always known that something just was not right between them, but he had ignored that nagging feeling because it was easier to do that then to face the fact that Jane was not truly the right woman for him.

Thor softly laughed as he slid his arm around her and they headed down the path.

 **A/N: Next : Due to Thor's unhappiness a storm comes up and causes problems for the stray palace kittens and cats. Can Loki, Rhee, and the children save them and find them new homes? And can Loki calm Thor down?**


	40. Matchmakers

**39**

 **Matchmakers**

 _Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match! ~ Loki_

Rhiannon and Loki walked back to the palace when Loki noticed the clouds were growing thicker and the wind had suddenly started blowing.

"Oh, I think a storm is coming," Rhiannon said, looking at the sky.

"Yes, but something about it seems off," Loki said.

"How so?"

"I don't know. We better hurry and get back to the castle."

He took her hand as they quickly headed for the palace and he wondered if what he was thinking was true.

Thor was upset about something.

Thor walked Jane back to the Bifrost and they travelled back to Earth and he bid her goodbye. It was a bittersweet parting. While they were saying farewell, Loki encountered Sif on the way to the library, where he was going to read a certain book recommended to him by his old friend the destiel Aldrich. Rhiannon and Frigga were picking out colored ribbons to display at the betrothal ceremony in the Queen's Garden while the children were playing some sort of game elsewhere. Little did the God of Mischief know that his offspring were rehearsing for the wedding play they planned to perform.

"Loki, may I have a word with you for a moment?" Sif requested.

Loki halted. "Yes, of course. What about?"

"Let's go into the library," Sif suggested.

They entered the library and Loki led them to a table at the very back of it and made sure they could not be overheard by anyone with a simple charm. "Is this about my brother? Did you two have a disagreement?"

"No and yes. Thor and I did not quarrel but I did wish to speak to you about him," Sif said in her direct way. "I have never thought that mortal was right for him. She does not want the same things he wants and in the end all they will do is make each other miserable."

"I agree." Loki nodded. "Jane is not a good match for him. Or for Asgard itself."

"There must be a way to make him see that," Sif said, frustrated.

"Perhaps he just needs a push in the right direction." Loki declared. "Am I right in assuming that you like Thor as more than a friend?"

"You would assume right, Loki," she answered. "I always have, but I never wanted to ruin our friendship by saying so when I didn't think he felt the same for me. So I kept silent. But now—now I cannot do so any longer."

"I think my brother realizes that Jane is not good for him. Now we just need to make him notice you." Loki smiled.

"How do I do that? He sees me as just a sparring partner."

"Then we need to make him see something else besides that," Loki stated. "Have you ever considered wearing a dress—a nice evening gown? Putting your hair up?"

"I—I was always trying to make men think that I was a warrior," Sif sighed. "And not just a lady who needed a man to defend her honor."

"I understand but I think anyone who knows you, will know that you need no man to defend you. Thor certainly knows this. But what he doesn't see is that you love him the way a woman does a man. So you need to show him that you are a woman of many facets. You are a friend, a warrior, and the lady of his heart."

Sif laughed. "I have never thought about it like that before."

"Well, you should have," the Master of Mischief replied saucily. "I think once he notices you, he will realize what he has been missing all these years. And once he does that, he will also realize something else—that he loves you as more than his sparring partner."

"Do you truly think so?"

"Yes. I know Thor better than almost anyone. He may be a stubborn idiot at times, but he is also not stupid. He just needs to listen to what his heart is telling him."

"And if he doesn't. you can always whack him upside the head!" Sif giggled.

"For all the good that will do me," Loki snorted. "He has a hard head."

"I know," the warrior sighed. "But what sort of dress shall I wear? I have gotten out of the habit, not that I was ever much into it to start with."

"I think you ought to ask Rhiannon," Loki said. "She is very talented with clothes."

"Like you," Sif remarked.

Loki nodded. "And she would not mind helping you."

Sif recalled Rhiannon's offer earlier when they had talked and she smiled.

"I will do that. Thank you, Loki. I just hope this works."

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained," Loki said and Sif waved before leaving to find Rhiannon.

Now Loki would just have to convince his stubborn brother to give Sif a chance.

Sif found Rhiannon adjusting her earrings, following the instructions Loki had given her for caring for her ears. The blonde Healer answered the knock on the door with her customary friendliness. "Hello, Sif. Do you need my services as a Healer?"

"No, not today," the warrior chuckled, since Rhiannon had once helped her with a sprained wrist. "I need your advice on a totally different matter. I need to find a dress for your betrothal ceremony."

Rhiannon shut the door and gestured to a chair. "Please, sit down. What type of dress do you like? Any particular color?"

Sif spread her hands. "I . . . don't know. I haven't really worn one in . . . years. That's why I came to you. You always look so elegant and pretty."

Rhiannon's eyes widened. "You really think so?"

Sif nodded. "Yes. Half the time I used to look so awkward in gowns. I tripped over my hems and I could never stand walking in heels, my balance was so thrown off I felt drunk. So I stopped wearing them."

Rhiannon smiled. 'I think I can make a few suggestions and we can go to the Queen and she what she can alter for you with magic. So . . . let's start with the style . . ."

Sif noticed the dress hanging on the dress form by the armoire. "Is that your betrothal gown? It is amazing! Who made that for you?"

"Loki did," Rhiannon replied. "He is very talented."

"I knew he could do magic, but not like that!" Sif whistled. She walked over to examine the dress closely. "It is exquisite!" She sighed. "You are lucky to have such an attentive and loving betrothed. My first husband gave me flowers and chocolates but nothing like this!"

"I am the luckiest woman in Asgard," Rhiannon laughed. "Would you like to wear a crimson gown? That is Thor's favorite color."

"Ah. So you know why I want this gown to be special," Sif said, looking a bit embarrassed. "I feel so silly, needing to go to such lengths to make a man notice me when I swore once I would never dance to any tune but my own."

"You still are. Because this is something you chose," Rhiannon told her, repeating words she had heard Loki say to her.

Sif nodded. "Yes, I suppose you're right." She cupped her chin in her hand. "So . . . do you think you could persuade Loki to make me a dress?"

"Yes, but you could ask him yourself. He would know why without you saying anything." Rhiannon said, thinking of the tunic she was making Thor. She wanted the tunic to impress Sif and hoped it would.

"Yes, that's so. What way should I wear my hair?"

They discussed different hairstyles and Rhiannon showed Sif how to put her hair up in an elegant classy style that made her look alluring and mysterious.

"I look so different!" she exclaimed after seeing herself in the mirror.

"Sometimes a little change is all you need," Rhiannon said, and gave her a small tube of lip gloss and some light eyeshadow Sam had given her that she had never used. "Take these for your lips and eyes. They are subtle but will enhance them. Thor will appreciate it."

"Does Loki?" Sif teased.

"Yes, he does," Rhiannon giggled and thought this was the first real girlfriend she had ever had. As a child she had been forbidden to have friends, and as an adult she had been looked down upon by everyone in her job as a half-caste worthless thing because of Malius and the prejudice against Jotun. She was happy to find that Sif seemed to enjoy her company and like her for who she was.

"Good! I will show you the design when he is done with it and see what you think," Sif said. Then she said, "Do you know, you are the first woman that I have known that doesn't look at me as an oddity or an object of pity."

Rhiannon laughed. "I was just thinking the same about you."

The two ladies smiled at each other as their unexpected friendship blossomed while discussing various ways to make Thor see what had been in front of his face all along.


	41. Thunder Crashes

**41**

 **Thunder Crashes**

 _Never let your emotions rule, especially if you have weather powers ~ Loki_

Thor returned from Midgard upset and not wishing to speak with anyone. He walked swiftly into his chambers and threw himself down on his couch gloomily. He knew he had made the correct decision with Jane but he was still upset and subconsciously his powers roused.

Rhiannon and Frigga were out in the Queen's Garden with the kittens, picking out flowers to put in the holders in the hall beside the marble altar for the betrothal ceremony. They had picked roses, forget-me-nots, violets, and pink bleeding hearts and were going to pick some more when the sky opened up and rain drenched them both.

"Oh my!" Frigga said as she and Rhiannon came running into the hall and both were soaking wet. "Where did this storm come from?!"

"It's a sudden squall, dear," Odin said and two servants brought Frigga and Rhiannon some towels.

"The kittens are shivering." Rhiannon said, wrapping them in warm towels.

"I don't like getting wet," Trickster mewed.

"I am dripping, and one of the little kittens fell in a puddle." Frigga said, sighing.

"Here, let me dry him," Loki said. Then he waved a hand and Trickster was dry.

"Let me try, Dad," Belle said. She concentrated and copied her father and Jewel was dried.

"Thank you both." Rhiannon said and smiled, water collecting on the floor under her.

Odin waved a hand and Frigga was dry and so was Rhiannon.

Heavy rain started falling as the thunder roared louder and the crystal chandeliers started shaking.

"Oh dear!" Rhiannon said peering out the window. "The garden is flooding."

Aleta ran to Rhiannon and hugged her.

"It is alright dear, we can sit near the fire as well." Rhiannon said, taking the frightened child over to the hearth.

Jewel followed and jumped in Aleta's lap.

Trickster jumped on Loki's shoulder from the table and licked his hair.

"I wish I had Mario Kart on my tablet," Vince sighed.

"What is Mario Kart?" Sif asked, looking puzzled, along with Rhiannon.

"It's a video game," replied Hunter. "You play it for entertainment on your TV screen."

"That sounds interesting." Rhiannon said.

"I have it on my tablet. I can show you," Nate said.

"Perhaps later. We have a few more arrangements to make for the ceremony."

"You'll like it. Darcy is obsessed with it." Sam laughed.

Hunter rolled his eyes. "Thought we were gonna forget about her?"

"You have to admit, she was a cool babysitter. That one time."

"Yup. We ordered every kind of Dominoes pizza and watched four seasons of Merlin while Dad was fine tuning Asgardian Quest 2," Hunter agreed.

"And we got to eat candy before bed if we promised to brush our teeth." Aleta said.

"And have hot chocolate with marshmallows!" Max giggled.

"No wonder you were all wired when I came home at four in the morning," Loki rolled his eyes.

"Sorry Daddy. But it was fun." Aleta said.

"Once in awhile it's okay. At least no one was rushed to the hospital, the house wasn't burnt down, and nobody called the police for disturbing the peace." Loki laughed.

"Admit it, she was better than Jane." Nate said.

"Uh, Mandy did call the cops," Vince recalled. "Cause the Feinsteins down the street were playing gangsta music about shooting everybody dead at two in the morning."

"Darcy made us all hide in the basement." Lucy said.

"That was smart," Loki approved. "Because I swear some of those kids run with the Black Razors and deal drugs."

"They do." Hunter said. "That is why we all run inside when we see them."

"I need to have a talk with them one of these days. Thor and I might be able to scare some sense into them," Loki sighed.

"They are bad news Dad, even my gang did not mess with them." Hunter said.

"If we can't get them to stop, we can at least warn them to stay away from other families in the neighborhood. And I can tip off Detective LaRusso so he can arrest a few." That was the undercover cop Loki had teamed up with to arrest Mr. Grimes.

"That would help." Vince said and shrugged.

Loki picked up Trickster, who was trying to jump up on his shoulder. The kitten lay in his elbow and purred.

"You are going to have an army of cats and kids, Loki." Balder said, and grinned.

"I don't mind," his brother laughed.

"You wouldn't." Hogun said, looking at Jewel who was rubbing against his boots and purring.

"Dad, Trickster has blue eyes," Lucy remarked.

"For now, yes. They will change though."

"What color will they be?" Lucy asked.

"They could be green or amber, depending on what color the parent's eyes were," Loki replied. "Jewel has green eyes so he might also."

"Those will be so pretty." Belle said and smiled.

Trickster began to groom his whiskers.

"It seems that one likes Hogun." Sif said, laughing.

"He is quiet," Loki explained. "Cats like that. People who yell and move quickly startle them and they usually avoid them."

"They are shy animals." Hogun said.

"Unless they like you," Loki chuckled.

"This is true." Hogun said, looking down as Jewel began to climb him. He picked the kitten up, and held it in his hands while petting her.

"They make good companions though. I believe there are more kittens from the same litter that need homes," Loki said.

"Perhaps there are. Should we look for them?" Volstagg said. "That storm was bad."

Loki nodded. "Yes. They were in the garden by the Valkyrie statue."

"We should go see if they are O.K!" Belle said, looking worried.

"I agree," Loki said.

"Come on Daddy!" Max said, pulling at his shirt.

Rhiannon took Trickster from him. "I can watch him and Jewel while you look for the others."

"Dad is a Crazy Cat man!" Sam said and they laughed, then trooped after Loki.

They went out to the garden and Loki meowed softly to call the kittens.

Puddles were everywhere and several of the plants and flowers had been smashed to the ground.

Suddenly, several kittens and a few cats appeared from their hiding place and Loki smiled.

"Hello." One kitten said, purring.

"Are you all alright?" Loki meowed.

"Yes, we are fine."

"We hid as soon as the rain started," an orange tabby said.

"No one was hurt?" Loki asked.

"No, and we are all present and accounted for," the black and grey cat said.

"We are just very wet." The kitten said.

"We need to take them inside," Loki said and the kids went to pick up the cats and kittens.

"What are we going to do with all of them?" Sam asked, picking up a large, furry gray cat.

"We can see if they have homes and return them. If not, I believe there are people who will take them in."

Loki led the way as they headed for the castle when he paused, turned and waved his hand, returning the garden to its original state.

"Come on, let's help Dad with the kittens." Belle urged them.

"Daddy! This cat is really big!" Max said and Volstagg looked at the large furry, gray cat in his arms.

"It's a Forest Cat!" Volstagg said, admiring the twenty-pound ball of fur. "They are wonderful mousers!"

"He is heavy! Will you take him, Mr. Volstagg?" Max asked, struggling to lift the cat. The cat looked relaxed, but a bit uncomfortable.

"I am Brutus, and this child is crushing me." The cat huffed.

"Max, let him go," Loki said, going over to rescue the large feline.

"O.K. Daddy. He is too big for me." Max said and put the cat down. He bent over and picked up a black and white kitten, petting it, and Brutus began grooming his long fur.

"Does he have a home?" Volstagg asked, admiring the cat, and grinning.

"Do you have a home, Brutus?" Loki asked him.

"No. I stay in the garden and hunt mice and other rodents." He meowed back, looking at him with golden eyes.

"Volstagg, he says he stays in the garden and hunts mice and other rodents," Loki told the big warrior.

"Would he like to live with my family?" Volstagg asked, obviously liking the cat.

"Brutus, would you like to live with Volstagg and catch mice for his family? You would be fed very well and be warm and dry." Loki asked him. "They would treat you like one of their family."

"I do like his laugh. Does he have a warm fire to lay by, and will he not shout at me?" The smoky cat asked.

Loki translated what the cat had asked.

"I would never shout at him. Look at that gorgeous creature. He even has a bit of a mane like a lion." Volstagg said, and grinned. "He would always have a warm place to sleep."

Loki assured Brutus that he would be loved and wanted and all his needs would be met.

"He can be my human then. He sounds very accomodating" Brutus said, walking over to Volstagg and hopping up into his arms.

"He sure does," Loki grinned. "See, the cat chooses the person, not the other way around."

"Well, I am happy he chose me." Volstagg said and scratched the cat's chin.

A sleek gray and white female was rubbing against Hogun's boots, purring. She had large blue eyes and four white feet. "Hello. I am Whisperpaw."

"She just introduced herself to you, Hogun. Says her name is Whisperpaw."

"She is an attractive cat, has she chosen me?" The Grim One asked.

"Would you like to go home with Hogun, Whisperpaw? He lives alone and needs a good companion." Loki asked the gray cat. "He thinks you are beautiful."

"I would, he seems quiet and I like that. I am a good mouser." She said, her meows light and trilling.

"She has chosen you. She is a good mouser and a quiet cat, hence her name." Loki told Hogun.

"I can take her in then. I do like her very much." Hogun said, picking up the cat and smiling quietly at her. Whisperpaw purred.

A tawny cat that was scarred around the muzzle and had a piece missing from one ear walked over to Balder. He was a large tom, though not as big as Brutus. He had dark green eyes. He sniffed Balder's hand and rubbed against him, meowing rustily. "Greeting, warrior. I am Valiant."

Balder stroked his back. "Hello, big fellow. This one looks like a warrior if I ever saw one."

"What happened to him?" Aleta asked.

"Valiant, how did you get your scars, if you don't mind my asking?" Loki meowed.

"I fought off a vulture that was trying to eat some kittens," the tawny cat answered. "It took a piece of my ear, but I broke its neck."

"What did he say?" Balder asked.

"He said he got those scars you see by fighting off a vulture that was trying to eat some kittens. He killed it."

"He is brave. Does he want to live with me?" Balder asked, petting the cat.

"Valiant, would you like to live with my brother, Prince Balder? He is a warrior too and thinks you are brave." Loki asked the cat.

Valiant purred. "A warrior prince for a warrior cat. I choose him."

"He says yes. His name is Valiant." Loki told his brother.

"I am honored." Balder said and sat with his new friend. "Unable to move, but honored."

Loki laughed. "That is what is called feline paralysis, brother. Mine do that to me a lot. Eventually he will move. Or you could try and move him, though he may become annoyed because he is comfortable on you."

"I will stay for a while then. I don't want to upset him." Balder said and laughed.

"That's probably best for now." Loki said, then looked down and saw three kittens jumping over his boots. "I think I need to tire these three out."

With that he blurred into his black cat form and the kittens mewed at him.

"The Prince of Cats! Yay!"

They chased after him, playing and swatting at his tail. One kitten caught his paw, nearly causing him to trip.

"Careful, scamp!" he meowed at the kitten. Then he jumped up on a bench and ran across it while the kittens ran under it after him. He jumped gracefully down and reared up on his hind paws, playfully boxing with one of the kittens.

Aleta found a ball of yarn a lady had left and dragged it around. Several cats followed her and pounced at it. "They like this toy." Aleta giggled, waving the yarn at them.

Max went and got Little Loki and the two boys threw a small ball for some of the cats to chase.

"Good catch." Sam said and waved a long piece of grass for the cats to play with.

"They seem to be having fun." Rhiannon said, smiling at the scene.

"Your betrothed is somewhere among them," Balder remarked. "Can you guess which one he is?" He continued to stroke Valiant.

"The black one with the green eyes." Rhiannon said and petted Trickster.

She laughed as a kitten pounced on Loki, and he licked the kitten's nose.

The three kittens who had been playing with Loki grew tired and they curled up next to the black cat, who sat regally with his tail about his paws.

"You wore them out. Amazing!" Balder said and laughed.

Loki purred happily.

He shifted back and had three kittens sleeping on his lap.

"Now you are paralyzed by cats, Brother." Balder smirked.

"That always happens to me," Loki laughed.

"I suppose it does." Balder said. "How do you not offend them if you need to move?"

"Sometimes I move them with my magic. Other times I wake them and give them cat treats." Loki conjured a bag of Pounce cat treats. "Like these."

He handed Balder the bag. "Or you can put them somewhere warm. They like to be warm and cozy."

"Look at that one. It looks like a tiger." Sif said and smiled at the orange and black kitten.

"That one is very unique," Loki said, watching the kitten running. "She looks like a tiny tiger or a leopard."

"I like her. She is a very sleek creature as well." Sif said and picked up the kitten.

The kitten mewed. "Hi! I'm Tyra!"

"She says her name is Tyra," Loki translated.

"Hello Tyra, would you like to live with me?" Sif asked.

"Does she like me, My Prince?" Tyra asked.

"Yes. This is Lady Sif. Would you like to choose her to live with?"

"Yes!" The kitten purred.

"She wants to come home with you." Loki said.

"Good." Sif said, smiling at the kitten in her hand and petted the tiny head.

Just then Fandral entered the hall.

"By Odin's Good Eye! Where did these cats come from?" the warrior asked.

"We found them out in the garden," Loki said as a pure white Persian kitten walked over to Fandral and Fandral knelt to see it better.

"And who is this charming creature?" Fandral asked.

"I am Lady Snowpaw Crystalshine," the kitten said with a smug look.

"Oh, great. Her Highness is here," Brutus said.

"What did she say, Loki?" Fandral asked.

"Her name is Lady Snowpaw Crystalshine," Loki said then looked at Brutus. "Why do you call her "highness"?"

"She thinks she is the princess of all of us because her owner was of a royal house before she was kicked out," Brutus said.

"What did she do?"

"She accidentally scratched the hand of their newborn. Her owner just tossed her out."

"I see."

"And she is so fussy! Always washing her fur and preening like she is so special!"

"That sounds like Fandral," Loki said with a laugh.

"What is so funny?" Fandral asked, gently stroking the kitten's ear.

"It turns out she was a spoiled kitten at one time, but was thrown away after she accidentally scratched her owner's baby," Loki said.

"How rude," Fandral said, picking up the kitten. "If she were mine, I would spoil her!"

"Dear Lady," Loki said and Snowpaw looked at him. "Fandral would like to be your new owner and he said he will spoil you."

"He will brush me and feed me?"

"Will you groom her? A cat like her needs constant brushing and will shed," Loki said and Fandral smiled.

"I do have a lint brush, so that won't be a problem," Fandral said. "And her coat is so lovely of course I will keep her looking her best."

"And will you feed her? She might be a fussy eater."

"So am I," Fandral said and Snowpaw lightly swatted at his beard.

"He will brush you and feed you," Loki said and Snowpaw purred.

"Then I will be his," Snowpaw said, curling up in Fandral's arms.

"Looks like you got a kitten, too," Sif said and Fandral stood up and smiled.

"She is grogeous. Like me!" Fandral said.

"Norns help us all!" Balder groaned, petting Valiant.

The rain continued to lash the windows, and Loki frowned. The storm had spun up out of nowhere and he suspected he knew the reason why. Weather powers and emotions were a volatile mix and nobody knew that better than he did.

The storm clouds grew thicker when a clap of thunder made them jump as Loki coughed and rose from where he had been petting some kittens."Nine Hells!" The Archmage hissed, starting to walk towards the entrance.

"What's the matter?" Rhiannon asked.

"Thor's back and he is not happy," Loki said. "I'm going to talk with him."

Rhiannon looked toward the windows, watching the lightning swirl through the sky. Had Thor caused this storm? If so, she hoped Loki could calm his brother down.

Loki quickly ran down the hallway as the thunder roared and the rain slashed against the glass. He knew what Thor was like when he got upset and Loki stopped at the doors to Thor's bedchambers. He wasn't sure if he should knock or just go inside and sighed.

"Better get it over with," Loki thought as he opened the door and saw Thor standing in front of the window. The wind blew through his blonde hair as rain splashed against his face and Loki slowly approached.

"Thor," Loki said, but Thor didn't move and Loki stood near the large dark wood table at the center of the room.

"Go away, Loki," Thor said and the thunder roared.

"We both know that isn't going to happen," Loki said and Thor spun around to glare at him. He saw the lightning flashing in Thor's eyes as Loki folded his arms over his chest and gave a soft growl of warning. "Mind telling me what's got you so upset?"

"Get out!"

"Did you and Jane have another fight? I swear, Brother, you two..."

"I said get out!" Thor shouted as the rain fell harder and the wind blew the curtains into the room.

"Not until you calm down," Loki said, holding his hands out. "Don't you see what you are doing?"

"I am about to toss you out of my room!" Thor threatened.

"And that would leave a large hole in the wall and me in the infirmary with who knows how many broken bones."

"I am not in the mood for one of your jokes."

"I am not joking," Loki said quietly. "Just tell me." He placed his hands on Thor's shoulders. Thor scowled at him and Loki sighed.

"Jane and I have... We have ended our relationship," Thor said, lowering his head.

"Was it her idea or yours?"

"It was a mutual break-up."

"I see."

"Do you?"

"You forget who you're talking to. I have had my fair share of doomed relationships."

"Does it always hurt this bad?"

"Yes, but what you need to do now is calm down. "

"I have been angry before."

"Yes, and each time, you cause damage. Don't you remember the one time when we were boys and Fandral broke your favorite bow? You got so angry, you caused a storm so violent that the hail was the size of large melons and they hit the roof over our room so hard they tore a giant hole in it."

"I do remember that."

"You were lucky Mother and Halgran were the ones who were home when it happened. Father was still under Bors influence and would have beaten you like he did me when I used magic."

Thor looked at his little brother and began taking several deep breaths, as his temper died, the storm started to fade.

"You're right. I was lucky," Thor said with a nod.

"And you have to remember you are the God of Thunder. The God of the Storm. When you get like this, your powers upset the very balance of nature itself and you cause catastrophic storms. Most magic, including your own, rely on emotions to power them. The stronger the emotions, the more powerful the magic. Do you think I don't have to control my emotions? I do. Take what has happened with Boda and Abby. Do you have any idea what I wanted to do to my former wife?! I wanted to tear her apart for what she did to our daughter. But, in doing so, I would break my promise to the Norns. And that is something I refused to do."

"I would have taken care of her for you." Thor offered. "It seems I am doomed to be alone," Thor said with a sigh and the storm started again.

"No, you are not," Loki said, gently shoving him. "What you need to do is stop looking for what is out there and see what has been in front of you all this time."

"What are you talking about?"

"You'll see," Loki said with a grin.

"You are up to something, aren't you?" Thor smiled rolling his eyes.

"Who?! Me?! Nope!" he said, moving his hands away then raised them up in surrender. Thor laughed as Loki shrugged then looked out the window. "I think we better go out and calm that storm down."

"I guess you're right," Thor said. They went out into the garden when Thor looked up and closed his eyes. Loki hoped Thor would hurry as he was getting soaked and didn't want to get a cold. The storm faded as the drops of rain dribbled off the leaves and a rainbow arched over the sky.

"Well done, Brother," Loki said, patting Thor on the back.

They stood in silence while Loki looked around, but there was no damage to the bushes or trees. Some of the flowers were bent from the heavy rain as he waved his hand to heal them and large puddles dotted the ground.

"Well, it looks like there wasn't too much damage. Maybe a little flooding," Loki said.

"I hope I didn't harm any of the creatures who live here," Thor said.

"I would have sensed it if there were any in distress," Loki said.

"I think I better go to my room. I'm suddenly very tired," Thor said and Loki nodded. He knew his big brother often ended up falling asleep after one of his tantrums. Thor thought about what he and Loki talked about as he wondered what this something was which he failed to see, heading off to take a nap.

Rhiannon and Sleph came out to see if Loki was all right and he reassured them he was fine. "Thor would never harm me. But he needed a bit of help getting his powers under control. But now he is calmed down and resting in his room."

"I am glad," Rhiannon said, relieved.

Just before they returned to the castle, Loki heard a soft mewing coming from the bushes. He approached the dripping rhododendron and saw a small orange tabby with white stripes stuck in the branches.

"Hello, Little One," he mewed. "Are you stuck?"

"Yes," the kitten mewed and Loki waved his hand, freeing the kitten.

"Father, what's wrong?" Sleph asked as he walked closer.

"Looks like someone got stuck," Loki said and Sleph knelt down to pick up the kitten.

"Oh, I recognize this little fellow. Grandmother found him and he likes to sleep under this bush."

"Maybe we should give him to her."

"I would like to see the Flower Queen," the kitten mewed and Loki scratched the silky ear.

"He wants to go see her," Loki said and Sleph nodded while Loki turned and mewed one more time. No other kittens or cats came into the garden as he sighed and looked at the kids and the others. "Right. Let's go inside."

"I believe she will like this one." Rhiannon said, scratching the tiny chin. Trickster and Jewel followed her, the little calico carrying her ribbon.

The small male cat laid in Rhiannon's arms, purring.

"He is so tiny and sweet. What shall we call him?" She asked, smiling.

Loki meowed at the kitten, asking if he had a name.

"No," the kitten responded. "My mama died before she could name me. I was raised by another cat but she just called me Small One."

"How about if we call you Smidgen? That means a little bit of something." Loki suggested.

"I like that!" The kitten said and blinked at him.

"All right, then Smidgen it is," Loki smiled

"What did he say?" Rhiannon asked, petting the kitten's belly.

"He liked it," Loki responded.

"I am glad. He seems to like this as well."

"I'd like it too," Loki laughed.

They approached Frigga's quarters, and Loki hoped that she was within them.

"I can smell the Flower Queen." Smidgen meowed, lifting his head.

Loki grinned. "Yes, she is usually in here." He knocked on the door.

"Yes?" Frigga said from inside.

"May we come in, Mother?" Loki called.

"Of course. I am just having a cup of tea."

"We brought you a gift." Loki said, walking into the room.

"What is it?" Frigga asked, smiling as they entered.

"Show her, Rhee," Loki said excitedly.

"Here My Queen." Rhiannon said, handing her the kitten.

Frigga held the kitten to her. "Oh! It's my little friend from the garden! How sweet of you!" She beamed at them. "He's so sweet, Loki!"

"He asked to be your kitten." Rhiannon said.

"He did?" Frigga sounded delighted. "Loki, did he tell you that?"

"Yes. His name is Smidgen," Loki told her.

"I love that name. He may stay as long as he likes." Frigga said, cuddling the tiny ball of orange.

"Hello, Flower Lady," Smidgen mewed.

"He said hello."

"Hello," Frigga said and Smidgen purred.

"I also have another surprise for you," Rhiannon announced. "I wish you to have Snowdrop, My Queen."

"Snowdrop? The lovely little filly you rescued?" the queen asked. "But you should keep her."

"Oh no, she belongs with you," Rhiannon said. "I would like you to have her."

"You are most generous," Frigga said. "I thank you for her, though I will have to wait awhile before she grows big enough to be ridden."

"She will make a lovely mount for you, Mother," Loki said. "I had Sleph look her over and he says that she is a blood stock filly. She is not a farm animal."

"Father won her mother in a card game. The mare was already in foal, and he thought he would sell them both for a lot of money," Rhiannon told them. "But the Norns had other plans."

"The Norns weave as they will," Frigga said quietly.

"We will leave you now to get ready for supper," Loki said, and escorted Rhiannon from the Queen's presence.

As they strolled down the hall, Rhiannon asked, "Loki, have you finished Sif's dress yet? I am dying to see it!"

"Yes, and so is she. How about Thor's tunic? May I have a sneak peek?" He gave her pleading Puss in Boots eyes.

"Oh, you!" she gave him a playful shove. "You know I can never resist those eyes, Mistokin."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "You called me My Mischief. How sweet!"

"Well, it's true. You are," she returned, and then she kissed him lightly. "Come, let me show you what I have been struggling to finish before the ceremony."

She pulled him into her quarters and showed him the finished crimson tunic with the deep blue border around the sleeves, collar, and hem. Embroidered upon the blue border in golden thread were hammers, a mead horn, a crown, and a goat's head.

"This is excellent work!" he praised. "Thor is going to love it. And Fandral will be green with envy over it!" Loki snickered.

Rhiannon smiled proudly. "I had fun making it. I wish I had time to make matching trousers but . . ."

Loki waved a hand and some deep blue trousers with red embroidery on the sides appeared. "There! How's that?"

"Wonderful!" she grinned then took his hand. "Now show me the dress!"

"Yes, my lady!" he gave her a mock salute and blinked with her to his workroom.

Rhiannon gave a small gasp when she beheld the dress upon the mannequin. It was a deep crimson color, with gold sparkles on the flowing skirt. The whole dress was soft and feminine, yet also bold as the warrior it would grace. The bodice was tight fitting, with ribbons that laced up the front, they were gold satin, and at the top was a golden shield with Thor's crest upon it. The skirt had small slits up the sides to the knee for easy walking, the sleeves were fitted and the cuffs ended in pretty gold embroidery of lilies, swords, shields, and hammers with knot work on either side. There were also crimson half boots, tooled with some gold knot work.

"Well, what do you think?" he gestured to it.

"Oh, Mistokin! It is perfect for her!"

Rhiannon hugged him and squealed.

Loki laughed. "Thank the Norns! I was afraid you would think it wasn't good and I would end up redoing it."

She shook her head. "I cannot wait until your brother sees her in it. I have a pretty gold hair comb she can borrow and I think there's some jewelry in the chest that will look fine as well."

"You would know best how to accessorize her," Loki said. He gave her a bow. "I think Thor's eyes will fall out of his head!"

"And his jaw hit the floor!" she added.

Loki picked up a goblet of lemonade and conjured a second one and handed it to Rhiannon. "To us! The best matchmakers in all of Asgard!"

They clinked them together and drank.

 _Later, in the dining hall:_

The servers brought in their dinner. Tonight it was stuffed game birds with rice and green beans, fresh bread, and small skewers of scallops with bacon.

"They brought us baby turkeys?" Aleta said, Max looking at his plate and poking the bird.

"No. These are partridge," Loki said quietly. He gestured and they were cut up for his small children to eat.

The birds were tender and flavorful. Seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, and sage they tasted wonderful.

"These turkeys are good, Daddy!" Aleta said, eating the food.

He chuckled. "They're partridge, spark. But they are delicious."

"Can I have more, Daddy?" Max asked.

Loki waved over Artos. "Will you fetch Max some more partridge, please?"

"Yes sir." Artos said and ran to get more food.

Loki ate the rest of his partridge and rice, enjoying the food. The bread was also very good, with a crisp crust and soft inside, made even better with butter slathered in it.

Rhiannon devoured her game bird and rice, though she only had one slice of bread, as she did not want to eat too much and not fit into her gown for the ceremony.

"When is this ceremony, Dad?" asked Nate.

"It's tomorrow," Loki answered.

The dishes were cleared and then dessert was brought in.

It was caramel apple tartlets with vanilla ice cream.

"Yum!" Aleta said, digging into hers.

"Is everyone ready for the big day tomorrow?" Frigga asked the children.

They all nodded and said they were.

"Is it like a wedding?" Lucy wanted to know.

"Sort of. But it's more like an engagement," Loki explained. "It's a promise of marriage, not the marriage itself."

"But it is still important," Rhiannon added. She explained how they would light candles lit from the Eternal Flame of Asgard and they would burn unceasingly until the wedding vows were spoken, only going out if one person broke the vows they had spoken over the candles.

"What happens if the candles go out?" Hunter wondered.

"Then the betrothal is invalidated and the partners may separate because clearly they are not meant to be with one another," Rhiannon answered.

"What about after you light the candles?" Aleta wanted to know.

"They kiss, silly!" Max interrupted.

"I didn't ask you, Maximus!" his younger sister snapped.

"So?" he gave Aleta his mulish I Do What I Want Look.

Loki cleared his throat and said only, "Behave!"

The two troublemakers quit quarreling like magic.

Rhiannon wished she knew how to do that.

"So what happens, Daddy?" Aleta pouted. "I wanna know!"

"Don't be impatient, spark," Loki reproved gently. "Max is right. We kiss and then we all go to eat dinner. The dinner and the ceremony are only for family and close friends. Nobody else can attend it. The wedding is where everyone who wishes us well can attend."

Loki knew that Kara, Tavi, Stefan, Mr. Gold, Halgran, Sif and the Warriors would attend, along with his family. It would be a small gathering, but such was what a betrothal was all about. He wondered if Rhiannon had any close friends she would care to invite. He would need to ask her.

He sent to her. _Do you have any friends you wish to attend the ceremony? I have invited the following people . . ._ He listed the few friends he had who would attend and of course, the family.

Rhiannon thought for a moment. _There is only one person I can think of. A young intern named Heidel. She was always polite and kind to me in the infirmary when she studied under me. She has returned there to complete her final year before she graduates the Academy of Medicine._

Loki nodded. "Then we shall invite her too. I can send out an invitation tonight."

"Thank you, Mistokin," she murmured, her heart thudding in her chest thinking about the big day. She felt both excited and nervous. Loki clasped her hand under the table and she thrilled at his touch. She had always avoided being touched by men, wary and afraid because of what her father had done to her and told her, but Loki's touch did not elicit disgust only safety and warmth and an attraction that was like a crackling fire. _In his arms is the safest place in all the Nine. And soon, very soon, I can stay there for as long as I wish._

For with the betrothal ceremony complete, the stringent rules regarding couples relaxed and they could be together without censure from anyone, even a parent, and that included lying together as husband and wife. However, Loki had given her a book on the customs of Jotunheim, and from her reading she could tell the Jotun would not consider a child born of a handfasting a legitimate one. It had to be born within the confines of the actual marriage. That being the case, Rhiannon would prefer to wait, and she knew Loki would not pressure her. He would understand.

She suppressed a yawn. "I am a little tired. I think I need to relax and take a bath," she told Loki.

"Go right ahead," he smiled. "I think I need a walk around the gardens. Good night then, my love."

"Pleasant dreams, Mistokin," she whispered, and the sound of her voice made him quiver.

After supper, Loki walked out in the gardens as the cool breeze moved through his hair and he looked up at the pink and purple sky. He placed his hands behind his back He had told Sam to oversee getting the kids to bed and had decided he needed a walk to calm himself.

"Nervous about tomorrow, Dad?" Sam had teased and he softly laughed, shaking his head.

"What if I am?" Loki whispered as he walked along the path and breathed in the cool night air. He went to sit on a bench then he strummed his fingers on the stone and thought about seeing Rhiannon in her dress. He smiled as he noticed movement from under the bushes and sat up straighter.

"Who is there?!" he demanded when a large orange tabby sauntered out from under the bushes and Loki noticed the cat was solid muscle, but was missing the tip of its right ear and had a few battle scars.

"What are you looking at?!" the tabby growled and Loki smiled.

"I apologize for staring," Loki mewed and the tabby titled its head to one side. "May I ask whom I am addressing?"

"I am RumpleBumple," Rumple said, holding its head high.

"I have never seen you around here before."

"My owner was Norac, the head of the Royal Guard."

Norac had been killed when Ulik and the trolls had caused trouble a few months ago. RumpleBumple had gone into battle with him on many campaigns, he had told his loyal cat to stay and guard his family, but RumpleBumple had run after his horse before tiring then went home.

"I remember the AllFather telling me about his death. He was a noble warrior."

"He was, but his wife hates cats. So, when he died, she tossed me out!" RumpleBumple growled and Loki's eyes narrowed. He couldn't stand people who mistreated animals. "Do you like cats?"

"Yes, I do."

"They are lucky. No one wants me. Not looking like this."

Loki knew the warrior cat needed someone who could handle him when he got an idea and smiled.

"Oh, I think I know someone who might," Loki said, getting up and walking to him. "If you will allow, may I pick you up?"

"You may," RumpleBumple said and Loki lifted him into his arms. He strolled back to the palace, hoping Thor was in his room. He freed a hand and knocked on the door. "Thor, it's Loki."

Thor opened the door. "Brother, where did this cat come from?"

"This is RumpleBumple. He is Norac's cat," Loki said and RumpleBumple looked at Thor with his golden eyes.

"Oh, yes, I have heard of him. Why is he here?"

"Norac's wife has tossed him out now that her husband is gone."

"Why would she do such a thing?!"

"She hates cats."

"Are you going to take him in?"

"No," Loki said as he elongated the "o". "I thought you'd want him."

"Me?!"

"Yes. It is proven that cats can keep people calm and have been known to lower blood pressure."

"I... Do you think he would want to stay with me?"

"Would you like to be my brother's cat?" Loki mewed and RumpleBumple considered. Thor looked into the tabby's eyes when the tabby lifted its head a little higher and purred.

"I will if he promises to let me sleep on the bed," RumpleBumple mewed.

"Did your former master let you do that?"

"Yes, and he would feed me from his plate."

"He will let you only if you promise to let him sleep on the bed and eat from your plate," Loki said.

"You have my word," Thor said with a small bow and RumpleBumple hopped out of Loki's arms and padded over to the Thunder God. Thor picked him up and the cat purred, lying on the warrior's arm like a furry muff. Thor grinned and stroked the orange fur. "Thank you, Loki."

"You're welcome," Loki said, then left the two to get acquainted.

He checked on his children before heading off to bed himself, where he dreamed of Rhiannon and he on a bed of roses while Trickster slept next to him on his pillow.

 **A/N: The betrothal ceremony where something unusual occurs! How will Thor react to Sif?**


	42. Kiss the Girl

**42**

 **Kiss the Girl**

 _A kiss to seal a promise may also have unexpected results ~ Loki_

Loki was sleeping peacefully the day of the ceremony, with his kitten curled against his chest, when they were awakened by two male voices, one singing dreadfully off key. Loki groaned and put the pillow over his head. _Damn drunk revelers!_ he thought irritably. Trickster hid beneath the covers. Then he recognized the voices. _Oh, Nine Hells! Really, brothers?_

Then there came a knock on the door. Loki poked his head out of the pillow.

"Brother, are you awake?!" Thor bellowed and Loki peeked out from under the pillow.

"I am now," Loki sighed and moved his head from under the pillow. He got up as Trickster hopped off the bed and followed him to the chair. Placing the green silk robe on, Loki headed for the door and picked up his kitten. He opened the door to see Thor and Balder standing in the hallway and Loki leaned on the door frame.

"Ah, he's alive!" Balder said and Thor laughed. Loki could smell the mead and wine on their breath as he sighed and his brothers walked past him.

"Why aren't you dressed?!" Thor demanded.

"Am I standing here naked?" Loki rolled his eyes.

"That isn't what he meant," Balder said.

"I know what he meant."

"Then get a move on!" Thor urged when RumpleBumple sauntered into the room and hopped onto the table. "See, even my cat wonders what is delaying you!"

"You'd think he didn't want to get engaged!" Balder said then laughed.

"I do want to get engaged," Loki said as he placed Trickster on the table and the kitten walked to RumpleBumple, who was stretched out upon it.

"What are you staring at, kitling?" RumpleBumple asked, closing one eye.

"You're RumpleBumple, aren't you?!" Trickster asked with wide eyes. All the cats and kittens had heard of him as RumpleBumple snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Aye, I am."

"Wow!" Trickster said and purred.

"What is all this fuss about?"

"Prince Loki is going to be mated with the Pretty Lady," the kitten said and RumpleBumpled gave him a bored look.

"Sounds boring."

"Why?!"

"All this fuss about picking a mate. I'm best when I am alone."

"You don't want a mate?"

"No," he said with a shake then placed his head on his paws and closed his eyes. Trickster frowned then looked at Loki. Thor and Balder were pointing toward the large tub where Loki took his bath.

"Why isn't your bath prepared?" Thor asked.

"Maybe it's because I haven't had my breakfast yet," Loki said. Two maids entered the room with buckets of hot water as they curtsied and he nodded. Thor, Balder and the maids left a few minutes later, Thor carrying a sleeping RumpleBumple in his arms, and Loki slipped into the warm water. He started bathing while his mind thought about him helping Rhiannon bathe and he sighed, leaning back against the tub and half closed his eyes.

He allowed his imagination to run a bit wild while he soaked and only Trickster mewing for food made him get out of the tub. He waved a hand and the water was vanished. He really needed to speak to the king about installing magically filling and draining tubs in the palace. It would be so much more efficient and less work for the staff.

He quickly dried himself and put on his robe then went to feed his begging kitten. While Trickster ate, he opened his armoire and went to take out his new suit for the ceremony.

He heard Thor knock again and then before he could tell his brother to leave him be, the Thunder God and Balder burst into the room, grinning.

"Aren't you ready yet, Loki?" Balder teased.

"You take longer to get dressed than Fandral!" Thor snickered.

"No one takes longer than that prima donna!" Loki snorted. "You keep interrupting me."

Balder began to sing an old betrothal tune as Loki pulled on the royal blue leather pants with silver trim. "You dress as well as the Peacock," he said, which was the name they used to call Fandral as children.

"That is my betrothed's doing," Loki replied, buttoning his shirt. "She made this for me."

"She has done a stunning job," Thor said admiring the silver worked vines that climbed up Loki's sleeves. "Tis a pity she did not get my tunic done on time for the ceremony."

"You never know," Loki said, putting on the matching royal blue vest.

"What tunic?" Balder frowned.

"The one I asked Rhee to make me," Thor replied.

"You asked her for a tunic and didn't tell me?" Balder huffed.

"Why would I tell you?" Thor demanded.

"So I could ask for one," Balder replied testily.

"Norns! The two of you argue worse than my daughters," Loki remarked and had the satisfaction of making his brothers shut up and gape at each other for a moment.

"Loki!" Balder growled. "I'm going to get you for that!"

Loki laughed. "You and what army, brother?"

Balder looked at Thor. "What do you say we throw him in the fountain?"

"He can swim like a fish," Thor sighed. "Besides, Mother would roast us on a spit if we caused trouble today."

Balder sighed. "You're right." But while he knew Thor was correct, he also knew of someone else who could get away with mischief even on this day—one of the Queen's grandchildren.

He concealed a smirk and went to help Loki with his cape, which was gold satin. "How elegant you look, brother."

Loki arched an eyebrow. "What do you want, Balder?"

"Nothing!" Balder said innocently. "Why would you think that?"

"Because I know you," the Mischief God returned.

"Oh don't assume I am like those mortals you associate with," his older brother sniffed. He winked at Thor.

"Here, Loki. Don't forget this," Thor handed the prince his diadem. "Are you dreaming of your bride to be?"

"I'll never tell," Loki retorted.

"I can make you tell," his brother threatened.

"Yggdrasil's Roots, Thor. You couldn't do that when we were kids." Loki rolled his eyes.

 _In the nursery:_

Max and Aleta looked at the pillow with the betrothal rings on it and Aleta frowned.

"Why is the pillow with Daddy and Rhee's rings in here?" she asked.

"I'm supposed to carry the rings in the ceremony and I wanted to practice carrying it," Max said.

He noticed the look on his sister's face and titled his head to one side.

"What's wrong?" Max asked.

"The pillow is boring," Aleta said with a sigh.

"It is not."

"It is so!"

"Well, what can we do to fix it?"

"It needs to be bedazzled!"

"But Daddy might get mad if we mess with the pillow. What if we lose the rings?"

"I'll put them on the table!" she said as she smiled and went to get her bedazzle kit. Max watched while she placed the rings on the table, picked out some green, clear crystal and gold beads then picked out some green and gold ribbons. She used the bedazzle gun to make little hearts with the crystals and used some glue to make a heart at the center of the pillow.

"Wow! That looks really cool!" Max said as she picked up the rings and put them at the center of the heart.

"Max! Aleta! Come and get dressed!" Halgran shouted and they went to get ready for the betrothal ceremony. Neither of them noticed the rings were sitting in the glue which had smeared onto the pillow and the sunlight shimmered on them.

 _In Rhiannon's room:_

Rhiannon stood in front of the mirror, admiring herself and Frigga walked to her and smiled over her shoulder. The soft, gauzy fabric flattered her, and her golden hair hung in soft waves down her back. The Frost Opals in her ears shimmered like fallen stars, adding to her ethereal beauty. Frigga brought the crown forward, and put it on her head. The Crown of Frost and Fire was white gold with Frost Opals entwined throughout it. It also had rare white sapphires and diamonds inbetween the opals. It looked lacy and delicate but its appearance was deceptive. Much like the woman who wore it.

"I look too fancy." Rhiannon said, staring at herself.

"You look amazing, my dear," Frigga said.

"Did this crown belong to you?"

"No, it was Loki's mother's," Frigga said and Rhiannon gasped. "This is the Crown of Frost and Fire worn by Astra when she was crowned Queen of Jotunheim long ago."

"I should not wear this. I am not a queen."

"She would have wanted you to wear it."

"I don't know..." She replied, her voice trailing off.

"She came to me in a dream and told me to give it to you," Frigga said softly.

"If she gave permission then it must not be offensive to the Norns." Rhiannon said, Frigga noticing her hands trembling slightly.

"Oh, dear, there is no need to be so worried. Remember, you are marrying your heart's partner," Frigga said, taking her hands.

"I am being silly," the Healer shook her head. "I love Loki and he loves me."

Frigga hugged her, but was careful not to wrinkle the gown, as Rhiannon smiled and returned the embrace.

"I suppose all women feel this way before their ceremony." Rhiannon said, blushing. "Do you think Loki is just as nervous as I am?"

"Oh, I am sure he is. When he... When he married that...woman, he was perfectly calm. That should have been a warning something was wrong," Frigga said.

Rhiannon nodded as she looked in the mirror and smiled.

 _Loki's chambers:_

Aleta ran into the room and skidded to a halt to see her father in his ceremonial finery. Loki was putting his diadem on his head, then taking it off and fixing his hair. _Norns, Laufeyson, you're acting like Fandral!_ he thought. _Stop it!_

"Daddy! I need you to help me pick out a dress."

"Just a minute, Aleta!"

"Whoa, Daddy, you look like Prince Adam from Beauty and the Beast!" Aleta said.

"Before the curse or after, spark?" he teased and she giggled.

"After!" she said and he gave her a wink.

"What dress did you have in mind?" he asked.

He felt an odd fluttering in his stomach and brushed it off as betrothal nerves. Which he had thought he wasn't susceptible to given he had felt nothing like that with Boda. _Shows just how much Rhee means to you_ , he thought.

"I can't decide Daddy." Aleta said.

"Okay, show me what ones you picked out and I'll help you."

Aleta took his hand as they walked down the hallway to the nursery and went inside. Halgran was helping Max dress when she saw Loki and her eyes widened.

"Oh! Look at you!" Halgran said and tears appeared in the corners of her eyes.

"Daddy is ready to get betrothed." Aleta giggled, dancing around.

"Now. Now. There is no need for tears," Loki said as she walked closer and took his hands.

"Of course there is," she said, blinking the tears away. "I wasn't here for your original betrothal and wedding, as you know, so, seeing you like this..."

She sniffed as he waved his hand and a silk handkerchief appeared. He handed her the handkerchief and she wiped her eyes.

"Your mother would be so proud of you," she softly said.

"I hope she is watching," Loki said with a smile.

"Of course she is. A Star Watcher is always watching over those she loves," Halgran patted his hand, gazing at the tall Archmage and wondering where the time had gone. It seemed only yesterday she had held a wee dark-haired infant in her arms.

"I need a dress." Aleta reminded.

"Then let's go find one for you," Halgran said.

They walked to the wardrobe when she opened the door and Aleta, Halgran and Loki looked at the choices.

There was a soft pink one, a turquoise blue one, a lilac one, and a gold one.

"Girls," Max sighed. "They take forever to get dressed."

"Imp, that wasn't nice," Loki said,

"Sorry, Daddy."

The soft pink one had a darker sash around the middle with puffy sleeves. The turquoise blue one had a white Peter Pan collar with half sleeves and white petticoats. The lilac one had long sleeves and a silver belt. Finally, the gold one had a slightly hooped skirt with puffy sleeves and tiny crystals scattered over the skirt.

"I want to look pretty Daddy." Aleta said, looking at them.

"I think the gold one looks very pretty," Loki said. "What do you think, Halgran?"

"I agree," Halgran said.

"Can we curl my hair?" Aleta asked.

"I think we can do that."

"And put in gold ribbons?"

"Now, if we do that, you'll outshine Rhiannon."

"I don't want to do that!"

"Then let's go with a simple headband."

"Yay!" she said, clapping her hands.

Loki smiled at Halgran as she winked at him and he lightly shook his head.

Aleta looked at Halgran. "Did you know Daddy's Mommy?"

"Oh, yes, princess. You see, I was Astra's lady-in-waiting when she came to court. Because we were both magic users."

"You can do magic?" Aleta asked, grinning at the woman.

"Yes, I can!"

"Halgran is a hearth witch," Loki explained.

"What is a hearth witch?" Max asked.

"Dearie, I am something of a midwife and I know herbs and potions and spells to enhance a home and a garden. I know spells to calm teething babies and protect them against certain harmful influences." Halgran explained. "But I don't have the Great Magics like your father does or Astra did."

"Neat!" the two toddlers said at once and Halgran smiled.

"All magic is important, great and small," Loki said. "Mr. Gold taught me that."

"Now, let's get you dressed," Halgran said and she and Aleta headed for the dressing screen. Max looked at Loki when Max sighed and looked down at his feet.

"What's wrong, imp?" Loki asked, kneeling down.

"Would... Would your mommy have liked me?" Max asked.

"She would have loved you!"

"Even though I'm... Even though I'm a bastard?"

 _Curse you, Boda_ , Loki thought.

"Now, you listen to me. You are not a bastard."

"But the Bad Lady and another lady said I am."

"Well, I am your daddy and I say you're not," he said and Max smiled.

"Child, that is an awful word and you should not let it bother you." Halgran said.

"Ok," Max said when Halgran and Aleta moved out from behind the dressing screen and Loki smiled.

"Do I look pretty, Daddy?" Aleta asked.

"You look very pretty," Loki said, smiling.

"Father, can you tie my sash?" Abby asked, coming into the nursery. She was wearing an emerald green gown, the overskirt with embroidered golden glitter stars, the underskirt of elven silk. Her velvet green sash was undone.

"Of course," he said and Abby walked to him. He tied the sash as he looked at his daughter then stood up.

"You look really pretty, Abby!" Aleta said.

"You, too," Abby said and Max sighed, rolling his eyes. Loki gave him a "Be nice!" look as Max nodded and Loki lightly ruffled Max' hair.

"How long is this going to take, Daddy?" Max asked, scratching at his clothes.

"It will last a few hours," Loki said as he waved his hand and the itching stopped.

"I don't want to wear this for hours, Daddy." Max whined, pouting.

"Keep that up and Daddy will put you in time out," Aleta warned.

"I don't want to go into time out," he said, folding his arms over his chest.

"Father, is Uncle Thor going to be there?" Abby asked and Loki looked at her.

"He will be there," Loki said. "But not Jane since they broke up."

"I can't believe Prince Thor ever wanted to be involved with her," Halgran said with a sigh.

"I can't believe it either," Loki said. "But it's over now and he's with Sif."

"Good! I always liked her!"

"I like Sif too." Max said, pulling at his clothes.

Joy, the young pregnant nanny, came out from helping Lucy, Serena, and Belle with their hair and dresses and saw Loki, Abby, Max, and Aleta.

"I wish you joy and blessings, Prince Loki!" she said, smiling at him. "I helped your other daughters with their dresses and hair."

"I'm sure you did a fine job, Joy," Loki told the shy girl. "Now why don't you go put your feet up?" He looked at the girl's feet, which were swollen, and she wore soft house slippers.

"Thank you, sir. I shall." she said and beamed at him.

Loki nodded. "I must go and see my sons," he said softly.

"Yes, sir." Joy replied, blushing and giggling at him.

He walked down the hall to see how Nate and Vince were doing.

Nate and Vince were complaining about their outfits, groaning uncomfortably about the formal clothes.

Loki waved a hand and their outfits quit feeling uncomfortable. "How's that? Better?"

"Thanks Dad." Vince said. "They were too tight."

"Much. Thanks, Dad," Nate sighed in relief.

"Hmm. Maybe I should make your outfits for the wedding?" Loki queried.

"We have to dress up again?" Vince groaned.

"Daredevil, it's my wedding," Loki pointed out. "So you can't wear jeans and shorts. But if I make your clothes then they will be comfortable."

"But Dad, leather pants make my nuts sweat." He sighed

Loki nearly choked to death from not laughing. "Then I won't make yours leather."

"Cool. They are stuck to my leg now." Vince said, shifting and grimacing.

Loki fixed it with magic, thanking the Norns he never had that problem. A frost blood did not sweat like mortals and Asgardians and was several degrees cooler than them also.

"Thanks Dad. How do you wear these?"

"They don't bother me. My body temperature is lower than yours normally so they don't make me feel hot."

"Lucky." Hunter groaned. "They pinch my butt too."

"I don't mind them," Mister Gold said as he appeared in the doorway and Loki grinned.

"What are you doing here?" Loki asked.

"Just thought I'd come and give you my blessing," he said, his dark eyes twinkling. "When I first met you all those years ago, I knew you were special. Just like your mother."

"You knew my mother?!"

"Who do you think trained her, dearie?!"

"Just how old are you?" Hunter asked.

"Old enough to know not to act smart," he said with a stern look.

"Sorry."

"When your mother met your father," Mister Gold said as he looked at Loki. "I was a little apprehensive, but he treated her with respect and love. I see the same with you and your lady and I wish you nothing but happiness."

Mister Gold hugged Loki as he patted Loki's back and Loki smiled.

"Thank you, sir," Loki whispered to his old mentor.

"Should we go?" Hunter asked. "Rhiannon might think you got cold feet."

"Yes, let's go." Loki agreed and he led the way to the hall.

Frigga smiled as she watched him enter, she walked over to him and hugged him.

"I am so happy for you dear." She said and Odin stood quietly.

"Thank you," he responded, and his smile illuminated the room. "Where is Rhee?"

"She wanted to check her hair again." Frigga said, laughing.

"I kept looking in my mirror like Fandral," Loki admitted, amused.

"You look wonderful. Keep that tailor." She laughed.

He glanced nervously at the entrance to the hall, fighting the urge to pace up and down.

"Don't faint, brother," Balder teased, poking Loki in the ribs from where he stood beside him.

"I won't," Loki refuted.

"Wanna bet?"

Loki rolled his eyes. "Why bet on a sure thing?" He wondered what was keeping Rhiannon.

He noticed Thor's attention was captured by a certain warrior walking into the hall and grinned as his brother gaped at Lady Sif, who glided across the floor in her new crimson gown, jewelry sparkling at her wrists and ears, looking every inch the goddess she was, and Thor's eyes nearly fell out of his head.

"Is that . . . Sif?"

"See something you like, Brother?" Balder queried.

"I think he sees something there that wasn't there before!" Loki smirked, quoting a favorite movie of Aleta's.

"I never . . .She looks . . . gorgeous!" Thor stammered. He suddenly left Loki's side to greet Sif, bowing to her and taking her hand, the two laughing and looking superb in their matching attire.

Balder gave Loki a searching look. "Did you arrange this, Loki?"

"I'll never tell," Loki responded, but his mouth quirked up.

"They deserve each other," the blond god whispered. "Like you and Rhee."

"Speaking of my betrothed . . ." Loki began, fearing she had changed her mind.

Suddenly the heads of his friends and family turned.

"She has skin pale as snow." A noblewoman said, looking at the doors from above in the gallery through a one-way glass. Standing in them was Rhiannon, her gown a vision of beauty and innocence as Frigga's maids flanked her.

"They say it is because she is a half-blood like the Prince," her friend whispered.

"She is beautiful." A man remarked enviously.

"My, she is even more beautiful than Karnilla," one of the ladies from Nornheim whispered and her husband nodded.

"Hello." She said, giving a curtsey and the maids guided her to Frigga.

"Greetings, Daughter," Frigga said with a small nod.

Above, the court ladies exclaimed upon the vision the gown was, the flowers trailing behind her as if she brought the essence of spring with her, Astra's crown and earrings glowing softly upon her head.

"They make a beautiful couple," one lady gushed and a Dark Elf also watching the proceedings sneered, his lip curling.

"Shall we begin the ceremony?" Frigga asked, smiling at everyone.

"Yes, let us begin," Odin declared, giving the couple a smile of approval. He looked very regal in his dark blue and gold robes etched with runes and a matching eyepatch.

Frigga stood to Rhiannon's left, wearing a brilliant gown of gold tissue, her hair done up with citrines and dusted with gold glitter.

"Yes, sire." Rhiannon said, curtsying politely and looking at Loki. Her eyes were full of love as she gazed at her betrothed, who was resplendent in the suit she had made for him and her breath caught.

Loki's eyes widened in appreciation and he gave her a delighted grin. _She walks in beauty like the night. My soul's partner and heart's delight._ He blinked, feeling deliriously happy. _Quit writing poetry, Laufeyson, and just concentrate!_

Odin conjured green and lavender ribbons embroidered with Loki and Rhiannon's names. "We are gathered here today to perform the betrothal ceremony of my son, Prince Loki Laufeyson Odinson, to his chosen bride, Lady Rhiannon Ruriksdottir Snowfall."

Everyone sat, watching and smiling at the ceremony. Rhiannon blinked, nervous, and wondering if she would make it through the ceremony as her heart pounded.

"Loki, take Rhiannon's left hand in your right one," Odin instructed.

Loki wrapped his fingers about hers, smiling at her gently. Rhiannon looked up at him, and saw in his eyes his eternal love and devotion and suddenly her nerves vanished. She smiled at him in return.

"Now, Queen Frigga will tie the ribbons of fidelity and love about their wrists."

She stood quietly, Frigga walking toward them and tying the ribbons, Loki's hand warm in hers.

"Now, Loki, do you repeat after me, I, Loki Laufeyson Odinson, do take thee, Rhiannon Ruriksdottir Snowfall, for my beloved. You are my heart, my soul, my betrothed."

She watched him say the words, and her heart beat faster in anticipation.

"Now, Rhiannon, do you repeat after me," Odin said, and he recited the same vows as he had for Loki.

She repeated them in a clear voice, gazing into his brilliant eyes, radiant in her joy.

"May the Norns bless and sanctify this ceremony!" Odin declared. Then he gestured and Thor took Loki's other hand and Frigga took Rhiannon's and they gently tugged the couple's hands three times. The ribbons held, showing that the union was a good one and the Norns had blessed it.

"I now declare thee handfast, in the sight if the Norns and all gathered here!" Odin announced, smiling. "You may seal your vows with a kiss."

Loki lowered his head and their mouths met in passionate kiss that stole the breath from their bodies and made everyone watching gasp in delight, except for the Dark Elf who glared at the couple with something akin to hatred upon his handsome face.

Everyone applauded and then Loki stepped back. Odin held out two long tapers, pure white wax with glitter embedded in them, carved in gold with their name runes and Loki's sigil on one and Rhiannon's new crest of a unicorn on the other.

Flushing, he took the taper representing him and Rhiannon hers.

Odin turned and gestured to the altar behind him, which had some of the Eternal Flame in a brazier in the center, while on either side of it were two ornate gold candle holders.

"Let this newly sworn couple dip their Candles of Love and Fidelity into the sacred fire." Odin intoned.

The two did so, and the candles burned with a dazzling pure light.

"Now speak the vows I give to you," Odin said. "I swear, upon the Eternal Flame of Asgard, to always be true to you and I pledge to you my love and fidelity. May this candle burn until my last vows are spoken at the wedding ceremony."

They repeated them, touching the two flames together and they burned with luminous fire.

"Now place them in the holders, where they shall burn until the wedding. They will never go out unless one of you is foresworn."

The couple approached and did so.

"Now we shall have the giving of the rings. The ring represents eternal unity and a love which has no beginning and no end. Prince Maximus, bring forth the betrothal rings."

Max came forward with the bedazzed pillow, Rhiannon's diamond ring and Loki's gold one with black etching and three diamonds upon it.

Max held up the pillow as Loki reached for the diamond ring, but the ring wouldn't come off the pillow.

"Is there something wrong?" Odin asked.

"The ring won't come off the pillow," Loki said as he tried to get the gold ring off the pillow, but it stayed firmly stuck. "Alright! Who glued the rings to the pillow?!"

Thor, Balder, and the children looked at each other then at Loki and he glared at them.

"The marriage is cursed!" a certain Dark Elf said in the gallery and murmers filled the balcony.

"No, it is not!" snapped Ambassador Starkaad of Jotunheim, who was also Loki's cousin.

"Hold your tongue, Stormcrow!" growled Ambassador Mitzi, who was Starkaad's twin. "The only thing cursed here is you."

Down below, Loki was giving his brothers a reproving stare. "Well?!"

"None of us are playing a prank on you, Brother," Thor said as Loki glanced at Max and saw the sadness in his eyes.

"Imp...," Loki said while he handed the pillow to Rhiannon and knelt down on his haunches. "Do you know who did this?"

"It was me," Aleta said as she ran to him and he held both toddlers in his arms. "I'm sorry, Daddy." Tears filled her eyes.

"Oh, spark, I'm not angry. Tell me what happened," he said as they moved back and he wiped her eyes with his thumbs.

"I was practicing carrying the pillow and Leta wanted to make it pretty," Max said.

"It is very pretty," Rhiannon said as she looked at the shimmering hearts and ribbons.

"I used my Bedazzler, but I must have gotten some glue on the pillow," Aleta said, lowering her head.

"I see," Loki said as he stood and took the pillow from Rhiannon. He knelt down as they looked at the pillow and Loki gave them a little smile. "Let's see if I can't fix it."

"No, I want to!" Max said when he placed his hand over the rings and a green light shimmered around his hand. He pictured the rings not being stuck to the pillow as the rings floated off it and went into his hand. "Wow!"

 _He just used telekinesis,_ Loki thought as Max smiled at him.

"Here, Daddy," Max said.

"Thank you, imp," Loki said as he took the rings and stood up.

"Did...? Did Max just use magic?" Odin asked.

"Yeah! I have the same magic as Daddy!" Max said with a grin and Odin softly laughed.

"Well, then, let us continue," Odin said as Max and Aleta went to sit down and Max sat on Thor's lap.

"Good going, Max," Hunter said and Max grinned.

"I thought Daddy was going to get really mad," Aleta said.

"Nah, it was an accident," Sam said. Max yawned then he leaned against Thor, closed his eyes, and went to sleep.

"Oh no! He's going to miss Daddy and Rhee kissing!" Aleta said.

"No, it's fine," Loki said as he looked back at his children then looked at Rhiannon.

He waved a hand and the remainder of the glue on the rings was cleaned off. He took Rhiannon's hand in his and this time placed the diamond ring on her left hand. "With this ring, I pledge thee my troth," he recited the ancient words.

Rhiannon took Loki's ring and his hand and placed his gold and black ring on his finger. "With this ring, I pledge thee my troth."

Odin came and held his hands above them and blue sparkles rained down. "I declare this betrothal sealed! May the Norns bless Loki and Rhiannon and all here! Now let us feast!"

Everyone cheered and clapped.

Thor and Balder swatted Loki on the back in congratulations, and Heidel hugged Rhiannon and kissed her cheek. The kids all hugged both their father and their soon-to-be-mother.

Then Loki and Rhiannon led the way into the feast hall, where the betrothal feast would be served. As per the menu they had chosen, the first course consisted of sweet frost wine, or chilled pear cider for the children, and bacon wrapped scallops, shrimp skewers, and mini filet mignon pies. Everyone toasted the health of the new couple and wished them joy and happiness.

"These are delicious!" Rhiannon said, eating another mini pie.

"I know. I love these," Loki grinned. Then he clinked glasses with her.

Rhiannon laughed and leaned over and kissed him softly. "That was a beautiful ceremony."

"Yes. But wait until you see the wedding. The vows we speak then will be ones that we choose for each other. And the actual ceremony will be shorter so we can get to celebrating sooner." He drank some frost wine.

"Are you gonna kiss again?" Vince asked.

"Not at the moment, why?" Loki asked.

"'Cause it makes me wanna barf," his son replied honestly.

"Then don't look," Loki chuckled. Then he wondered if he was ever that obnoxious at eight years old. _Probably,_ he admitted to himself.

"One day you will find a girl and you will enjoy it," Rhiannon told him.

Vince shook his head. "No way! I'm not ever getting married. I wanna be a bachelor."

"We'll see if you say that when you're older," Thor chuckled. "I said that too when I was your age."

"Yeah and you're not married," his nephew pointed out.

Thor coughed and smiled. "Not yet but . . ." he gave Sif a significant look.

"OMG! It's like a disease!" Vince groaned and the adults laughed.

After about twenty minutes, the pages and servers brought around some bowls of rosewater to wash the diner's hands and then they served the main course—which was the broiled salmon with whiskey glaze, stuffed crab, roasted potatoes with garlic and mashed sweet potatoes with pecans, plus a cranberry walnut salad, and green beans with ham.

Everyone exclaimed over how good the meal was, and more ale and wine were drunk.

Funny anecdotes were exchanged and playful banter was had between the diners before the plates were cleared and the dessert course was served. Strawberry and banana chocolate cream pies were offered to each diner.

"I'll have the strawberry pie first," Loki told Artos.

"Artos, I will have the same," Rhiannon said, and the boy fetched two pieces from the tray marked with Loki's sigil.

"Here you are, My Prince, My Lady," the squire said, giving each of them a piece.

"I love this pie," Rhiannon said, eating a bite.

"So do I," Loki said. He too ate a bite.

They ate two more bites before they began noticing an odd tingling feeling that began at their toes and then spread through their whole body. Loki swallowed his piece of pie and wondered why he felt so odd.

Rhiannon looked at him and remarked, "I feel a bit tingly all of a sudden."

Loki leaned over and murmured, "You have some cream on you," Then he kissed her lightly.

The next instant there was a bright flash and when the light cleared a small blonde girl and a slightly taller ebony haired boy were sitting in the chairs previously occupied by an adult Loki and Rhiannon.

"Gross! I kissed a girl!" nine-year-old Loki cried in horror. "What game is this?"

"Where am I? I want to go home!" Rhiannon cried, hiding in the dress.

"Who are you?" Loki asked, frowning.

"I'm Rhiannon. From the North Woods, my father is going to be angry with me. I'm not supposed to leave the farm." She whimpered, crying and waiting for her father to grab her and drag her off to be beaten. "Who are you?"

"Loki," he replied, puzzled as to why he would be playing with a girl he did not know.

"Like the prince?" she gasped.

"Yes, I am the prince," he replied. "And this is my home."

"Oh my God! They're kids!" Sam cried.

"By the Nine!" Belle exclaimed, then she waved her hand and swapped their ceremonial finery for Asgardian clothes from Lucy and Nate's rooms so they were now dressed in attire that fit them. But before she could do anything more, both children jumped to their feet.

"Loki!" Odin yelled, horrified. "What foul sorcery is this?!"

**A/N: So what will happen now?**

 **I am going to put in a brief note about royal succession. In MY verse, I don't care how it's done anywhere else, the line of succession goes to the child born of a king and queen's legitimate marriage-whether male or female. If the parents are not crowned king and queen in a realm then the child of that union is NOT the heir, doesn't matter how old they are. Thus-Loki and Boda were NOT crowned King and Queen of Jotunheim, therefore Jorgy is NOT the legitimate heir to Jotunheim. He is Loki's legitimate son and prince, because Loki is prince of Asgard. In order for any of Loki's offspring to be a king or queen of Jotunheim they must-be born of a legitimate marriage AND Loki and Rhiannon must be crowned monarchs before the child can be the heir to Jotunheim.**

 **Secondly, there is no "test" for kingship-you are either BORN to the royal line-like Loki and Thor-OR you marry into it-like Frigga and that means you are the unquestioned monarch. Period. You do NOT need to prove yourself-so it is not necessary for a queen to have a child to prove she is in power. She is Queen and with all rank and power that goes with it from either the moment she is born or the moment she says "I do." Thus, when Rhiannon marries Loki she will be a princess UNTIL they are crowned King and Queen of Jotunheim. After that they are both co-rulers together and that is that.**


	43. Mischievous Innocence

**43**

 **Mischievous Innocence**

 _There is nothing so innocent or so mischievous as a child ~Loki_

His son whirled and fled, dodging inbetween the feet of the guests and out of the hall. He scampered around the pillars and hid behind a tapestry near his room, shivering. _No, no, no, Father is mad and he's going to whip me!_

In an effort to escape, he shifted into a small black kitten.

"This is my hiding spot. Go away." He heard a girl's voice whisper.

The black kitten shrank away and meowed sadly, looking pitiful.

"I'm going to be whipped and sold." The girl cried, sniffing as she wiped at her eyes. "I'm sorry."

 _You aren't the only one who's going to get beaten,_ Loki sent, trembling. _Why do you think I'm hiding?_

"You can talk!" she whispered. "Are you a magic cat?"

 _Uh . . .I'm Loki,_ he sent, twining about her ankles.

She knelt and petted him, creating a bulge in the tapestry.

 _Watch out! They'll see you moving!_

"I will hide somewhere else then," she said, crawling out from under the tapestry and running along the hall.

"Wait! They will find you!" Loki called, shifting back. "We can hide over here! This is my room." He pushed open the door and beckoned her inside.

"Do you promise not to kiss me again?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"Yes. My brothers would make fun of me if they knew I kissed a girl," Loki said. He waved a hand and drew some runes. "There! Now no one will see us if they look in here."

He peered around the room in puzzlement. "Why is the furniture so big?"

"You have a bed?" The girl said, looking at it in amazement. "You are so lucky."

"Don't you have a bed?" he asked.

"No. I sleep next to the stove to keep warm on some old clothes." She replied, looking around the room. "You have so much."

"But my bed is so big!" he gasped. "It wasn't like this yesterday." He scratched his head. Then he went to the nightstand and opened a drawer. "Oh good! They're still here!" he withdrew several peppermint stars. "Here, Rhiannon."

"Are those candies?" she asked, nearly drooling. She took one cautiously, turning it over in her small hand.

He nodded. "Uh huh. They're peppermint stars. My favorite." He unwrapped one and popped it in his mouth. "Eat it."

She put the candy in her mouth, smiling and nodding as she let it dissolve on her tongue.

Suddenly, the door opened and Frigga walked in. She wrung her hands, looking around, and sighed.

"Where are they?" she muttered and looked under the bed.

Rhiannon wondered why the queen didn't see them but then figured the prince must have cast a spell to make them invisible. Loki drew Rhiannon into the bathroom, putting a finger to his lips.

She nodded, staying quiet and her golden curls trembled in fear. Frigga continued to look, opening doors and shaking her head.

 _Mother won't hurt us_ , Loki sent. _But I'm afraid she's looking for us because Father told her to._

"What do we do?" She whispered.

 _Stay hidden,_ Loki sent. _If she can't find us soon, she will leave._

"Yes, Prince Loki." She whispered back, shaking and trying not to cry.

Loki put his arm around her, feeling oddly protective of this stranger.

She whimpered and her bare feet tapped on the floor. She looked at him, doing a dance around the bathroom and pinching her eyes shut.

"I have to go pee." she said, trying not to be loud.

"Uh, go ahead. I won't look." he said turning his back. He made another rune sign in the air and it glittered with green light before fading.

"I can't with you in the room." she whimpered, starting to hold her skirts and dancing worse.

"By the Nine!" he sighed. Then he carefully peeked out the door and found Frigga was no longer in the room. He walked out and sat on the big bed. It was very bouncy, he observed. More so than his old one.

"Thank you." The girl replied and he heard her arrange herself to pee. She finished, washing her hands and drying them. "Who is going to take me home?"

"Maybe my brother Balder can," Loki said. "But you can play for awhile, right?" He kicked off his boots and stood on the bed.

"I think I can. Father is visiting with the ladies," she told him matter-of-factly. "What do you want to play?"

"Let's play jumping on the bed," he grinned.

"You can do that and not get in trouble?"

He nodded. "It's my bed. I can do what I want with it. Come up!"

"Yes, Prince Loki." She crawled up on the bed.

Loki began to bounce up and down in his socks.

"This bed is soft, why do you need one so big?"

"I don't know why it's this big. It wasn't yesterday. Maybe my mother got me a new one."

"I wish my father would give me a bed." She jumped with him, her curls bouncing around her head, giggling in delight. "It's so soft and bouncy!"

"You can share my bed. It's so big three people and Thor could sleep in it," Loki said generously.

He jumped up and then brought his knees up, landing on his bottom and laughing.

"This is fun!" She laughed, still jumping.

The two wayward children were having such a good time that Loki forgot to concentrate on his glamour casting.

Soon their childish laughter could be heard down the hallway.

"Hey! I hear something!" Aleta cried to Max. "Maybe they're in here!"

The two toddlers ran down the hall to Loki's room.

"Can I stay here tonight? I can sleep next to the fireplace!" Rhiannon said, squealing.

"You don't have to do that. You can have the other half of the bed," he told her.

Suddenly the door burst open and Aleta and Max ran into the room. "Cool! We wanna play too!"

"Who are you?" Loki asked, puzzled.

"I'm Aleta and this is my brother, Max." Aleta explained. "Don't you remember us?"

"Are you visiting from somewhere else?" Loki asked.

"Yup. From Midgard." Max said.

"Are you going to throw rocks at me?" Rhiannon asked, looking scared.

"No! Why would we do that? That's mean!" Aleta gasped.

"Yeah we're not mean kids." Max assured her.

"I'm Rhiannon and this is Prince Loki," she told the two toddlers.

"We know!" they giggled. "Loki is our-friend!" Aleta said, remembering what Belle had told her just in time.

"Can we play jump too?" Max asked.

"Yes! Come up on the bed," Loki invited them. "Just take off your shoes."

The two toddlers removed their shoes and climbed up on the bed. Then they all held hands and jumped up and down, giggling.

"Loki said I could stay the night." Rhiannon giggled.

"Yes! A sleepover!" Aleta crowed.

"Let's play popcorn!" Max cried.

"What's that?" Rhiannon asked.

"It is a game." Max said.

"We'll show ya," Aleta said, and sat down in the middle of the bed. "Our daddy taught us it."

"Now we all jump up and down and bounce Aleta," Max said and began to jump, yelling, "Popcorn! Popcorn! Get your popcorn!"

The other two joined in, all of them shouting the same thing. The door opened suddenly, Frigga walking in. She looked relieved upon seeing the two missing children.

"Mother!" Loki gasped, nearly falling off the bed.

"Hello, dear," she said, smiling.

"My friends and I were playing," Loki said, looking about fearfully.

"Oh no!" Rhiannon said, stopping. She slipped off the bed and hid on the other side of it.

"Uh oh!" Max looked nervous. "Are we in trouble?"

"No, darling. You can play with Loki on the bed. You are royal guests." Frigga reassured her grandchild.

"I think I have to leave. I'm a commoner." Rhiannon said, hanging her head.

"No! I can have whoever I want as a friend," Loki protested. "Right, Mother? I'm friends with Kara and she's a commoner."

"Yes dear. I was wondering if your new friends were hungry?" Frigga said.

"Yes!" Max cried. "I'm starving!"

"You always are," Aleta rolled her eyes. "Daddy says you're like a bottomless pit."

"Didn't ask you, Miss Bossypants." Max frowned.

Loki laughed. "You sound like me and Thor." He looked at Rhiannon. "Are you hungry, Rhee?"

"I am. Father did not have anything for me to eat this morning." She said, still hiding. "He is going to be done visiting the ladies at the big house soon."

Frigga looked shocked for a moment. "Oh, well, dear, why don't you all come and have some lunch?"

They all cheered.

"Yes, Queen Frigga." Rhiannon said. "Did Father sell me to you?"

"You can't sell people!" Max cried, horrified.

"That's called slavery," Aleta put in. "We fought a big war so's nobody did that anymore at home. Least that's what Belle said."

"Who's Belle?" Loki asked.

"Belle's our big sister," Max answered. "She knows everything 'cause she reads the whole library."

"There is no slavery in Asgard. But your father asked that I take you into my household as my ward, Rhee. You are now my little maid of honor. And you may live here and play with Loki." Frigga told her calmly.

"I may? Do I get a bed?" Rhee gasped.

"Yes, we are having one made for you." Frigga assured her.

"We were all gonna share Loki's bed," Aleta said. "Like when you have a slumber party."

"That is wonderful! Thank you so much, Queen Frigga!" Rhiannon cried, smiling and holding her arms open to hug the woman. Her eyes were shining with happiness, and Frigga hugged the child.

"Can we have this slumber party, Mother?" Loki begged, giving her pleading eyes.

Frigga's heart melted. "Of course, little scamp."

Loki smiled happily. He had new friends and it seemed he wasn't in trouble. "Then . . . Father isn't mad?" He asked cautiously.

"No. He is worried about your new friend, she seemed very upset when she ran away." Frigga replied.

"She was afraid her father would whip her and I was afraid too," Loki admitted.

"Why would her father whip her?" Frigga asked softly.

"She isn't allowed to leave the farm. And he doesn't let her sleep in a bed." her son said quietly.

"He is mean!" Aleta cried. "Our daddy says hands are for hugging not hitting."

"I believe that too. No one will ever raise a hand to you, Rhiannon." Frigga said and tickled Rhiannon's cheeks.

"Truly, My Queen?" She giggled back.

"I promise," Frigga vowed.

Loki's stomach growled.

Max giggled. "Your tummy is talking."

"Umm . . . it was a long time since breakfast."

"Perhaps we should all eat then." Frigga said, holding out her hands for the children to take. She smiled at Rhiannon, watching her blonde curls bounce as she walked. _Such a sweet little girl!_

She gazed down at her son, and felt her heart catch as she thought that once again she had her little boy back. She knew it was because of some curse, but she still could not help being a little happy. Loki as a child had always made her smile . . . when he wasn't driving her to distraction with questions and getting into mischief.

Loki was looking at Max as they walked. "You could be my little brother," he said.

"Everyone says that." Max smiled. "I'm your brother from another mother."

"What does that mean?" Rhiannon asked, giggling.

"It's when two people who aren't related look like each other." Max said. "Vince says it."

"Oh. Who is Vince?" She asked, looking confused.

"He's my big brother. One of 'em. I got lots of them cause I'm the littlest except for Aleta."

"You are? So am I." Loki said. "I have two older brothers."

"I am six." Rhiannon said. "I am an only child."

"So was I till Daddy adopted me," Aleta told her.

"Will I have a brother now?" Rhiannon asked, her eyes filling with excitement.

"Thor and Balder can be your brothers." Loki replied.

"They can? Are they nice?" Rhiannon asked, looking at him in shock.

"Mostly. Until they tell you what to do," Loki sighed.

"Mine do that all the time," Max said.

"Until we tell Daddy," Aleta grinned.

"Does your father whip them for being naughty?" she asked the other children.

Max shook his head. "No! Dad doesn't do that. He makes them say sorry and write lines or do chores."

Loki wished he could live with Max's father.

"He sounds nicer than mine. My father whips me with a buggy whip." Rhiannon said, shaking.

"My bad mommy usta hit me with wire hangers," Max whimpered. "But she died and now I live with Daddy."

"My mother died, but she was nice."

"That's good." Loki said. Then he whispered to Rhiannon, "Sometimes my father uses a switch. Or a belt if he's really mad."

"I will behave myself then, Prince Loki." she whispered back.

He nodded. He was sure Rhiannon wouldn't make Odin mad. Only he seemed to do that.

"Is there some bread to eat, Queen Frigga?" Rhiannon asked, looking up at her as they entered the hall.

"Yes of course. And lots more."

"Father can only afford bread sometimes, does this mean you have butter too?"

"We have butter and lingonberry jam," Loki told her. "Strawberry jam too."

"I have never had jam." She said, her mouth falling open.

"I love strawberry jam!" Max said.

"You never had jam?" Aleta gaped at Rhiannon. "Not even grape jam?"

"No. All that is for nobles. Father brings us butter on special days though."

"Wow! We have grape, strawberry, lingonberry, and apricot to eat with peanut butter." The little girl explained.

"What is peanut butter?" She asked, amazed at all the flavors of jam.

"It's the best thing. It's butter made from peanuts. We all eat it, but Daddy loves it. And so do Aleta and I." Max said.

"Is there some here?" She asked Aleta, her mouth falling open at all the food.

"Uh Daddy has some in his backpack."

"I would like to try that," Loki said and his children laughed.

"Is there really meat for us to eat now?" Rhiannon gasped.

Loki nodded. "There always is at the king's table." He sniffed the air. "I smell bacon."

"It smells wonderful." Rhiannon said, starting to cry.

"What's wrong?" Max asked.

"I'm afraid that this is a good dream. And I will wake up from it. Soft beds and meat at all meals." She sniffed, wiping her cheeks.

"It's not a dream." Loki reassured her. "See, there's Father and my-" he stopped and stared. "Mother! Why are Thor and Balder big?"

"They are very big." Rhiannon said, gaping at the two massive men.

"Oh! They were fooling around with Mr. Gold's potions and drank a growth serum." Frigga explained. "It will wear off in a few days."

Loki rolled his eyes. "Norns! They shouldn't play around with magic. I'm the magician not them."

"They are a bit scary." Rhiannon said, stepping back.

"They won't hurt you, dear." Frigga reassured her.

"They're like big puppies!" Aleta sang and Loki giggled.

"Yes, My Queen." She said and followed the woman around the room.

"Who are they?" Loki asked as he looked at Sleph, Fenris, Jorgy and the other kids.

"Those are our brothers and sisters," Max said.

"Will they tease me?" Rhiannon asked, moving closer to Frigga and Frigga gently placed her hand on Rhiannon's shoulder.

"No, they're nice," Aleta said.

"Hi, D...," Vince said then went silent when Hunter nudged him.

"Loki, Rhee, may I introduce Sleph, Jorgy and Fenris," Frigga said.

"Are they servants?" Loki asked.

"No, they are cousins and princes also," she told her son.

"They are tall." Rhiannon said, looking at the three.

Loki seemed oddly drawn to the dark-haired girl with the blue robes. He peered at her curiously, meeting her brown eyes and he could almost recognize her.

"Hello . . .Loki," the dark-haired girl said. "I'm Belle."

"The one that read the whole library," Loki smiled, recalling what Max had said.

"That's me!" she said brightly. "I'm a Lorekeeper."

"Do I know you?"

She smiled wistfully at him. _Yes, you know me. I am your Spirit Keeper,_ she thought but did not say aloud. "We met a long time ago."

She recalled Loki telling her once that the bond between them was so profound that even if one of them were under an enchantment or had amnesia still a part of them would recall the other. _The fragments of my spirit will always know each other._ Now Belle saw the truth of that herself.

 _I'll find a way to break the spell, Dad. What magic does, magic can undo._

"Are we gonna eat?" Aleta asked suddenly.

"Yes, dear," Frigga said. "Go sit down."

"Where do I sit Queen Frigga?" Rhiannon asked.

"Sit next to Loki, dear."

"Where do you sit, Prince Loki?" Rhiannon asked, Frigga noticing her bare feet.

"You will need shoes later dear." Frigga sighed and Rhiannon looked ashamed at her feet.

"The ones I had were too big, My Queen. I am sorry." She replied.

"You can borrow some of mine," Lucy offered.

"I promise not to dirty them, Lady." Rhiannon said, smiling at the other girl.

"It's okay if you do. They can get washed." Lucy shrugged.

They began to eat lunch. There were turkey sandwiches with bacon and tomatoes.

"There is so much." she whispered to Loki. "How much can I take?"

"Whatever you wish," He said. "There is always plenty of food. And if this runs out the servers will bring more."

"Really? There was never enough after Father ate." She gasped, her stomach growled violently then.

Loki raised an eyebrow. "He didn't make sure you were fed?"

Rhiannon shook her head. "I got whatever was left . . . which was never enough."

"That won't happen here," Loki said quietly. "Here." He gave her a sandwich and some crispy potatoes. "If you want more after that, you can take it."

"Thank you, My Prince. I am glad to be the Queen's maid-of-honor."

"I am glad too. Just watch out for the king. Sometimes he has dark moods and . . . best you stay out of his way," Loki shuddered.

Frigga looked at Odin as her husband noticed the old fear in Loki's eyes and Odin gazed regretfully at his son.

"Talk to him," Frigga whispered.

"How can I? At that age, he thought of me as the man who beat and punished him," Odin whispered.

"But that wasn't you."

"I know that, but..."

"Talk to him," she said and lightly patted his hand.

"Will I have to learn how to read and write?" Rhiannon asked Loki, cleaning her plate.

"What?" Loki asked after looking over at Odin.

"Will I have to learn how to read and write?"

"Yes, but don't worry. Mother is a good teacher."

"She will not punish me if I don't learn fast enough?"

"No," he said with a shake of his head then looked at Odin again.

"Why do you keep looking at the king?"

"He keeps looking at me. I hope I haven't done anything wrong or he will punish me."

"But you are his son. Why would he punish you?"

"He hates me."

"He does?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I just know he does. He allows Thor and Balder to do whatever they want. Yet, if I do one thing wrong, if I do the tiniest bit of magic, he beats me."

Rhiannon looked at Odin when she started shaking and Loki placed his hand on top of hers. "Don't worry. If he tries to hurt you, I'll have him punish me instead."

"Why would you do that?! I am just a commoner."

"You are also my friend," he said and she shyly smiled.

"He can still punish me instead. I am used to it." She said back, holding his hand.

"That wouldn't be fair," Loki whispered. "You shouldn't be switched if he's angry with me." He peered at his diminutive companion and the thought of a whip or a switch striking her delicate form made him want to throw up . . . or curse someone.

"He may still punish me if I am bad." She whispered, her eyes going wide.

"He usually leaves any kind of punishment for her maids up to my mother." Loki whispered.

Rhiannon nodded.

Loki finished his sandwich, happily crunching the bacon. Then he went to take a cookie from the plate on the table. They were his favorite ones, Halgran's molasses with raisins.

Rhiannon sat quietly, her plate empty and wanting everyone to hurry up with their eating.

"Do you want a cookie?" Loki asked, indicating the plate on the table.

"I can have one?" She asked him, whimpering when Odin looked at the children.

"Yes." Loki pushed the plate by her, remembering just in time to not summon a cookie to him. He didn't want to get switched for being a magical freak.

His father's disapproval of his magic had never made any sense to him, especially because his mother was a mage and Odin himself had the magic of Asgard running through him since he had become the Allfather of the Nine. Loki didn't know what made his magic so bad.

"Thank you." She said and took a cookie. She sat in her chair, eating it and looking scared.

Loki squeezed her hand beneath the table. "Don't be afraid. You haven't done anything wrong."

"Why is he staring?"

"He does that sometimes," Loki shrugged. "Don't worry. If he was mad at you, you would know it. Believe me."

"Have you had enough to eat, Rhiannon?" Frigga asked softly. "If so, you can come with me and Lucy and we can pick out shoes for you."

"Yes Queen Frigga." She said looking at Loki. "I am glad I get to stay, the roof does not leak and you don't have to move the hog to go to the bathroom."

"What was a hog doing in your bathroom?" Lucy asked, puzzled.

"It is outside. We have to check it for spiders too before we sit down." Rhiannon answered. "I slept on the floor next to the wood stove too. I'm happy I get a bed."

"I hate spiders!" Lucy shivered. "I'm glad you came here, Rhee." She took Rhiannon's hand and they ran out of the hall with Frigga following more sedately.

"I did always want a daughter." Frigga said, smiling as she walked.

"I am going to use my Lorekeeper knowledge to see how I can reverse the spell," Belle told Odin. "What magic has done, magic can undo."

"Go on then, sweet Belle. May your studies be fruitful." Odin said, dismissing her with a smile.

"I'll tell you if I find anything!" she went out of the hall to her room and then she put the crown on, allowing the repository that housed all the knowledge of all the Lorekeepers, as well as Kennet's spirit, to awaken within her mind.

"I've got to find out how to fix them." Belle whispered, closing her eyes.

Loki was about to ask one of his new cousins to play with him when he heard Odin call to him.

"I need to speak to you for a moment, Loki," he said, beckoning for him to follow.

The young shifter froze. Then he murmured, "Yes, sir," and followed his father, dread making his stomach hurt. _What have I done now?_ he wondered frantically.

They walked to his study, Odin gesturing for him to sit down in a chair.

A startled Loki sat down, thinking he had never been allowed to do so before. He waited for his father to lecture him, using that cold tone he hated so much.

"Do you like Rhiannon?" Odin asked, trying to find a way to broach the subject on his mind.

His son nodded. "Yes, Father. She is a nice girl like Kara."

"Nice enough to be wed to one day?" Odin asked, his one eye shining.

Loki looked startled. "I . . . I guess so. But do I have to kiss her?" He made a face.

"You would, believe me, one day you will enjoy kissing a woman." He laughed. "You can always say no."

"I suppose." Loki said, looking at his boots.

The way the boy held himself, like a wild animal ready to flee, or to cringe into a corner, made Odin's heart ache. _You did this to him, Wanderer. Or rather, the beast that lived within you did. Now fix it._

He opened a drawer in his desk and took out a peppermint star, which he knew was one of Loki's favorite treats. "Look what I found." He held it out to the boy.

Loki stared at it, wondering why Odin was being so nice to him. Was it a trick?

"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you." Odin urged. "Take it."

Slowly Loki took the candy. "Thank you, sir." His hand closed over the candy. He wanted to run out of the room, but he knew better than to leave before being dismissed. "Am I in trouble?" he asked, concealing a shiver.

"No. Why would you assume that?"

"Because usually when you bring me here it's to punish me," Loki replied.

"Not this time," Odin sighed. "I . . . want you to know that I am sorry for being so harsh with you."

The boy peeked up at him through his long eyelashes. "Father? I don't understand." He could never recall his father saying such words to him before.

"I have been a tyrant to you, I should have celebrated your magic instead of suppressing it." Odin admitted.

Loki's mouth fell open. "But . . .but . . . why, sir? Why is my magic bad?" Tears suddenly glistened in the evergreen eyes.

"It is not bad at all. I just want you to use caution as you wield it, power can corrupt, Loki."

"Yes, sir," he said, swallowing the lump in his throat. He stared at a point on the desk, not daring to look his father in the eye.

"I will not suppress your gifts anymore, nor shall I beat you for them." Odin said, smiling. "I regret all of that fully."

Loki thought he must be dreaming. For surely this was not the same man who used to scream at him and then beat him with a switch until he bled. _Any minute now I'll wake up in my bed and see this has all been a dream._

"Not ever?" his voice quivered.

"No. I should not have done that but . . .none this will make sense unless I tell you a secret. One that I know you will keep, because you are my clever son."

Loki's mouth hung open. Never had he heard such words from his father until that moment. He had been called a disgrace, a puny boy, the least prince, a wicked son, but never that he was clever. And now his father wished him to keep a secret? "I swear by the Nine." He mumbled, thinking rapidly _if I do this then Father will see I am a good son too._

"Very well. I was awful to you before because I was under an enchantment. One that made me act and do things I never would have to you and others."

"But you're free now?"

"Yes. Thanks to your cousin Belle. Now I am myself again, and I promise I will never raise a hand to you again, Loki."

"Not even if I make you angry?"

"No." He saw Loki's gaze slide away to a corner of the study, where a hickory switch resided, half-hidden behind a drape, and dusty with disuse.

Odin saw and summoned the switch to him with a grimace. He then snapped it in half and threw the pieces into the fire. "No more switches." He gave Loki a warm smile.

The boy was still stunned and could not respond.

"You probably wish to go play, don't you?"

Loki nodded. "I would like to play with my cousins." His brow wrinkled. "Are they your brothers' children?"

"They are, go on then. I pray you forgive me." Odin said, walking over and hugging Loki. "You are my good son, a little mischievous, but a good son."

At first the boy stiffened, unsure how to react. Then he realized what Odin was doing and he threw his arms around his father and hugged him back, crying silently into his tunic from relief and happiness.

The old king hugged and rocked him, stroking his silky hair. _My poor Loki! I can never undo what has been done, but please forgive me!_ There were tears in the monarch's eye that he swiftly blinked away, not from shame, but from habit. He continued to hug Loki, letting the boy cry for a few moments more, regret boiling like acid in his gut.

"Come now, we can't have Rhiannon finding you crying into my shirt." Odin murmured, taking a handkerchief out of his pocket.

"I'm sorry, Father," the boy sniffled, taking the handkerchief and wiping his face with it. "I forgive you, sir." He gazed up at his father hopefully. "Then . . . you don't mind that I'm not strong like Thor and Balder?"

"Not at all. One day, you may be stronger then they are."

"Really? But Thor's friends say I'm a skinny shrimp and not good for anything except being a practice dummy." Loki hung his head. "I wish I wasn't so small."

"Wait. You will one day be taller than them. And have a wife who adores you." Odin smiled, ruffling his hair.

"I will?"

"Yes." Odin said, tipping his chin up."And you are not a practice dummy! True strength comes from here," He tapped Loki's heart. "Not here." He tapped one of Loki's arms. "I am only sorry I did not see that in you until now."

Loki could not believe what he was hearing, and he stared at his father in shock.

"Do-do you really mean that?"

"Yes, Loki. Strength of heart and strength of character make a good prince. Or a king. Not strength of arms. Remember that. Now go play. Your cousins are waiting for you, son."

Loki flashed him a brilliant smile, one that Odin could not recall seeing upon the boy's face until now.

"Go on, or I will make you sort my books." Odin laughed.

Loki giggled, astonished that his father had actually made a joke. "I'm going, sir!" He waved and ran out of the study, filled with a newfound joy.

He saw the boys in the common room, all of them laughing and daring one another to eat something.

"What are you playing?" he asked curiously.

"It's a game called We Dare You to Eat This." Vince said, and laughed.

"Can I play? What do you have to eat?" Loki asked.

"These cookies, with fish and mustard on them." Hunter said.

"We have a bucket here if you have to throw up." Vince said.

Loki wrinkled his nose. "That doesn't sound too bad. What happens if I eat it?"

"Then you get to dare us to eat something."

"We cheer and call you cool." Hunter said, shrugging. The younger girls walked up, on their way to have a tea party.

"What are you doing?" Lucy asked. "That looks nasty!"

"Yuck!" Rhiannon said, wrinkling her nose. "That will make you sick!"

"We dare you to eat it!" Hunter and Vince cried.

"Gross!" Lucy cried. "I'm not gonna throw up 'cause of you!"

"I would not eat that if you paid me," Abby backed away.

"It smells so bad." Rhiannon said, cringing. "I would never kiss anyone who ate that."

"Me neither!" Lucy said. "Let's go have our tea party!" She pulled Rhiannon out of the hall and Abby followed.

"Girls!" Vince rolled his eyes. "They don't know how to have fun."

"Kissing is lame anyways." Hunter said.

Loki nodded. "All right. Who is going to go first?"

"I will!" Vince said, picking up the cookie.

"Now remember, you gotta chew it and swallow it. If you spit it out it doesn't count." Hunter reminded. "I'll count to three. One . . . two . . . three!"

Vince bit down on the cookie, chewing and struggling to swallow the food. "This is so gross!"

 _Not as gross as the time Thor made me eat a worm_ , Loki thought.

"I bet he pukes." Hunter laughed. "Grab the bucket."

Loki picked it up.

"Go for it!" Vince said, turning green.

Loki shoved the bucket over to him. "Just spit it out."

"I don't want to be a wimp." Vince said, groaning.

"You tried." Loki told him.

"Yeah." Vince moaned and threw up in the bucket. "You go now."

Loki picked up the cookie, held his nose, and stuffed the whole thing in his mouth. He shut his eyes and concentrated on chewing just enough to swallow it.

"How can you _do_ that?" Hunter asked in amazement.

Loki made a face but managed to swallow it. "Ugh! Can I have some water? The aftertaste!"

"That was amazing!" Vince said, cheering. _Wow, I thought he was cool when he was older, but he's even better as a kid!_

"You really don't want to kiss Rhiannon, do you?" Hunter laughed and slapped his back.

Hunter gave him some water. Loki gulped it down. "Thanks. I just pretended I was a cat. And once my brother and his friends made me eat a worm. Now THAT was gross!"

"Sick!" Vince said.

"What do we eat next?" Hunter asked.

Loki smirked. "You'll see." He fetched a piece of bread from the table.

Then he put some pepper, salt, mustard, a drop of hot sauce, mayonnaise, pickles, a drop of vinegar, and a pinch of sugar on the bread.

"I dare you to eat this!"

"Nasty!" Nate said, laughing.

"You should go first, Hunter," Loki dared his son.

"Ok," Hunter said, taking the piece of bread. He eyed it doubtfully.

"Do it! Do it!" Vince chanted.

"You can just take a bite," Loki said. "Ready, set, go!"

Hunter lifted the piece of bread to his lips as he frowned then opened his mouth.

"Go for it, Hunter." Vince said and cheered.

Hunter took a bite as the heat from the hot sauce moved over his tongue and his eyes started tearing. Hunter chewed then swallowed and reached for a glass of water when he drank the whole thing and they looked at him.

"He's gonna blow!" Nate said.

"Bucket!" Vince said, shoving it at him.

Hunter took the bucket when he vomited and Loki giggled.

"That was disgusting!" Hunter said.

"Who's next?" Vince asked, laughing.

"What are you boys doing?" Thor asked, as he and Balder came into the hall.

Loki smirked. "We are playing a game."

"What sort of game, little brother?"

"It's called We Dare You to Eat This," Loki pointed to the bitten slice of bread. "If you can eat it without getting sick then you win."

"What is so hard about that?!" Thor said as he took the piece of bread and shoved the whole thing in his mouth. He chewed then swallowed when his eyes widened and the boys looked at each other.

"Brother, are you...?!" Balder said when Thor held onto his stomach then vomited on Balder's boots.

"Oooo!" they all gasped.

"What...?! What was in that?!" Thor gasped.

Loki rattled off the list of things he had put on the bread.

He waited for Thor to pulverize him when Thor straightened then started laughing.

"You're...? You're not mad?" Loki asked.

"No! That was a good joke, and I soiled Balder's boots." Thor laughed.

"Yes, you did," Balder said, looking down at his boots then chuckled. "That was not the first time." He grabbed a rag from another table and wiped them off.

Loki wondered why his brothers weren't angry. He eyed Thor, puzzled, and Thor knelt down in front of him.

"Loki, it's fine," Thor said.

"But you normally get angry when I pull pranks on you," Loki said.

"Maybe we have learned to laugh at ourselves," Balder said and Thor nodded, standing up.

"Why don't we do something now that does not involve vomiting?" Thor suggested

"Yeah let's!" Vince agreed.

"Like what?" Nate asked.

"Who would like to go flying?" Thor asked, wide eyed.

"Yeah!" the boys said, but Thor noticed the look on Loki's face.

"That includes you, Loki."

"Really?!" Loki asked and he nodded.

"Of course, little brother." Thor laughed.

"Are you going use your hammer or are we going to use a skimmer?" Hunter asked.

"My hammer of course." Thor said and laughed. "Where is Rhiannon?"

"She went with the girls to have a boring tea party," Vince said. They all followed Thor out to the practice yard.

"Girls like those," Balder said.

"And said she would never kiss Loki because he ate the gross cookie." Vince laughed.

"You threw it up!" Nate laughed, pointing at Vince.

"So, who wants to fly first?" Thor asked.

"I wanna go!" Max said, holding up his hand.

Smiling, Thor lifted Max off the ground as he raised Mjolnir into the air and started spinning the hammer in circles. They slowly lifted off the ground while Max held on tightly to his uncle and smiled.

"This is so cool!" Max said.

"Hang on!" Thor said as they flew through the air and the wind whistled in their ears.

"How come Mjolnir makes you fly, Uncle Thor?" Max asked.

"Magic, I suppose." Thor shouted over the wind.

"Cool!"

Thor landed and placed Max down.

"Who's next?!" Thor asked.

"Me!" Vince shouted, raising his hand.

"May I have a turn Prince Thor?" A small voice behind them asked, everyone turning to see Rhiannon standing behind the boys.

"Of course," Thor said with a smile. Rhiannon slowly walked over. Thor lifted her off the ground and was surprised with how light she was.

"She weighs less then leaves," he thought and cursed her father for not allowing her to eat.

"Is it fast?" she asked, holding onto his neck.

"Don't let her fall, Thor." Loki said, feeling strangely protective of the girl and worrying about her. _I don't even like girls that way,_ he thought, _why do I like her?_

"I will not drop her," he said and she nodded. Thor whirled Mjolnir and they shot into the sky.

"Eeep!" she said as she buried her face into his neck and he held her a little tighter.

"If you don't look, you'll miss the view," he whispered and she looked down at the blurry trees and ground.

"Oh!" she said as he remembered she could shift into a hawk and she slowly moved her arms out.

"Would you like it if you could fly?" he asked.

"You mean on my own?"

"Yes,"

"Yes, I would!"

"You will someday," he thought then banked around to head back to the others.

Once her feet were on theground, Rhiannon flung her arms about Thor and hugged him, her smile bright.

"Thank you," she whispered and he lightly stroked the top of her head.

"You are welcome," Thor said.

"That was such fun, Prince Thor." She giggled and smiled up at him adoringly.

For some reason that caused a little ember of jealousy to burn in Loki's heart, though he couldn't figure out why. What did it matter if Rhiannon liked Thor? Lots of silly girls liked his older brother.

"Loki, it's your turn," Thor said and Loki walked to him. The small sorcerer lifted his arms up reluctantly and Thor scooped him up. Thor whirled Mjolnir and they soared upwards. Loki held on tight to his brother as Thor smiled and glanced at him. "Relax. I am not going to drop you."

"I know." Loki said, still gripping Thor tightly.

He watched the blurry world going by as Thor flew towards a cloud bank. They entered the cloud bank. Loki saw lightning flashing around them and a cool mist drifted over them. Thor slowed down so Loki could trail his fingers through the mist around them. Mist curled about his fingers in wisps.

"Wow!" Loki whispered.

"I know," Thor said and they hovered in one spot for a while. The lightning danced around them as Loki looked around and smiled.

"I think we better go back," Loki said and Thor nodded. Sharing something so special with Loki filled Thor's heart and he wondered why he had never shared this with him before.

 _Because you are a fool,_ Thor thought and they left the cloud bank. After they landed, Loki hugged him.

"I love you, Brother," Loki whispered.

"I love you, too," Thor whispered and lowered Loki to the ground.

"My turn!" Hunter yelled.

Thor took him up with Mjolnir and Hunter laughed with joy at how fast they went. "This is awesome!" he yelled.

They flew through a cloudbank and Hunter thought the way the clouds felt misty were odd. "Hey, Uncle Thor, do you think Belle can really find a way to restore Dad and Rhee? I mean, they're cute and funny as kids but . . . I really want my dad back."

"I know, nephew. I believe she can. Your sister is the Lorekeeper of Asgard, and has the knowledge of the ages at her fingertips. She just has to learn how to use it. Like Loki always says, Knowledge is power." Thor sighed, his cerulean eyes sad. "Your father was always the cleverest of us princes, something which Balder and I never appreciated growing up. We were wrong not to."

"But you do now." Hunter pointed out.

"Yes. Belle will succeed. What magic has done, it can undo," Thor quoted another of Loki's maxims. "She can brew a potion for them the way Loki did for me. And Amora's plans will come to dust. For that is who I believe is behind this."

"I still don't get how she could enchant Dad," Hunter murmured. "Isn't he the most powerful mage in Asgard?"

"Yes. And in a true battle of wits and spells, she could not defeat him. But Amora doesn't play by the rules. She cheated. Meaning she must have cast something while he was asleep or given him something and Rhiannon something in disguise. She's a sneaky witch, always has been."

"Is it true that she wanted to—date you?"

"Yes. For her own reasons, she thought I would make a suitable husband for her. But I was never interested in her. Not once Loki showed me that her beauty was used as a weapon and her magic for her own cruel desires. I would never put such a woman on the throne of Asgard. And when I told her there would never be anything between us . . . she grew angry and spiteful."

"Sounds kinda like Dad's ex wife."

"Worse, nephew. Boda had no magic, yet she caused plenty of trouble without it. Amora—well you've seen what havoc she can cause."

Hunter nodded. "We gotta restore Dad and Rhiannon."

"Have faith in your sister. She freed your grandfather from Bors. She will restore your father and your new mother too."

"Why does she want them as children though?" Hunter asked.

"Because then Loki cannot challenge her. And maybe Rhiannon can't either. Amora likes making her opponents weak and helpless."

"That is lame of her." Hunter said, rolling his eyes.

"Agreed," Thor said and then released his nephew when they landed.

"Thanks! That was fun!" Hunter said.

"I enjoyed it too," Thor said. "All right, who's next?"

When everyone had a turn, it was getting on to dusk and the sun slowly began its descent in the sky.

"Children! Supper!" A maid called out, and all of them ran toward the castle.

Over supper, which was roast beef and all the trimmings, Hunter asked Belle how her research was coming along.

"It's getting there," the Lorekeeper answered. "I need to find out one more thing before I can brew the potion."

"Please figure it out then. Fix Dad at least." Hunter groaned.

"I can fix them both. The same spell was used," Belle said in hushed tones. "It just takes time. This was no novice enchantment, you know."

"How did she trick Dad though?" Hunter asked, shaking his head.

"I have no idea," Belle said.

"It had to have been something, ask your friends in your crown." He whispered back. "He does not even like kissing Rhiannon anymore."

"Why don't you guys just complain and make a bunch of noise?" Sam whispered back. "Belle will figure it out."

"Thanks, Sam." Belle said gratefully. "And Dad doesn't want to kiss Rhiannon because he's nine, Hunter."

"Yeah. Do you want to kiss girls Hunter?" Sam teased.

"No way!" he shook his head.

"See. Jeez, he is nine years old." Serena said, "He probably wants to play your gross game again."

"That was the best! We made uncle Thor puke." Vince grinned.

"That is so gross! I'm eating!" Lucy said.

"Sorry," Vince said. "But Dad even beat Uncle Thor."

"And Rhiannon said she would never kiss him if he ate it." Aleta said.

"How would you know?" Nate asked. "You weren't even there."

"Max told me," she replied.

Hunter rolled his eyes. "I swear you two can't keep a secret to save your lives."

"We are having a sleepover party with them." Aleta said, crossing her arms.

"Where? In Dad's room?" Vince asked.

"Yeah." Max said. "We are going to have fun."

Hunter whispered," Let's crash it," in Vince's ear. "And scare them."

"Sounds like a prank to me. Want to throw cold water on them?" Vince whispered back.

"That won't affect Dad, he likes the cold," Hunter reminded him. "What if we made up some green slime? I brought the Green Slime Kit."

"That would be perfect. We could slime everyone." Vince laughed.

"Think we should include Fen and Nate?"

"Sure. They could be our lookouts." Vince whispered.

"Okay. And the best part is we can't get in trouble because Dad is a kid." Hunter grinned.

"Oh yeah! We can do so much and not get busted." Vince laughed.

They gave each other high fives.

"I can't wait." Hunter laughed.

Loki looked over at the kids when something clicked in his mind. _I_ _know that look. They're up to some kind of mischief. But what? And who is their target?_


	44. You've Been Slimed!

**44**

 **You've Been Slimed!**

 _Holy Valhalla, what IS this green goo? ~ Loki_

"I'm full of food." Rhiannon said, curling up in her chair and dozing.

She yawned, her eyes flying open as a large bowl of ice cream was set in front of her. She looked at the dessert, dipping her finger in it and giggling.

"It's cold!" she said, licking her finger and Loki rolled his eyes at her manners.

"It's ice cream. Eat it slowly, with your spoon," he whispered. "If you eat it too fast your head will feel freezing cold."

Except he could eat ice cream as fast as he wished and that never happened to him.

"I will." She said and took a small bite of the treat with her spoon. She giggled, taking larger bites and smiled at him.

"My tummy feels cold, but not my head." she said, taking another huge bite.

She dribbled some down her chin, wiping at it with her napkin and smiling.

 _She's like me._ Loki thought in amazement.

"This is good. Do you eat it at every meal?" She asked, kicking her feet from the sugar and giggling.

"No, not always," Loki smiled. He ate another spoonful of chocolate and then some strawberry.

"Too bad. This is so good." She said and bounced in the seat.

"Uh oh," Sam said while looking at Rhiannon. "Someone's hyper."

"Sugar rush," Hunter said with a nod.

"What do we do?" Lucy asked.

"What can we do? She is not used to eating sweets." Belle said and watched Rhiannon swing her feet.

"This is so good! I like it lots! Thank you for letting me stay! I like it here!" Rhiannon rattled off, the sugar fueling her compliments. "I like your hair, Prince Loki! It is shiny! I like your muscles, Prince Thor! Can you punch a tree down? Queen Frigga is the most beautiful Queen in all the Nine Realms..."

"Oh Norns." Balder said, laughing into his cup of mead.

"I pity Mother tonight." Thor chuckled, the girl prattling on about everything she liked, and swinging her feet. Loki buried his face in his hands, groaning to himself and trying not to laugh.

"Is she going to stop? There cannot be that much to compliment." Odin asked Frigga, chuckling under his breath.

"She will wear herself out." Frigga laughed.

"I hope she does." Odin said.

"I like how clean everything is here." Rhiannon said, smiling as she sat and ate the last of her ice cream. "It is always shiny and neat. And everyone smells good."

"Perhaps, I should take our new friend to get a bath and changed before bed." Frigga said, smiling with mirth.

"Does it have hot water?" Rhiannon asked, smiling.

Thor laughed, choking on his mead. Rhiannon frowned, worried that she said something wrong.

Loki gazed at his friend sadly, not finding it funny that she asked about hot water to bathe in. From what little he could piece together, she had lived a life worse than any servant in the palace, with a father who obviously neglected and beat her, didn't give her a bed or shoes, or anything good to eat, and she had an outhouse and freezing water to bathe in. _It sounds like Hel,_ he thought. _I am glad she is no longer living with him the disgusting pig!_

"There is plenty of hot water dear, and mountains of bubbles for you." Frigga replied with a smile. Rhiannon looked like a child before Christmas morning, her broad smile making her eyes squint.

"Do you get baths like that?" she asked Loki, her voice excited.

He nodded. "Yes. They are very relaxing and fun," he smiled at her. "The bubble bath turns the water different colors. You'll see."

"Everything here is nice! Is this a dream?" She said, her voice squeaking.

"No, even though it might feel like that," he said kindly. He set his spoon down beside his empty bowl.

"Come along, Rhiannon." Frigga said, leading the girl away. She skipped along, humming a song as they left.

"Loki, you should go take a bath also," Odin said quietly.

"Yes Father." He said, leaving the table and running to his chambers to take his own bath. He could have called a servant to do it for him, but he preferred trying to do things himself.

He conjured the water in the tub, warm but not too warm and added some peppermint bubble bath to the water. It turned the water green and made it smell delightful.

He practiced the little magic spells he had learned from Halgran-summoning his pajamas and two towels and slippers into the bathroom.

 _I probably should be clean for my guests_. He thought, setting everything aside neatly.

He undressed, avoiding glancing in the full-length mirror across from the door. He did not want to see the scars he bore from his lower back to his thighs from the beatings he had gotten. It was why he was grateful to Mr. Gold, his magic tutor in enchantments, for teaching him how to cast illusions. He used a glamour when he went swimming with his brothers and their friends so no one would see the marks on him.

He sank into the water, sighing as the perfumed water surrounded him, smiling and thinking about his new friend.

 _I hope she is enjoying her bath as much as I am,_ he thought, playing with the bubbles and making silly shapes with them.

In Frigga's chambers, her maids washed Rhiannon, scrubbing her feet and giggling at the child who splashed at them. She ducked under the water, coming up under the bubbles and giggling as they piled on top of her head.

"Boo!" She giggled, making everyone laugh.

"Remind me to give her less sweets in the future, Halgran." Frigga laughed, waving to the little girl.

"I shall, my Queen. Loki was like that too when he was little," Halgran reminded her.

"Yes, he was," Frigga said and reached for the plastic duck.

"What is that?" Rhiannon asked, reaching for the toy.

"It is a pretend duck," Frigga said, handing the plastic duck to her. Rhiannon squeezed the plastic duck as it made a little quacking noise and she smiled.

"I like this." She said and let it float in the water.

"Will you let me wash your hair?" Halgran asked.

"Yes," Rhiannon said with a nod.

"Halgran, I know this will sound mad, but I want another baby." Frigga said, watching the duo.

Halgran raised her eyebrows at Frigga's comment.

"Do you think it is madness at my age?" She asked, sighing. "I will miss my sons when they are off and married, perhaps I will have a girl to raise like . . .."

"I don't know if it is safe for you, My Queen," Halgran said. "But perhaps you could adopt one?"

"I could, perhaps I can speak to a certain person when we get them back to normal." Frigga said.

"Yes. He would know about it if anyone would," Halgran nodded.

"I will ask him then. Imagine me with another child, with Odin freed, it would be a happy upbringing."

"It would indeed." Halgran agreed.

"Time to rinse your hair, dearie." Halgran said and suddenly Rhiannon dove under the water, splashing both women and coming up with a burst of giggles.

"Much less sugar next time." Frigga said, using magic to dry their gowns.

Meanwhile, Loki washed his hair with an herbal shampoo that smelled like honey and berries.

 _In Hunter's chambers:_

Vince watched as Hunter mixed the ingredients for the green slime.

The kit came with everything you needed except water, but Hunter got some from his pitcher.

"This is going to be great." Vince said, giggling.

"We are gonna get away with so much mischief!" Hunter smirked.

"Oh yeah. And Dad can't yell at us." Vince said.

"Mix faster." Fenris said, grinning.

"Okay!" Hunter said, stirring rapidly. "Done! Now it needs to sit for ten minutes."

"Cool. That should let them fall asleep." Vince said and laughed.

"You think so? I know Aleta and Max will cause Dad has them on a set bedtime but what about Dad and Rhiannon?" Hunter asked.

"Should we just spook them and dump it on the both of them?" Fenris asked.

"She could still be sugared up." Vince replied. "Let's just wait."

Down the hall, they heard the two toddlers running to Loki's room, followed by Halgran and Frigga walking Rhiannon to the room. They knocked, all of them waiting for Loki to answer the door.

"What's the password?" Loki asked as Aleta and Max giggled and Frigga looked at Halgran.

"Is he really playing that game?" Vince whispered.

"Kitten!" Aleta cried.

"Wrong password!" Loki laughed through the door, and Aleta groaned. Max knocked, giggling and tried to open it.

"Potatoes!" Max said, Rhiannon giggling.

"No. That isn't it!" Loki said and laughed harder through the door.

"Come on! We want to play!" Aleta said, crossing her arms.

"Please!" Rhiannon said again, jumping up and down.

"You said the magic word!" Loki giggled and opened the door.

"Yay!" Aleta said. Frigga let go of Rhiannon with a hug and patted her in. She was wearing a pink nightgown and soft slippers, her hair was shining and smelled of apples.

"Hello, Prince Loki." She said, curtsying to him.

"Come in, Lady Rhee," he said, giving her a bow in his green and gold pajamas, playing along. He smelled of peppermint and spice.

She giggled, walking in and standing quietly.

"You will all be in bed soon?" Frigga asked.

"Yes, Mother," Loki said.

"I splashed Queen Frigga." Rhiannon giggled.

"I've done that too, "Loki smiled.

"She did not whip me." Rhiannon whispered. "She is so nice."

"I know," Loki whispered. "My father told me before that he will not beat me ever again for using magic. He said he was sorry for doing it. That he was enchanted and made to do bad things but now he's free. I am so glad."

"He is very nice as well." Rhiannon said and giggled. "What do we do first?"

"Let's have some tea," Loki said brightly. "I will ring for Claire and she will bring it to us." He ran to the bell pull on the side of the door and pulled it.

Soon there was a knock at the door and Claire appeared. "You rang, My Prince?"

"Hello, Claire! My friends and I would like some peppermint lavender tea, please."

"Yes, Prince Loki." She curtsied and hurried off.

"Oh. That sounds lovely." Rhiannon said, looking around his room. "You have so many books."

"I like to read a lot." Loki admitted. "Thor says I read too much, but I don't care."

"Belle reads all the time too," Aleta giggled. "What's this one?" She touched a large one with gold runes. "Is it a storybook?"

"No, that's one of my spellbooks," Loki answered. He went to another shelf and took down a rather large book with colorful people and animals on the cover. "Here's a book of stories. We can read it on the bed after we have our tea."

He went to a small wooden box on a shelf above the books, he had to stand on a chair to open it. Inside was a wooden gameboard and some cleverly carved pieces shaped like foxes and hares. "Do you want to play fox and hares while we wait for our tea?"

"How do you play?" His children asked.

Loki showed them. It was similar to checkers, with one person being the fox pieces and the other the hares.

He played a game with Max before the tea came, and then was playing another with Rhiannon when it arrived.

Claire wheeled the tea cart into the room and set the tray out on the table. "Here you go, My Prince! Some soothing tea for you all." She patted him on the head and then left, smiling.

"Uh, how do you all like your tea?" Loki asked, setting his fox piece down and moving over to the tea tray. "I take mine with a spoonful of honey."

"I like that," Rhiannon said, and Aleta and Max agreed.

After they were all sipping the tea, which tasted wonderful, Loki finished the game with Rhiannon, giving her a smile when she won. "That was really good! Isn't that game fun?"

"Yes, My Prince," she said.

"Just call me Loki," he said.

"But commoners don't—" she began.

"It's all right, if I say so," he told her. "When we're alone, please use my name. Friends don't use titles."

"If you wish."

"He does," Aleta grinned. "Loki, can we read the storybook now?"

The little Mischief God nodded. "Yes, if you're all done with your tea."

They all placed their empty cups on the tray and the tray on the cart before climbing onto Loki's big bed and snuggling under the covers. Loki had Max on one side, Aleta next to Max and Rhiannon on the other side of him. He held the storybook in his hands. "Uh, what do you want to read?"

"Something funny!" Max cried.

"With a happy ending!" Aleta added.

"And animals in it!" Rhiannon said.

Loki found the tale of Foolish Hans and the Frost Wolves.

It was about a boy named Hans who often did silly things and one day he got lost on the way home and ran into a pack of Frost Wolves. He persuaded them not to eat them by giving them bread and a rabbit he had snared. They in turn became his friends and protected him from bullies in his village.

"That story was cool!" Max said.

"I liked it a lot!" Rhiannon agreed.

"Let's hear another!" Aleta requested.

But Loki only got part way through the story of The Clever Cat when his friends dozed off and he fell asleep too with the book on his chin.

Hunter and Vince peeked through the crack in the door, laughing to themselves.

"They are all asleep." Vince whispered.

"Nate and I will keep watch in case Bestemor comes," Fenris whispered.

"Sure." Nate said, sitting in the hall quietly.

Vince and Hunter crept into Loki's chambers, holding plastic cups of slime in their hands.

"On three?" Hunter whispered.

Vince nodded. Then he whispered, "One . . . two . . . three!"

The boys ran toward the bed, screaming and the four occupants startled awake. Before anyone could react, they threw the slime at them, making Rhiannon scream.

"Yuck!" Aleta cried.

"Holy Valhalla!" Loki cried, staring at the green slime dripping onto his hand. "What _is_ this green goo?"

"You've been slimed!" the boys yelled, then they ran out of the room at Fenris' whistle.

"Eeew!" Rhiannon yelped. "What is this gross stuff?"

Max grimaced and wiped it off his head. "It's green slime. From Nickelodeon."

"It's in my hair!" Loki groaned. "And on my book."

"Oh no!" Rhiannon cried in horror. "Is the book ruined?"

"It is sticky." Aleta said.

"I think I can clean it with a spell," Loki said, concentrating. _Please let this work!_ The thought of his precious book being ruined made him long to cast an itching spell on them until they begged for mercy.

"This green stuff is all over my new nightgown!" Rhiannon wailed.

"It worked!" Loki cried as the book suddenly became clean again. "Uh, now let me see if I can get it off us."

Before he could do so, Frigga and one of her handmaids came into the room. "By the Nine, why were you screaming? Did you have a bad dream?"

"No, our brothers threw green slime on us while we were sleeping and woke us up!" Aleta said crossly.

"Yuck! Now I smell gross!" Max groaned.

"The poor things!" crooned the handmaid. "Oh My Queen, it is in Prince Loki's hair. And on little Rhee too."

"It does smell bad. What is in this?" Rhiannon said, holding her nose. "The sheets are ruined!"

"Take the girls and wash them please. And send someone to change the sheets, I will see to the boys." Frigga said to her handmaid, smiling at the woman.

"Mother, I can take care of me and Max," Loki said. "I'm big enough."

"All right, dear," Frigga acquiesced.

"Another bath?" Aleta whined, crossing her arms.

"But then we will be clean again and get this awful stuff off of us." Rhiannon said, crawling to the edge of the bed.

She climbed off the bed, her hair dripping green onto her nightgown and she frowned at herself.

Loki heaved a sigh and looked at his green slimed hair. He then recalled how he had gotten a funny feeling over supper watching the boys whisper among themselves and thought they must have been planning this then.

 _I locked my door, though. How did they get in?_ he wondered.

"Will you help me with the bath?" Max asked Loki.

"I will, Max," Loki said. He grimaced as a trail of slime dripped on the floor as they headed for the bathroom. "Whatever this stuff is, I hope the maids can get it off the carpet."

"I think it comes off with soap and water," Max answered.

"Have your brothers done this before?" Loki asked.

"Yup. To my other sisters," the little boy said. He let Loki help him take his pajamas off and place them in the laundry basket.

"What do I wear after this?"

"Um, you have other pajamas, right?"

"Yeah, but they are in my room."

"Tell me what they look like and I can summon them here."

Max described his set of Loki pajamas and his young father summoned them to him.

"Thanks. I can't be naked in front of girls." Max said and wrinkled his nose at the slime."That's so cool! I wanna learn how to do that," Max said. "I have magic too."

"When you get a magic tutor, they can teach you how to use the runes to summon things," Loki explained, waving a hand and filling the tub.

He took off his slimed pajamas, forgetting in his haste to glamour himself. When he turned around to pour the bubble bath into the water, Max saw.

"What happened?" Max asked, wide eyed.

Loki froze. _Oh Norns!_ he thought in dismay. Then he whispered, "I used to be punished for using magic with switches and belts."

"I know what that's like." Max said, frowning. "My bad mommy used to hit me with wire hangers for doing magic. She said I was spawn of the devil." Max told him. "But when my daddy 'dopted me he said that wasn't true and I was good."

"He's right. You are good," Loki muttered, flushing. Then he added, "I'm sorry your mother did that to you. You're not a devil because you can use magic."

"That is what Daddy said. He is really smart." Max replied, climbing in the tub.

Loki helped him wash his hair and then climbed in too and Max helped him with his hair. "Is the water warm enough?" he asked the small boy. "I don't like it really hot."

"It feels nice. I like it this way too." Max said, nodding.

Loki smiled. "My brothers always say I like it too cold, so I'm glad there's someone else who doesn't mind not feeling like you're cooking in a pot."

"I don't like it too hot because it burns your skin." Max said.

"I know. I like winter best." Loki said. "The cold doesn't bother me like it does my brothers." As he finished washing himself, Loki said, "We need to think of a prank to get your brothers back for this."

"Yeah. Something good." Max agreed.

Loki thought as they got dressed in clean pajamas again and the tub drained. "What if we made their breakfast taste gross?"

"That is a good idea." Max said.

"I know a spell to make whatever they have taste nasty." Loki grinned. "I did it to my brothers once because they kept teasing me."

They walked back into the bedroom and found the maids had changed the sheets and blankets and everything was now clean and fresh, smelling like lemons.

"This is nice. Will the girls be back soon?" Max asked.

"Probably." Loki yawned. "Let's get back in bed. I feel sleepy."

He pulled back the blankets and sheet and they crawled into bed again. The sweet citrus smell of lemons and clean cotton wafted up from the bed as they bounced slightly on the feather mattress.

Soon after, Frigga and the maid brought the girls back. They lay the girls next to the boys, tucking them in and Frigga tucked the boys in.

"Night, Mother," Loki mumbled sleepily his eyes closing.

"Good night, _alskling_ ," Frigga said, and kissed his forehead.

As she dozed, Rhiannon snuggled close to Loki, muttering in her sleep then calming into a deep sleep.

Frigga smiled and kissed the other three goodnight and then departed to her chambers.

"What was all the ruckus earlier? Did one of the children have a nightmare?" Odin asked, yawning.

"No." She sighed. "A horrid prank was played on them by the boys."

"By the Nine! What happened?"

Frigga explained what she saw, trying to keep from laughing.

"Well, they are Loki's children," the king chuckled. "They probably thought they could get away with anything since their father is a child too and can't punish them."

"Well, someone should punish them." Frigga said. "Poor Rhiannon was screaming."

"Poor little thing!" Odin shook his head. "I think that falls to us. We are in charge of them for now."

"What should we do to punish them?"

The king looked thoughtful. "What would Loki do?"

"He would have them do chores, I believe."

"You're right. Since they caused extra work for the laundry maids, why not have them go and scrub the sheets and dirty clothes? That seems fair to me."

"I can agree to that." She replied, smiling. "Wouldn't you say that Rhiannon was such a beautiful child?"

"Yes. She is sweet and funny too," Odin agreed. "If Lanie had not been taken to Valhalla, I think she would be very much like her."

"She had such a sad upbringing." Frigga replied. "Would you object to another child?"

"Another child? But Frigga, we are too old to have another one." Odin coughed.

"Perhaps we could adopt one. Like Loki has done." She said, shaking her head.

"Ah. That would be best. And I swear we wouldn't make the mistakes we did with Loki."

"I am glad. I will talk to Loki when he is restored about any children he may know of." She said, smiling in hope that she would have a child soon.

"Well, I should get some sleep, goodnight dear."

 **A/N: To the guest reviewer who asked me if a part had been skipped last chapter and how they figured out Amora was involved-no part was skipped. Thor theorized that Amora was behind the regression spell because she did the same thing to him in Capes. She is a powerful sorceress and she has both motive and means. As to why Odin has not arrested her, Amora is in hiding and if she was behind the regression she would not show herself where Odin can find her. Amora would use lackeys and spies and constructs to do her dirty work, so she does not even need to be on Asgard to carry her plans out. But rest assured, who is behind this will be coming to light soon!**


	45. The Lorekeeper and the Enchanter

**45**

 **The Lorekeeper and the Enchanter**

 _What magic has done magic can undo ~Loki_

Belle studied late into the night, immersed in the spellbooks the Crown of Knowledge informed her to read on age regression spells. When she read a book stored in the magical repository, the knowledge within was imprinted on her brain. This enabled her to learn spells thoroughly and rapidly. However, the counter to age regression was a potion, and while she knew precisely how to make it, she was unsure where all the ingredients could be found. She prayed most were in Loki's workroom. She also needed to find a mage to enchant a cauldron for her. She would have asked her grandmother, but she knew Frigga had enough to do taking care of Loki, Rhiannon, and the rest of the Mischief Brigade.

Then she recalled Mr. Gold had been at the ceremony, and Loki had told her he was a powerful enchanter.

"I really hope this works." She groaned, laying down and pulling the blankets up to her chin.

Across the room, Abby was already asleep and dreaming peacefully.

She nearly missed breakfast, and when she entered the hall, found out about the slime prank.

"Guys, that was super wrong." She said and glared at her brothers.

"It was not. It was hilarious!" Vince said, still laughing.

"Bet you won't be laughing when you see how much trouble you're in," she pointed out, too tired to argue with them.

"But we can't get in trouble!" Hunter gloated. "That's the best part!"

"Yeah, Dad's a kid and can't do anything to us." Vince smirked.

Belle just rolled her eyes. Even as a child, she knew Loki wouldn't take something like that lying down. And she had a feeling that neither would her grandparents.

"Vincent, Hunter, Nate, and Fenris. I would like for you four to see me in my study." Odin said suddenly, all three boys looking nervous.

Loki felt a shiver crawl up his backbone, even though the command had not been directed at him _. Father promised to not beat me, but what about them?_ He peeked at Odin from under his lashes and saw with relief that his father didn't seem enraged just looked mildly disappointed. Perhaps he wouldn't switch them after all.

"Told you guys." Belle said, eating her breakfast.

"Aww, shut up, know-it-all!" Hunter groused. He went to eat some of his eggs and took a bite. But for some reason the food seemed to stick in his throat and he had difficulty swallowing. He glanced at his three co-conspirators and saw that they too seemed less than eager to eat their breakfast. Hunter wondered what Odin would do to them. Would he throw them in the dungeon? Make them clean the stables? Scrub the toilets?

"They look worried," Rhiannon whispered.

"They should be. I think my father knows what happened last night."

"Are they in trouble?" Rhiannon asked.

"Yes, but I hope he doesn't beat them," Loki said, looking at his food. He also had something else planned for his sneaky cousins later that evening.

 _Odin's study:_

Vince, Hunter and Fenris stood in front of the desk, along with Nate in his wheelchair, while Odin sat down and the boys looked at each other. Odin looked at them for a few minutes then sat forward and gave them a Disappointed Look.

"I heard from your grandmother you pulled a prank on your brother, your sister, Rhiannon. and your father," Odin finally said and they looked down at their feet.

"Yeah, we did," Vince said with a nod.

"It was green slime," Hunter said.

"I see," Odin said. "Was Sleph and Jorgy involved as well?"

"No, just us," Fenris said.

"What is our punishment?" Hunter asked, groaning.

"To start with, you are to apologize to your siblings, Rhiannon and Loki."

"We can do that," Vince said.

"Then you are going to help my laundresses wash the sheets and the pajamas that were ruined by the . . . green slime."

The four groaned. "That sounds so like what Dad would have done," Hunter sighed.

"Yes, it does," Odin said as he rose. "Go on, soonest begun is soonest done." They headed back to the dining hall when he led them to Loki, Max, Aleta and Rhiannon. "Children, please rise."

Loki nodded as they stood.

Odin looked at the foursome then at Loki, Max, Aleta, and Rhiannon.

"Well, don't you have something to say?" he asked and the boys made soft coughing noises.

"We were the ones who pranked you," Fenris said.

"We know that!" Aleta said as she rolled her eyes.

"And we are sorry for scaring you," Vince said as he looked at Rhiannon.

"I...," Rhiannon said then paused. She wasn't used to having people apologizing to her and she blushed. "I forgive you."

"So do we," Max said with a smile and Aleta nodded.

"Loki?" Odin said as his youngest son looked at them and folded his arms over his chest. The boys recognized The Look as they hung their heads, then Loki started giggling.

"I forgive you," Loki said with a laugh.

"Are they going to be punished?" Aleta asked, looking at Odin.

"Yes, they are," Odin said.

"We had to apologize," Hunter said.

"Then we have to help the laundresses wash the sheets and pajamas," Nate said.

"When do we start doing that, Bestefar?" asked Vince.

"After breakfast," Odin said then headed for the main table. He sat down when he looked at Frigga and she placed her hand on top of his. "I wasn't too harsh, was I?"

"No, those were just punishments," she said and he smiled.

~0~0~0~

Belle finished eating and went to go and find Mr. Gold. She asked Artos where to find the enchanter, and the boy showed her the guest quarters where the sorcerer was currently staying.

Tentatively, she knocked on the door, hoping he was inside. "Mr. Gold? It's Belle Laufeyson."

"Come in, dearie," he called, and Belle opened the door and walked inside.

She found the brown-haired sorcerer sitting at his table, a mug of tea at his elbow, perusing a large tome with silver runes.

"I assume you are here for help with two problems."

"Yes, sir. I found out how to make a potion to restore my father and Rhiannon, only I need an enchanted cauldron and I'm not experienced enough to make one."

"What sort of enchantment do you wish cast upon it?" Gold asked.

"It needs to be able to keep a certain temperature, and be made of silver, and stir itself in fifteen-minute intervals," Belle recited the instructions for the potion.

"That is not hard. Do you have access to a workroom I might use?" the sorcerer asked.

Belle nodded. "My dad has one here. I can show you it."

Mr. Gold followed her to Loki's workroom.

The older sorcerer lit the mage globes with a wave of his hand and they could see inside the workroom. Nothing appeared to have changed since the last time Loki had been in it. Gold found the cauldrons lined up against the wall, and chose a large silver cauldron.

"This will do for a start," he told her. "Now watch and I will show you how I enchant this," he instructed, falling easily back into his role of tutor.

"Thanks. I really want my dad back." Belle said, and watched closely.

Gold taught her how to form the runes into a specific pattern along the side of the cauldron, etching it into the silver with his magic. The runes glowed blue as he inscribed them, precisely and swiftly.

"Is that it?" Belle asked, shrugging. "Is there any way we can tell how and who did this to Dad and Rhiannon?"

"That is a bit more complicated, little Lorekeeper."

"Why is that?" She asked, groaning.

"Because, dearie, whoever cast that spell was someone who knew this palace and the targets well. It might have been an old enemy of your papa or his family. Not everyone in Asgard agrees with the royal family's decisions. Has your father taught you to past view events yet?"

"No. I think he would have if he hadn't been turned into a boy."

"I hope he shows you soon." He replied.

"Can you do this magic?"

"I can. But I need a crystal or a bowl of clear water."

"I can get that!" Belle said, running around the room.

Belle found a bowl when she filled the bowl with clear water then ran back to Gold.

"Good work, dearie. Now place the bowl on the table."

Once Belle had done so, Mr. Gold leaned over and breathed upon the water three times creating ripples.

"Let the past reveal itself."

A small mist appeared over the water as Gold and Belle looked into the water and an image appeared.

They saw a maid wearing the uniform of a palace servant taking slices of the strawberry pie that were waiting on a platter to be served to Loki and Rhiannon at the betrothal feast and casting a spell upon it.

"The strawberry pie!" Belle exclaimed. "She enchanted it!"

"Do you recognize her, dearie?" Gold asked.

"No," she said with a shake of her head.

The water rippled again and they saw the maid leave and then she waved a hand and the glamour vanished, revealing her true self.

She was a beautiful Dark Elf with amber eyes and long silky hair done in three braids wearing a midnight blue dress.

"Seven Hels!" Gold hissed. "I should have known!"

"Who is she?"

"She is one of the wives of Ambassador Adabiel, and obviously skilled in the mystic arts."

"Oh! We need to find her and arrest her."

"She is, unfortunately, under her husband's protection at the moment. We cannot do anything to her just yet. Ambassadors and their immediate family have diplomatic immunity. And I have a sinking feeling she was ordered to do this."

"By whom? Her husband? Is that the Dark Elf that caused so much trouble here last time?"

Gold nodded. "Yes. And he hasn't changed, just grown older, sneakier and nastier. Keep away from him, Belle. He is not above harming a child. Leave him to me."

"Do you know where he is now?" Belle asked.

"Not at the moment. But our first concern is getting Loki and Rhiannon back to their proper ages. What ingredients do you need?"

Belle named off the ingredients, impressing Mr. Gold with her memory.

"We should be able to find them here, and if Loki does not have them all, we can gather what we need. It's summer, the herbs are plentiful."

"We could get Wulf to help us look for them," Belle said, blushing slightly.

"My cousin Elsie's grandson?" His eyes twinkled.

"I think so." Belle said, trying not to feel embarrassed.

"Then let us see what we need."

"Sure." She said, opening the door to the potions cabinet.

Loki had most of the ingredients but they needed nightroot, elderbloom, and kitten fur.

"I know where we can get kitten fur. But the other two we will need help with." Belle said.

"I believe Elsie grows elderbloom in her garden," Mr. Gold said with a smile. "We can recruit my little cousin to help us gather nightroot."

"Okay. Let's get the kitten fur." Belle said. She went and called for Jewel and Trickster.

The kittens appeared, looking forlorn and their tails low. They had been searching for adult Rhiannon and Loki all night and could not find them anywhere.

"Poor little things! They look upset," Belle crooned. She gave them some cat treats she had put in her pockets for Mischief. "I wish I could talk to them like Dad can and tell them what happened."

"They will recover when they have their mages back in a few days." Mr. Gold said, petting Trickster.

"Trickster is Dad's kitten. He adopted him." Belle said, petting Jewel. She pulled a small cat brush from a pocket of her robes. "I think if we groom them we will have enough fur."

She began to brush Jewel, who purred and lay down, letting Belle run the brush over her with pleasure.

She rolled on her back, kneading at the air with her front paws and her purrs became louder.

"Do we have enough fur?" Belle asked, showing her tutor what she had cleaned out of the brush.

"Let me get some from this fellow too." Gold said, and took the brush and gently groomed Trickster.

"He really likes that." Belle laughed, the kitten arching into the bristles and turning circles. He began rubbing against the brush, grooming himself and purring loudly. He then hugged the brush to himself, pulling it from Mr. Gold and running his own coat into the bristles.

"Give that back." Mr. Gold said and the kitten hugged the brush and swiped at his hand.

"Trickster!" Belle scolded, and gently rubbed the kitten's belly. Gradually, he relaxed and purred, allowing Mr. Gold to take the brush away.

"I think we should have enough now," he said after taking the fur out of the brush.

"Great! Why do we need their fur?" Belle wondered.

"Because cats are very magical," Mr. Gold said. "And any part of them helps a magician in transformations."

"I will have to write that down." She said. Behind them, Trickster rubbed himself on the brush as it scooted around the floor.

Both mages laughed at the tiny kitten with the brush.

"Should we let him keep it?" Gold asked, laughing.

Belle shrugged. "I can always get it later. It's the cat's brush after all."

They left the kittens playing and headed out of the castle and down to Elsie's cottage, which was behind the castle proper, near the forest.

The cozy stone cottage with the thatched roof was surrounded by a large garden, every plant imagined was thriving in it.

The cottage reminded Belle of one in an Irish fairytale, it had a golden thatched roof with tiny blue and pink flowers in it, a coat of whitewash made it gleam. It also had a green door and hollyhocks and roses up the sides of the house.

"Wow! Is your cousin an earth mage like Wulf?" Belle exclaimed.

"Aye, lass, she is." Mr. Gold replied, walking up to the door.

A large black cat lay sunning itself on the porch. It looked up insolently at Mr. Gold and yawned.

"Hello, Eclipse," he greeted the cat who lidded his golden eyes and yawned.

"Everything is so pretty."

"Elsie loves growing things," the older sorcerer chuckled, petting the black cat.

"I can see that. She is really good at it too." Belle replied, taking in the multitude of flowers.

He tapped on the door and soon it was opened by a woman who looked to be in her late forties, with her blonde hair put up in a bun, wearing a green dress with pink sprigged roses upon it. "Hello, Rum! What brings ye to my doorstep, cousin?"

"Hello, Elsie, dearie. I would say I stopped by for tea and cakes but I cannot stay. I've brought Princess Belle with me to ask if you could lend us some elderbloom."

"We need some help. I am sure you heard about what happened at the ceremony yesterday." Belle pleaded.

Elsie nodded. "Aye, my dears, I have. Come in, please. 'Tis a tragedy that our Archmage was struck down along with his lady."

They stepped over Eclipse as they came inside the cottage, which was brightly lit with various floating magic light globes and had strings of herbs drying from the ceiling and more flowers and plants in pots all over the front room. There was a rocker beside the hearth with a basket with knitting inside, a kitten slept on top of the yarn. A couch with comfy pillows sat just behind it and to one side was a table with three chairs.

There was a ladder leading up to a loft, and two or three bookshelves along the wall, plus a pretty patterned rug on the floor.

"What can I help you with?" She asked patiently.

"We need some elderbloom if you have any, dearie," Mr. Gold told her.

"I do, Rum. Wait here and I shall give you some. How much do you need?" Elsie asked.

"About four fingers width, ma'am," Belle told her.

Elsie bustled outside, taking a pair of shears from a basket beside the back door and going into the herb garden. There were actually two gardens-one with ordinary herbs, the other with magical ones. The magical herbs were bordered by a glowing white fence.

Elsie approached the elderbloom bush, a low-lying bush with spear shaped light green leaves and dark red flowers.

She carefully clipped four fingers width of blooms from the bush, the tough woody stems cut easily with the sharp gardening shears.

"This should be enough." She said, collecting the herbs.

Then she came back inside to find Belle playing with Flicker the kitten and Rum sitting at the table with a cup of tea.

"Hope you don't mind if I made myself some tea," Rum said.

"Only if you made me a cup," Elsie said and he pointed with his hand to the cup sitting across from him.

"Thank you, Rum," Elsie said and sat down across from him, placing the herbs in a basket on the table. "Do you happen to know who did this foul deed? I would like to beat them black and blue with my Staff of Changing."

"It was Adabiel's wife, no doubt under orders from her husband," he said.

Elsie scowled. "That miserable craven! First he caused all that trouble when he was a child, the spoiled vicious brat and now he tries his nasty tricks again! Odin ought to run him out of Asgard on a rocket!"

"Aye and if not for damned diplomatic immunity he would, I am betting!" Gold snorted. "But for now we must finish the potion."

The door opened as Belle saw Wulf walk inside and close the door behind him.

"Gran, I finished marking the places where the mugwort grows and now I'm starving." He halted when he saw Belle and Mr. Gold. "Belle! Cousin Rum!"

"Hello, lad," Rum said with a grin.

"What are ye doing here?!"

"We're here to get some things to make a potion," Belle said.

"What sort of potion?" Wulf said, walking closer.

"A potion to restore my dad and Lady Rhiannon," Belle answered.

"It appears Adabiel has changed Prince Loki and his betrothed into children," Elsie said and Wulf's mouth fell open.

"Why would he do that?"

"We don't know yet, lad," Rum said and placed the teacup on the table. "Right now, we're more concerned with changing them back."

"I want tae help!"

"You can help me gather the nightroot," Belle said. "I don't know where to find it."

"I do. It is in the forest!"

"How far off, lad?" Gold queried.

"Follow me!" Wulf said as he headed for the door and they went outside.

They headed into the forest as the trees surrounded them and Wulf led them down a long, twisting path. Belle stayed close to Gold when they came to a mouth of a cave and Wulf turned to look at them.

"It's in here," Wulf said.

"How do we see it in there?" Belle asked. "Should I summon a witchlight?"

"Aye, we're going to need it," Gold said.

Belle concentrated and summoned a glowing ball to her. She sent it flitting into the cave.

The light shimmered off the walls as they entered the cave and the sound of water dripping came from somewhere in the darkness.

"How far back?" She asked, peering into the darkness.

"Not far," Wulf said as they went around the bend and some bats screeched from the bright light.

"Bats!" Belle shouted. Three or four bats flew around then settled back on their perches and Wulf softly giggled.

"Show some respect, lad," Gold said and Wulf nodded.

"Sorry, Belle," Wulf said.

"It's O.K." Belle said, but still ducked.

They walked on, finding the delicate blooms of the herb they were looking for.

"They say the nightroot is a powerful plant that brings good dreams," Mr. Gold said. "It is also very good for preventing infections. But it only grows in the dark in caverns, hence its name."

"Gran says nightroot is the main ingredient in a Sweet Dreams potion," Wulf pointed out.

"That's correct, lad," his cousin replied.

They gathered some, careful to wrap the blooms in light cloths so light could not penetrate.

"We need to hurry back and get started on this potion. I need my Dad back before Vince and Hunter cause more problems."

As they did so, Mr. Gold observed Belle, and said, "You remind me of him, lass. He was focused and intent when casting but could be silly and tease also."

"Was he a good student?"

"Aye. One of the best."

"Is that partly why he is Archmage?"

"Part, but not all. To be the best means you must past the Tests of the Seven. You will know from the crown ye wear that they are meant to test the mind, body, and soul of the mage not just his magic and control. For the Archmage is not just the one with the greatest magic, but with the greatest control and understanding. He must know himself inside and out, every flaw and imperfection. And then he must see beyond them. That is the greatest test. And the one most fail at."

"That is really sad." Belle said, looking around.

"Tis a hard thing, to see the darkness inside. We often lie to ourselves, lass. But the Tests do not permit that. It is why so few attempt them and only one succeeds. And it is why we who work magic salute that one as our Mage King or Queen. Because we know well the sacrifice required. And the discipline."

"Is that why Rhiannon likes Dad so much?" She asked.

"Because he understands her? Aye, I suppose that is so. He learned patience and discipline long ago, lass. But she loves him also because he brings joy to her. He is like a star from the heavens that flashes through the sky and changes those who see it forever. He brings change and hope. And she does the same for him."

"I'm hoping she does not turn into his first wife." Belle said.

"I doubt that," Gold replied. "Boda was never compassionate, nor did she enjoy what Loki did. She cared only for her own interests. She saw him as a means to power and prestige. And when she discovered his origins she saw only the beast and not the man. And she never recognized her own beast within."

"She was just wrong." Belle said, sighing in sadness."I wish he never married her."

"Aye lass, but remember there is always something good from something bad. Had he not married her you wouldn't have your brothers and sister. If that banshee did one good thing in her life it was that." Mr. Gold reminded her.

"I guess, it sucks that my siblings had to suffer too."

Gold nodded. "Yes, but they have one good parent. It makes a difference, as I am sure you know. Come, we must be getting back."

"O.K." She said, walking with him and smiling at Wulf.

"Is this potion difficult to make?"

"I know how to make it, but it takes time to bring it to full potency," she told him. "Like when Uncle Thor was turned into a toddler."

"How long?" Wulf asked, raising an eyebrow.

"About a week. It can't be rushed," Belle sighed.

"So they have to spend a week as children?" Wulf said, his mouth falling open.

Belle nodded. "Yes, but they don't remember their lives as adults. The regression spell takes their memories away and all they know is what they did as children-and who. So Dad doesn't know any of his kids as his kids or Rhiannon as his betrothed. He just thinks we are cousins and she's his friend. But he would know Mr. Gold, because he knew him as a child. And my grandma and grandpa and his brothers."

"Oh. So that explains why Rhiannon believes that her father gave her to Frigga." Mr. Gold said and laughed.

Belle nodded. "That's why. Because she knows that's what he would have done. Or worse." She grimaced. "I am so glad that man is dead, may the Norns forgive me."

"No forgiveness necessary, Belle. For I feel the same. The man was lower than a snail." Gold scowled. "If they have the memories of children then it should follow that their magic is limited also."

"Which is bad, Rhiannon and Dad can get into trouble without their magic."

Mr. Gold laughed. "Aye, all children can do that. But with a magic talented one it's just multiplied."

"Just like Dad?" Belle asked.

"Yes, dearie. It is why we mages learn control very young, once the Gift shows itself. And why once that happens those whose parents are Ungifted apprentice their children to a mage master or mistress."

"What about Rhee? She didn't have anyone to teach her."

"Maybe your father or grandmother could teach her."

"I guess they could, does that really work when you are married to the teacher?"

"Aye, it does."

"Um, do you have any children, Mister Gold?"

"I do. I have two sons and a daughter. My oldest son is an artist and lives in a small fishing village nearby. My youngest son is a mage and studying at the Academy. My daughter is a healer."

"Do they visit you?"

"When they have time," he said when they arrived at the palace and returned to Loki's workroom.

"Do you miss them when they are gone?"

"Yes, I do at times," the elder enchanter replied. "If someday one of them would marry, I hope to have grandchildren."

"Maybe they will soon." Belle replied, a smile on her face.

"You never know," Mr. Gold smiled. "Now let's brew this potion. I know your father loves children but I doubt he wants to have a second childhood."

"Actually this time might be better for him," Belle refuted. "The first time my grandfather was possessed and hurt him. But this time he is happy and not scared out of his mind."

"You are right, lass. I stand corrected. Loki was harmed greatly by the one we thought was Odin the first time."

"I don't think Rhiannon minds. She is having a great time." Belle replied.

"She never was allowed to be a child, lass." Mr. Gold said. "I know because my childhood was much the same. My papa was a con artist and a drunk and he hated me because I had magic. So for her this is an opportunity she never had."

"I'm sorry you had that. And for Rhiannon too."

"And you once were like that too, or am I mistaken?" His brown eyes were deep and penetrating.

"I was, but Dad found me and my life got better." Belle said.

"Adversity gives strength and those who survive form ties that bind with others who have done so also," the old sorcerer said sagely. "All of us are bound by understanding and love, and magic, dearie. And love is the most powerful magic there is."

"Dad says that love can heal the broken and lost."

"It can. And true love can break any curse. It appears this spell, which was intended to hurt your papa and his betrothed, has turned out to be a blessing in disguise. This week will be something Rhiannon and Loki will treasure forever," he said and she nodded.

"Yeah." Belle laughed. "If they remember it."

"They will."

"How?"

"Just leave that to me," he said then gave a high-pitched giggle.

~0~0~0~

The four brothers were very tired after spending the morning doing laundry and then helping to wring it out and hang it up to dry. Their hands and backs ached from the unaccustomed labor and they had more than a healthy respect for the laundry maids and lads who washed the palace sheets, towels, and clothing.

"I am never doing laundry again as long as I live!" Hunter groaned dramatically as he entered his room.

"I second that!" Vince agreed, rubbing the small of his back.

"So do we," Nate added. Even though he had the lightest of the duties, his hands were still red and chafed from dunking the clothes into the soapy water for so long.

Fenris yawned. "I am going to go to bed early. Night, brothers."

"Good night, Fen!" they chorused and the older boy left, blurring into his wolf form to sleep in the garden, where it was cool and he could get the smell of soap and bleach out of his nostrils.

The other three boys retreated to their beds and were soon fast asleep after their day of hard labor.

While they were sleeping, Loki, Rhiannon, and Max slipped into their rooms and coated their hair with a certain gross substance, after Loki had enchanted their sheets to repel the stuff, because there was no way he was getting stuck doing laundry for ruining sheets.

Aleta hissed to them and they hurried out of the brothers' chambers and Loki quickly disposed of the gloves they had used to smear the muck into the boys' hair.

"What about Fenris? He wasn't in his room," Aleta reminded.

"Don't worry," Loki assured her blithely. "I magicked the Black Pudding Surprise onto him."

They ran back to Loki's room and they all hopped in the huge bed and pretended to be peacefully sleeping. But under the sheets Loki slapped palms with his fellow tricksters and grinned in anticipation of the "Black Pudding Surprise."

The next morning, the royal wing was filled with astonished yelps and howls as Hunter, Vince, and Nate woke up and found their hair filled with something that felt like mud, smelled like a dead goat, and was sticky as molasses.

"Gross!"

"What is this?" Vince cried. "Dog crap?"

"Worse," Nate groaned. "It's like mud and syrup. It's gonna take ages to get out of our hair."

"Who did this?" Hunter yelled from his room down the hall.

Vince rolled his eyes and marched down to his elder brother's room. "Give you three guesses, smart guy."

"I only need one," Nate informed them. "It was—"

"Dad!" his brothers cried.

Fenris entered Hunter's room his own hair coated with the smelly stuff. "What by Yggdrasil happened to you?"

"Dad happened," Hunter replied. Then he scowled. "This stuff is nasty? Think it will wash off?"

"Probably," sighed Nate. "Can you help me wash my hair?"

Fenris nodded. "Yes. But we're going to need some special soap. Because whatever is in our hair has molasses in it."

"What else is in there?" Vince wanted to know.

Fenris wrinkled his nose. "Uh . . . marsh mud, goat droppings, and something called black pudding."

"Aww disgusting!" Hunter moaned. Then he ran for the bathroom.

"I will have a servant bring you the soap," Fenris called, before leaving to speak to one of the laundry maids.

At breakfast, Belle noticed that her four prankster brothers were conspicuously absent, and Loki, Rhiannon, Aleta, and Max kept giggling and poking each other, wearing looks of extreme satisfaction. Belle smirked. _That'll teach them to prank the Master Trickster!_

**A/N: Hope you all liked Loki's prank!**

 **Next up: Loki and Rhiannon encounter Adabiel-and a secret is revealed to Loki that upsets him greatly.**


	46. Adabiel's Monster

**46**

 **Adabiel's Monster**

 _Sometimes a cruel half-truth can harm as much as a lie~ Loki_

While Belle, Mr. Gold, and Wulf were making the potion, Loki and Rhiannon were playing fox and hares in the main hall by the hearth fire. The day was blustery despite the sun shining, and both children had elected to remain indoors for the afternoon. No one was in the hall at the moment, everyone was busy elsewhere and so Loki and Rhiannon had the table closest to the hearth to themselves. The fire leaped and crackled in the grate like a wild thing but the two were intent upon their game and paid it no heed. Two goblets rested by their elbows filled with pear juice.

Rhiannon moved a hare piece, avoiding Loki's fox. They played for several more minutes, but neither was winning.

"So what was in the stuff we put in your cousins' hair?" Rhiannon giggled.

"A few things. Marsh mud, blood pudding, goat droppings and molasses." Loki revealed. He brushed some hair from his eyes.

"Gross!" Rhiannon made a face.

Loki shrugged. "Well, I didn't touch it with my hands. We wore gloves, remember?"

She nodded. "It's still nasty. But they did throw that disgusting green slime stuff on us, so it's only fair we got them back."

"Right." Loki moved a fox piece.

"Do you think they got it all out of their hair?" Rhiannon wondered.

"Probably. It's not half as bad as that green slime."

"How come we didn't get in trouble like they did?"

"Because my prank wasn't half as bad and I made sure we didn't ruin the sheets." Loki informed her.

Two small kittens, a calico and a white and brown tabby played with some string near them. Loki had asked their names and they said they were called Jewel and Trickster.

"They're so adorable!" Rhiannon cooed.

"They say they are brother and sister and they like us and want to be our kittens," Loki told her.

"Oh! I have never had a pet before!" the little girl looked over the moon. "Will the queen allow it?"

Loki nodded. "Yes, she will. She has a cat of her own too. His name is Smidgen. He is a marmalade tabby."

"How sweet!" She leaned down to pet Jewel. "May I have Jewel?"

"Yes. And I will have Trickster."

"Do the kittens want some cream?" Rhiannon asked, looking down at them.

"I can ask them," Loki said, then did so.

"We would love some!" mewed Jewel.

"They said yes," Loki smiled.

"Who do we ask to get some?" She asked, seeing the Dark Elf and his wives enter. " Should we ask them?"

Loki stiffened. "No. Go down to the kitchens and ask for Kara, she will give you some." He thought the elf looked familiar and he also sensed he was not someone he wanted Rhee to meet. "Take the kittens." He hissed at the felines to follow her.

"Why? He has friends with him. We should say hello!"

"Please, we're hungry!" the kittens cried, sensing the evil coming towards them.

"Rhee, they're hungry," Loki whispered. "Feed them and then come back here and greet these elves." Loki was hoping they would be gone before she came back.

He pointed to the tapestry shrouded door that led down to the kitchens, which was how the servers came up to bring food and drink into the hall.

"Yes, My Prince." She said and ran to the tapestry, lifting it up and opening the door behind it. The kittens ran after her, both of them scrambling to leave.

She reached the kitchens and Kara looked up from some bread dough she was kneading. "Good day, Rhee," she greeted. "Did you come for some snack for you and Loki?"

Rhiannon shook her head. "No, Kara. Our kittens are hungry. I would like two dishes of cream, please."

Kara peered around the counter and saw Jewel and Trickster by Rhiannon's feet. "Little furballs!" she chuckled. The kittens neowed pitifully. "All right, all right. I'm getting it!"

She turned to the large indoor cold pantry where the trays of milk and cream and cheese were stored, carrying two small china bowls.

Soon she returned and placed the bowls in front of the kittens, who began lapping eagerly, while Rhiannon watched.

~0~0~0~

Loki looked up from the game board, swinging his feet, which did not quite touch the floor from the high bench he was sitting on.

Loki could tell by the elf's clothes he was some kind of high-ranking dignitary, probably a guest of his parents. He wore a black velvet cloak with fur on the collar and a red satin tunic with costly gold embroidery and black boots tooled with odd designs. His long hair was caught in a knot on his nape. He carried a dagger and a pouch on his belt. The elf was haughty and proud, his nose elevated when he spotted Loki, as if he had found a dead fly upon the window sill and why had the servants not swept it away? His wives were all in black gowns with jewels, pale with platinum hair done up in braids and small crystals.

"Look what we have here. A little bastard, all alone." Adabiel sneered.

Loki's eyes flashed. "How dare you address me like that? I am a Prince of Asgard!"

"You are not of Asgard, you monster. You are a beast bred to die." the elf snapped back, curling a lip.

"I do not know who you are, sir, but you are rude and ignorant!" Loki cried, standing on the bench. "I am Loki third son of Odin and Frigga."

"You are Loki of Jotunheim! Laufey's brat! A stolen child by Odin!" Adabiel shouted back, glaring at the boy.

"You lie, sir!"

"Do I?" He replied, leaning closer. "Then why does cold not bother you, beast?"

"I am not a beast," Loki protested, backing away slightly. He wondered how this elf knew that the cold never bothered him.

"Are you? Are you truly sure of that?" He asked, stepping forward. "What a grand lie you have been told."

"You are talking nonsense," Loki gulped, afraid of the elf's cold eyes, eyes colder than winter hoarfrost.

The boy felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle as they used to do when Odin flew into a rage.

"Jotun monster. Does not even believe the truth when he is told it."

"Who are you?" Loki asked, shivering slightly.

"My name is Adabiel. The Ambassador of Svartalfheim. And I will ruin everything you love, Jotun." He said smugly.

"I never did anything to you," Loki hissed. "Go away!"

"Go away? Now why would I do that?" Adabiel smirked, touching a long finger to Loki's wrist and the skin began turning blue.

"What are you doing to me?" Loki cried, staring down at his wrist in horror.

"Showing you truth." Adabiel gloated, the change spreading over the boy's hand and up his arm.

"No! You are a warlock casting a spell on me!" Loki cried, panicked. As always happened when he got scared, his own magic made the temperature drop into icy ranges.

"Then why is the room covered in frost?" Adabiel said, laughing.

"Stop it!" A girl's voice shouted, and Rhiannon stood behind him with both kittens in her hands. She was glaring at the elf fit to kill.

"Take that slave bitch and have her whipped!" Adabiel ordered to his wives.

"You leave my friend alone, you Svartalf bastard!" Loki shouted in elvish, using language he had learned from some of his father's guards.

Then he levitated the game board off the table and smacked Adabiel over the head with it.

"And you leave Prince Loki alone!" Rhiannon said, stamping her feet. The large elf pushed the little girl, knocking her over and she glared at him.

"Hey! Back off, you son of a diseased camel's ass!" Loki yelled, and formed an ice ball and hit Adabiel in the shoulder with it.

"Jotun bastard son of Laufey!" the elf spat, kicking the crying girl as she curled to protect the kittens she was holding. She cried, staying in a ball and weeping quietly to herself. "I told you the truth! Now you see!"

"No! Shut up! And leave her ALONE!" Loki screamed and his magic went crazy. He held out his now blue hands and went to hit Adabiel with a frost bolt.

But the Dark Elf grabbed him by the shirt and picked him off the bench. "Harm me, you little savage, and you shall start a war again!" He shook Loki like a ragdoll, his fingers like claws, half-choking him.

"Guards!" Loki called, his voice a feeble rasp. Frantically he sent, _Balder! Thor! Help me! I'm in the feast hall!_

"Stop! You are hurting him!" Rhiannon cried, slapping at his leg with her fists. She let out a loud, shrill scream that echoed through the halls.

Balder burst into the hall, nearly knocking the doors off. "Take your hands off my brother, Adabiel! Or I swear I will have your head!" He drew his long sword. Guards burst into the room along with Thor, who clutched Mjolnir in his fist. "Let him go, _ashtavarik_!" he snarled, spitting a curse in elvish.

"He kicked me!" Rhiannon cried, falling over to rest her aching body.

"How dare you!" Balder spat, his sapphire eyes blazing.

The kittens hissed at Adabiel.

"Release him, Ambassador!" Thor boomed. "Or you will be a grease spot on the floor!"

Adabiel dropped Loki. "The little bastard hit me!"

"I'm sure you deserved it," Balder growled. "Are you all right, little brother?"

"Yes, Balder." Loki said, hiding his hands.

"Get from our sight!" Thor snarled. "Now!"

Adabiel muttered a curse in elvish, then made a sharp gesture and his cringing wives followed him from the room. He whirled and spat, "Remember, little half-breed, what I showed you! Frost Giant freak!"

"Curse his bloody tongue!" Balder swore.

"Balder, what do you mean?" Loki trembled, putting his hands behind his back. "He was lying, right? Right?"

Thor looked at the boy sympathetically. _Damn Adabiel!_ he thought, cursing the wicked elf in his head. "Loki, let me explain . . ."

Loki stared at his brothers, horror in his emerald eyes. "It's true, isn't it? I'm not your brother! I'm a-monster!"

Then he whirled and ran out of the hall, feeling as if he had just had his heart crushed.

"Loki, wait!" Balder cried, but the boy was gone.

"Loki!" Rhiannon said, limping after him with a swollen knee. "Wait!"

But Loki was deaf to their pleas, instead hearing the voice of the Dark Elf echoing in his ears. _Monster, monster, Jotun bastard son of Laufey_ . . .he felt a great roaring in his ears and he ran down the halls until he got a stitch in his side.


	47. Heritage of the Frost

**47**

 **Heritage of the Frost**

 _Knowing where one came from can define you—for good or bad ~ Loki_

His feet took him to the library, which was empty at this time of day, and he huddled in a space between the bookshelf and the wall beside the window. He stared at his hands, which were blue and bore strange swirling runes on the backs. They were the hands of a stranger. A monster.

"I am . . . not a Prince of Asgard!" he sobbed. "I am a monster like he said . . ." he buried his face in his hands and cried, lost and alone. He was unsure how long he remained there, drowning in his own private hell, but then he felt a small hand on his, and peeked through his fingers at Rhiannon. Suddenly, her skin turned blue and she blurred into a Jotun in front of his eyes.

"You are not a monster, you are just like me." Rhiannon said, her eyes filling with tears.

"I . . ." He blinked in astonishment. Then he shifted all the way and his red eyes dripped tears of frost. "Have you always known what you were?"

"Yes. Father beat me because of it though. I was supposed to keep it secret." She said, sitting back. "Do you think I am bad?"

He shook his head, staring at her small blue hand atop his larger one. He saw that the swirling rune marks on her arms were different from his. "No. Are you still my friend?"

"Yes. You are my first real friend."

"What are these rune marks on my hand?"

"Mother told me they are tribal markings. They are inherited through your family lines. Mine are different from yours, we are different families." Rhiannon said and smiled.

"Your mother was a frost giant?" he asked diffidently.

"She was. Her name was Larimar. She was very pretty." Rhiannon said and cried. "She died protecting me."

"Oh . . . I'm sorry for your loss," Loki said awkwardly. He fumbled in his pocket for a handkerchief and gave it to her. "Do you think Adabiel was telling the truth . . . that I really am Laufey's son? The Jotun king?"

"I don't know." She replied, wiping her eyes. "We could ask Queen Frigga."

Loki nodded. If anyone would know the truth, his mother would. Though he suspected that his brothers knew also.

She looked shy, her skin changing back and she picked at a thread on her dress. She shifted in her hiding spot, blushing. "Do you think..." she said, hiding her face. "That you would want to marry me when we grow up? Since we are the same?"

"My . . . my father asked me that," Loki murmured. "I said yes . . .would you want to marry me?"

"I would." she said, no hesitation to her reply.

"Father says when I grow up I will like kissing girls."

"That is what happens when you grow up. Halgran said so. Do you think Queen Frigga will let me marry you?"

Loki nodded.

She smiled back, hugging him.

He stiffened in shock for a moment, returning the hug. Her curls tickled his nose, but he did not mind.

He put his head on her shoulder, feeling a bit better, even though he still felt like he had been hit in the head with Mjolnir.

"You are too nice to be a monster, Loki." She whispered, and he hugged her tighter.

"You aren't one either." He muttered.

She saw that the skin about his throat was bruised.

"Oh! Your throat is all bruised!" she cried. "Does it hurt?"

"A bit," he said softly, trying to be brave. It throbbed like fire.

"We should see a Healer. My knee hurts really bad." She said and frowned at it.

"He hurt you?"

"When he kicked me." She said and put on a brave face. "When he was trying to choke you."

He gently touched his throat, which felt sore. "I thought he was going to strangle me."

"I did too. I was scared, so I screamed as loud as I could."

"I think he is a rotten prick," Loki hissed.

"Me too. He is mean and nasty." She crossed her arms.

"Loki? Rhee?"" Frigga called and opened the door to the library.

"We should answer her." Rhiannon said.

"I . . . I'm here, Mother," Loki called, hoarsely.

"We are hurt." Rhiannon added.

"Hurt? Did that -that son of a pig's fart hurt you?" Frigga cried, and Loki gave her a lopsided grin when he saw her come around the bookshelf.

"He kicked me, and choked Prince Loki." Rhiannon cried.

"Oh, you poor _alsklings_!" the Queen murmured. She held out her hands to help the children up, not even blinking at Loki's Jotun form.

"He was horrid." Rhiannon sniffed, and hugged Frigga. "He called Loki a monster."

"Oh, Loki! You are not a monster. You are _my_ son!" she declared fiercely.

"Look at me, Mother! Who am I?" Loki said, tears falling from his eyes.

Frigga took his hand. "You are my son, Loki. You have been since the minute Odin placed you in my arms after he found you in the temple. The High Priest Krishna brought you there to die, but Odin saved you. He promised your mother Astra he would as she lay dying on the battle field." She took a deep breath. "Your mother was our best friend, and the Archmage of Asgard. When she married Laufey of Jotunheim, she became his Queen and equal. You are their son, but we love you like you were ours."

"Then it's true? I am Laufey's son?"

"Yes. You are." She nodded. "I wanted to tell you but you were so young . . . your father feared you wouldn't understand you were adopted . . ."

"Is Laufey dead too?" Loki asked, hugging her and changing back.

"Yes. He was killed," Frigga sighed. "But he was not a monster either. He was Odin's friend when they were boys."

"I told him he was not a monster, Queen Frigga." Rhiannon said.

The Queen smiled at her. "You are right. The Jotun are not monsters. They are simply a different race of beings. Like the Alfar and the dwarves and the humans."

"I am like Prince Loki!" Rhiannon said, smiling.

"I know, dear. You are a half-blood like he is, both Jotun and Asgardian. You are special." Frigga said sincerely, hugging both children to her.

"We are?" Loki was puzzled.

"Yes. For you represent peace between two peoples, and proof that we do not need to fight. That we can all get along and live in harmony."

"But my father said I was bad because of what I was." Rhiannon said, hugging her back.

Frigga shook her head. "That is not so. You are not bad. You are a little girl who is not responsible for all of the quarrels and wars between our people. Sometimes . . . sometimes people like your father forget that. Wrongs were done on both sides, by both Jotun and Asgardian long ago. But you both are proof that we do not have to relive old quarrels. You are the bridge between Jotunheim and Asgard. And that, my darlings, is very special."

"I like that better than being a monster." Rhiannon said and giggled. She turned shy again, blushing and looking down at her feet.

"Come, children. Let me bring you to the infirmary and have your wounds tended."

"Yes, Queen Frigga." Rhiannon said and limped with Loki.

Frigga saw and said, "Did you hurt your leg, dear? Would you let me carry you?"

"I will. My knee hurts really bad."

Frigga picked her up gently. "I am sorry the Ambassador hurt you. He should never have done such a wicked thing." She looked at Loki. "Balder told me he said you hit him, Loki."

"I did, Mother. Because he kicked Rhee and knocked her down." Loki said defiantly. "I levitated my game board and hit him in the head. And I threw a snowball at him too."

"He was very brave, My Queen." Rhiannon said, hugging her."Is the king going to be angry with us?"

"No," Frigga said as they walked out of the library and Loki saw Thor standing in the hallway.

"Brother," Thor said as he knelt and Loki ran to him. He wrapped his arms around Loki then picked him up and Loki leaned his head against his brother's.

"I'm sorry," Loki whispered.

"There is no need to be sorry. No matter where you came from, you will always be my little brother."

"Just like Max, Aleta and their brothers and sisters?"

"Exactly. They all come from different places, but they are still siblings."

"And you still love me? You and Balder?"

"Yes!" Thor said with a grin, lifting Loki into the air and Loki smiled down at him.

"Thor, put your little brother down. We need to take them to the infirmary," Frigga said and Thor frowned.

"What happened to them?" Thor asked.

"You know the ambassador was shaking me, right?" Loki asked while Thor lowered him into his arms.

"Yes," Thor said and saw the bruises on Loki's throat. "By the Nine, did that monster try to strangle you?!"

"Yes."

"And he kicked me," Rhiannon said as she showed him her knee.

"Father will make him pay for this!"

"But he is an ambassador." Rhiannon muttered.

"And he said if I did anything, it would start a war," Loki said with tears in his eyes.

"We will see about that," Frigga snorted, carrying Rhiannon down the hallway, while Thor carried Loki.

"Queen Frigga? May I marry Loki someday?" Rhiannon asked, her eyes serious.

"Yes, you can," Frigga said and Loki smiled.

"You are not mad?" Rhiannon asked, the group entering the infirmary.

"No, why would we be?" the Queen laughed. "Loki can marry as he wishes."

"But I am a commoner and what if my father will not allow me to marry him?"

"Your father gave you up to be my ward. So you are free to choose whom you can marry. But right now, let's get your knee tended to, and Loki's throat."

"Yes, Queen Frigga." She said and smiled at Loki widely.

She hugged Frigga close, wincing when her swollen knee was straightened on the table. Loki watched the Healers expose the purple and black appendage, the little girl laying back as they examined her.

"Ice will help that," Loki said suddenly.

"We will get some." The Healer said

"I can make some," Loki declared and formed a snowball which a nurse wrapped in a cloth and placed it on Rhiannon's leg.

"It hurts." The small girl whimpered, tears falling down the sides of her face.

"Mother, maybe Abby could Heal it?" Loki said. "I'm not as strong as she is, but I could help."

"We could fetch her."

 _Abby!_ Loki sent to her. _Come to the infirmary! Rhee hurt her leg really bad. And that evil Adabiel tried to strangle me. Please, hurry!_

 _I'm coming_! Abby thought back, and raced through the palace to the infirmary.

Rhiannon whimpered, clenching her fists.

"I can help, a little." Loki said, putting a hand on her leg. He concentrated, using his magic to numb the nerves so she couldn't feel any pain.

"Does that feel better?" Loki asked.

"Yes."

Stefan approached and looked at Frigga then at Loki and Rhiannon and frowned.

"What has happened?" Stefan asked and Frigga explained. "By the Nine!" He gently examined her. "Looks like a bad sprain and bruising. Painful but it will heal with rest and I can put a soft brace on it."

"You won't need that, Healer Stef," Abby called as she entered the infirmary. "I can fix it in two seconds."

"If she keeps this up, I might be out of a job," Stefan teased as he looked at Frigga and both laughed.

"No, because Father says I may only heal three patients a day," Abby smiled. "Until I am older."

"He is very smart. You may weaken yourself." He said, smiling.

"Yes, he told me if I do that I need to stay in bed for three days and drink some yucky potion till my magic restores itself." Abby said.

Stefan watched as Abby came and eyed Rhiannon's leg. The dark-haired girl set her hands on the swollen leg, her magic mending the sprain and reducing the swelling as everyone marveled.

Frigga carded the top of Rhiannon's head.

"It is done." Abby said, sitting back. Rhiannon had fallen asleep.

No one noticed one of Adabiel's wives watching from the shadows as she slid out of the room and smiled. She had gone into the infirmary to steal a potion to kill her abusive husband, but seeing Abby using her powers gave her an idea. She was the Ambassador's youngest wife and the one he had recruited to cast the spell to regress the prince and his betrothed. So she could hold that over her husband's head if necessary. One word to any of the Asgardians and he would be disgraced and removed from Asgard. If they didn't strip him of his powers first. Then too, she was almost certain his own actions had landed him in hot water with Odin. If her plan worked, Adabiel would promote her to head wife and she hurried away.

"How long until she wakes up?" Loki asked, looking at Rhiannon.

"Maybe a few hours." Stefan said, smiling. "Worried about your friend?"

Abby turned from the bed, healing his neck and a large bruise on his arm.

"Thank you," Loki said, smiling at the little Healer.

"Do you have anyone else I can Heal?" Abby asked, her Gift urging her to use it again

"No, you've done enough for one day," Frigga said.

"Would you like to get some rest?" Stefan asked. "You can use that bed over there."

"I am getting a little sleepy," Abby said and went to rest on the bed next to Rhiannon.

"Is everything well, Mother?" Thor asked, coming into the room.

"Abby Healed them. But Rhiannon had a sprained knee from that-that evil Ambassador kicking her! And Loki was almost strangled!" Frigga growled. "Thor, will you stay with them while I inform your father?"

"Of course, Mother," Thor said and sat down by Loki as Frigga departed.

~0~0~0~0~

When Odin discovered what Adabiel had done to Loki and Rhiannon he was livid. "Summon Ambassador Adabiel to me immeditaely!' he ordred his page and the youth raced off to do so. Frigga remained seated beside him on her throne, thinking that the Dark Elf had severely miscalculated his actions. Bors might not have done anything to him had he still been in control, but Odin was freed and he would not tolerate such things happening in his palace to any child, much less his own family.

Six minutes later Adabiel appeared with his guards in the throne room. "You sent for me, Sire?" he asked, using the soft ingratiating tone Odin hated.

"Yes, Ambassador, I did,"the king said flatly, thinking _you arse-licker!_ "It has recently come to my attention that you had an altercation with my youngest son Loki." He fastened his gaze upon the elf, like that of a bird of prey watching a mouse. Behind him, his ravens hissed and ruffles their feathers, their head crests standing up. Huginn and Muninn did not like Adabiel and made no secret of their antipathy.

If Adabiel was rattled by Odin's Look, he did not show it. "Yes, Sire, that is correct. I had been passing through the feast hall and met him there. We had words and he became enraged and threw a game board at my head. Then his little brat of a friend came and started attacking me as well. The prince threw a snowball and hit me. I was forced to defend myself." Adabiel sounded aggrieved. "I did not intend any harm to them, but they were out of control, Sire."

Frigga's hands tightened on the armrests of ther throne. _Lies! You lie, you honey tongued viper!_

Odin raised a brow skeptically. "I see. That does not match what I was told, Ambassador. Is it true that you deliberately sought out Loki when he was alone so you could impart to him a secret which was not your right to divulge?"

"Well, Sire, I simply intended-"

"Answer the question, Ambassador!" Odin ordered. "A simple yes or no will do."

"Yes, I told him about the fact he was a Jotun," Adabiel said.

"As I said, that was not your place," Odin said coldly. "That was a private matter between my son and me and I do not appreciate meddling in my family business."

Adabiel bowed. "My deepest apologies, Your Majesty. I did not intend to cause turmoil."

"Is it true you told my son he is a monster, a beast bred to die?" demanded Odin angrily.

"Ahh . . .I may have said something in anger after he attacked me. But I cannot recall now what it was," the elf said smoothly.

The king clenched his jaw. Adabiel was a smooth talker. "Such words are offensive to me and to my son. They are also true. My son is not a monster."

"No, but surely you will not deny the Jotun have behaved beastly in the past?"

"That is neither here nor there," Odin snapped. "My concern is your treatment of my son, who is a Prince of Asgard, and his small friend who is a guest in my home. Such conduct in not only unbecoming of an Ambassador, but extremely inappropriate for an adult towards a child. No child here is allowed to be hurt in such a matter, quarrel or no." He glared at the Dark Elf.

Adabiel made an apologetic face. "I do regret any harm, Sire."

"You tread on dangerous ground, Ambassador. Such an incident prompts me to either send you back to Svartalfheim or throw you in my dungeon , and that is if I am in a good mood!" the Allfather growled. "If anyone else had behaved in such a manner, they would be facing the executioner!"

Adabiel paled. "Sire, I beg your forgiveness!"

"It is not _my_ forgiveness you need to beg, but Loki's. Until further notice, you are under sanction, Ambassador. I shall be writing King Lorath immediately and requesting a replacement. I will also insist you give both children an apology once they are released from the infirmary. I will be considering whether or not to have you visit my dungeon in the meantime."

Adabiel gritted his teeth. _I shall apologize to that bastard in Hel!_ "As you wish, Sire." He bowed again.

"Dismissed!" Odin waved him away disdainfully.

Adabiel left, his wicked brain plotting revenge. He was furious that he was in danger of being sent home in disgrace or locked up like a common criminal and all because of that Jotun half-breed that should have died at birth. _We shall see who has the last laugh here!_


	48. The Body in the Forest

**48**

 **The Body in the Forest**

 _Not all crimes can stay buried. ~ Loki_

 _In Adabiel's chambers:_

The ambassador stood by the window as he looked out over the gardens and growled. He thought seeing the truth would cause Loki to flee or, better, have Thor or Balder kill the little brat. Instead, Adabiel was risking arrest for harming a prince of Asgard.

"Stupid little bastard," he grumbled when he felt like he was being watched and turned, looking at his youngest wife.

"What do you want?!" he demanded and she fell prone onto the floor.

"I... I bring you news, Master," she said with a whimper.

"What sort of news?"

"I had gone into the infirmary..."

"Why?!"

"I was having pains from my cycle."

"Oh."

"While I was there, I saw Prince Loki and that girl he is close to being treated. The girl's knee was sprained..."

"Good! Serves her right for striking me!"

"They were about to treat her when this other girl entered the room. She was just a child herself. She went to where the girl was lying and... And she healed the girl in a matter of seconds."

"What?!"

Adabiel could not believe what he was hearing. A child who could heal a person that quickly would be a great asset to his army. His soldiers could keep fighting for days...weeks...years.

"Are you sure?!" he asked and she finally lifted her head.

"Yes, Master," she said with a nod.

"Do you know what she looks like?"

"Yes, Master," she said and described what Abby looked like.

"Is she still here?"

"I believe so." She smiled hopefully. "Husband, I have been useful to you, have I not? I have done everything you wished of me."

"Yes, what of it?" he growled.

"I . . . was hoping you might reward me. . . perhaps by making me Head Wife?" she asked, unable to keep the ambition out of her tone.

"Head Wife?" he sneered. "You?"

"Husband, I know when to keep a secret," she began.

"I know how to keep a secret too, wife," Adabiel sneered. "And do you know what's the best way to do so?"

"No, Master."

"The best way is when one person can no longer tell!"

Quick as a cobra striking, he seized the young elf by the neck and broke it in one swift motion. He made a distasteful face. He watched the body fall to the floor when one of his aides entered the room and he looked at him.

"Get rid of that," he ordered. "Quickly and let no one see. Understand?"

"Yes, Master," his aide bowed and picked up the body, not even batting an eyelash. Then he used a simple illusion and Veiled it from sight before leaving to do as he had been told.

Adabiel knew he had to wait so his plan for Loki, Rhiannon and Abby would not seemed rushed. He also knew he had to come up with an explanation for his now dead wife.

"I could say she died suddenly in her sleep," he thought then smiled. "Yes, that would work, but I would have to act the mournful husband. And I would have to get the others to act mournful as well."

Nodding, he walked to the table where the bottles of wine were sitting, pouring some wine into a goblet. He took a long drink as he placed the goblet down and smiled. _Soon, little Trickster, I will have my revenge upon you and your House of devils, and these Asgardian fools as well!_

 _The next afternoon:_

Loki followed Fenris as they practiced tracking in wolf form and his tail wagged back and forth.

"I smell a rabbit," Loki yipped as Fenris glanced at him then went back to sniffing the trail.

"Yes, there are three of them just over the next two hills," Fenris said. He remembered how excited he was when his father took him tracking for the first time and gently bumped his head against Loki to keep him from running off. "No need to rush."

"I wasn't," Loki grumbled and Fenris barked a soft laugh.

"I remember how excited I was when my father and I practiced tracking. There was this one time I got so excited that I ran into a bush and was sprayed by a skunk," he said and Loki's eyes widened.

"Ew!"

"I had to bathe in tomato juice for several days before the smell faded."

"Did your brothers tease about it?"

"Oh, yes," he said with a nod. "But I didn't mind. My brothers and I tease each other all the time."

"It's hard to tell when Thor or Balder are teasing me."

"Well, the best thing is to laugh with them afterwards. They do love you, you know."

"Yeah, I know," Loki said as they got to the top of the hill and stopped, seeing ravens and crows circling something on the ground. "What do you think they're looking at?"

"Let's find out," Fenris said as he took the lead and Loki followed close behind him. The ravens were calling out as they approached then one of the ravens flew down to the ground. "Pardon, Brother, what vexes you?"

"This carrion is not eatable," the raven squawked.

"Is it poisoned?"

Loki had gone over to what they were circling when he noticed it was a body of a Dark Elf woman and he frowned.

"Fenris!" he called out and Fenris ran to him. They looked at the body of Adabiel's youngest wife as Fenris frowned and Loki looked at him. "What should we do?"

"We need to tell someone," Fenris said.

"We will guard the body," the raven said and Fenris nodded. Loki followed Fenris as they ran off to the palace and the raven moved its head side to

Thor and Balder were walking down the hallway when they saw Fenris and Loki rushing toward them.

"What's wrong?" Thor asked.

"We were out in the forest and we found something," Loki said, slightly breathless.

"What did you find?" Balder asked.

"It was a body," Fenris said.

"It was a Dark Elf's body," Loki added.

"Did you recognize who it was?" Thor asked.

"No, but I think it was a woman," Loki said. "It was wearing what looked like a dress."

Balder frowned. "One of Ambassador Adabiel's wives died this morning. Of a sudden illness." He exchanged glances with Thor. "Loki, can you show us where this body is?"

"Yes," Loki said and they ran down the hallway. He led the way as they raced into the forest and over the hills. The ravens were nowhere to be seen. Loki frowned and Thor placed his hand on his little brother's shoulder.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Thor asked.

"Yes," Loki said with a nod of his head. Fenris had shifted into his wolf form and began sniffing the grass and walking in a circle.

"It was here," Fenris said after shifting back. "But it appears to have been moved."

"Why would someone want to move it?" Balder asked. A raven called out as they looked up and the raven circled then landed on the ground.

"Where is the body?" Loki asked, kneeling by the black bird.

"We were guarding the body upon your return, but someone started throwing stones at us," the raven said, tilting its head side to side.

"Did you get a good look at them?" Thor asked.

"Aye. It was the pointy ears."

"The pointy ears?" Balder asked.

"That is what they call Dark Elves," Loki said.

"Do you know where they went?" Fenris asked.

"No. Once the stones started flying, we scattered," the raven cawed.

"Why would the Dark Elves move the body?" Loki wondered.

"Thank you," Thor said and the raven nodded, flying into the sky. Fenris shifted into wolf form. He sniffed the ground again and sneezed, shaking his head. He looked up then he started walking east and they followed him. Loki shifted as he ran to catch up with him and Fenris glanced at the smaller wolf.

"Where are we going?" Loki asked.

"I found their scent. They went this way," Fenris howled. They walked in silence for a mile then Fenris stopped. Ahead was a circle of charred grass.

"It looks like someone made a funeral pyre," Balder said, approaching it. The stench of burning flesh made him back up. Then they saw the remains lying on the ground. Loki could sense dark magic as he moved closer to Thor. Thor leaned down to pat his brother's head.

"Well, if I hazard to guess, we now know what they did with the body," Thor said with a sigh.

"Thor, there was dark magic used here," Loki told him, shivering. "I can feel it. It's like a black oily feeling in the air."

"That would explain why the body burned so quickly," Thor said, kneeling down to hold Loki. Fenris sniffed the ground and looked to the north, giving a low snarl.

"They went that way," Fenris growled.

"They went that way," Loki translated and Thor stood up. They followed Loki and Fenris when Thor noticed they were heading back to the palace and he arched his eyebrows up.

"Brother, what vexes you?" Balder asked.

"We're heading back to the palace," Thor said with a nod of his head. They returned to the palace. Fenris and Loki led them down the hallway then stopped.

"I lost the scent," Fenris said with a sigh and they shifted into their Asgardian forms.

"I will inform Father of what we found then take some guards to retrieve the remains," Balder said, spinning on his heel and running down the hall.

"It was balefire, Thor," Loki told his brother. "Only that can reduce a body to ash that quickly. It's in the legends. The necromancer Skrym threw balefire at his enemies and burnt them to ash upon the wind," the boy recalled.

"Does it have a scent?" Thor asked.

"Yes. It's stronger than brimstone, but it does fade in time," Loki said while some Dark Elf soldiers walked by and glared at them. Suddenly, Loki smelled the scent of balefire on two of the soldiers and he nudged Thor.

"What's wrong?"

"Those two soldiers. They smell of balefire," Loki said, pointing at them.

Thor followed the soldiers, coming up behind them and placing his hands upon their shoulders. The two halted.

"Friends, I wish to have words with you," Thor said and the soldiers looked at each other.

"What would we have to talk with you about, my lord?" one of the soldiers asked and Thor leaned in.

"I know what you have done," Thor whispered and felt their shoulders tightening. "Now, do we chat here or should we speak with the AllFather?"

"We have nothing to fear when it comes to that old fool," the other guard said disdainfully.

"That old fool is your host," Thor reminded them.

"Is there a problem?" Adabiel asked, coming down the corridor and his wives followed obediently behind him.

"I just wish to speak with these men," Thor said.

"They are a part of my guard. Have they done something wrong?"

"That is what I wish to find out."

"If they have not done anything, release them," Adabiel said with a cold look. "Or do you wish war?"

"You would wage war over a conversation?"

"Only if you don't release them."

Sighing, Thor let go of the soldiers and Adabiel gave Thor a gloating look.

"I am sorry for your loss," Thor said and Adabiel snorted.

"She was weak," he said, waving a dismissive hand.

"What did you do with the body?"

"That is my business," Adabiel said then turned away and Loki ran to Thor.

"Did you talk to the soldiers?" Loki asked.

"I was, but he stopped me," Thor said and Loki frowned.

"Now what do we do?"

"There is nothing we can do until Balder returns with the body."

 _Do you think the body was his wife_? Loki sent, putting two and two together. _But if it was, why throw it in the woods and then burn it? And why use balefire?_

"Adabiel has little care for his wives," Thor murmured, kneeling to speak into Loki's ear. "I offered condolences and he did not even pretend to be grieving. All he said was she was weak. Perhaps initially he threw the body into the woods and then thought better of it and retrieved it and burnt it like a true husband would."

"Or he is hiding something," Loki hissed. Then he sent again, _Thor, what if this wife did not die of a fever like he said? What if she died because . . . she was murdered?_ He felt a shiver skitter down his backbone and he pressed close to Thor.

"It is always possible," sighed his brother. "That one has killed before. I would stake my immortality upon it." He put an arm around Loki. "Stay far from him, little brother. I like him not, and trust him even less. Father yelled at him for harming you, but it seems to have done no good. Go nowhere alone."

"I promise," Loki whispered.

 _In Adabiel's chambers:_

Standing near the window, Adabiel looked out at the view and growled.

He was furious when he was told where his soldiers had deposited his wife's body and had sent them to retrieve the body before someone found it. He had them use a cloaking spell to prevent Heimdall from seeing them the first time, but he must have noticed the ravens the soldiers had said were circling the body. They said they had dealt with the ravens and had used balefire to destroy the body.

"Didn't they know balefire has a scent? Maybe that's why Thor wanted to question them. He smelt it," he thought and slammed his fist against his thigh.

"Idiots! I am surrounded by idiots," he whispered when he felt someone touching his back and turned, seeing Amora, the Enchantress standing behind him.

"Don't worry. I cast a spell so not even that idiot, Heimdall, can see or hear us," she said and gave him a chilly smile. "Tell me. Have you done what I told you?"

"Not yet," Adabiel murmured and she glared at him.

"Why not?! You know what I wish, now do it!"

"I understand, Mistress, but with their Healer..."

"What Healer?!"

"It appears Loki has a daughter whose healing power exceeds any Healer in the kingdom. If I can get my hands on her, my army..."

"I do not care about some child! Do as you agreed or Odin will learn about your little "problem"," she said and he gave her a confused look. "Oh, please, I was here when you killed that little breeding mare of yours."

Adabiel knew she was serious as he sighed then nodded.

"It will be done," he said and she kissed his cheek.

"Good boy," she said then vanished and Adabiel growled, curling his hands into fists.

He thought of many ways in which to kill that pestilential little brat, but what he wished most of all was to throttle the blonde sorceress who commanded him. Perhaps after he had Loki and his Healer daughter he would trick Amora into lowering her guard and kill her. It was said she enjoyed sex games . . . well he knew enough blood magic to kill using it during one of those games . . . A pleased smile graced his thin lips.

~0~0~0~

Odin walked into the infirmary and looked at Balder, Thor, and Stefan. A sheet covered body was lying on the table in the exam room.

"Are you sure it is a Dark Elf?" Odin asked, walking to the table.

"There wasn't much flesh left on the body," Stefan explained as he looked at the sheet, shaking his head. "But I was able to identify the bone structure as Dark Elf."

"Were you able to tell if it was male or female?"

"Yes, I was. This is definitely female."

"Father, Loki has a feeling this might be Adabeil's wife," Thor said.

"The one who died?" Odin asked.

"Yes."

"Why would he kill one of his wives?"

"Does he need a reason?! He's is a blood thirsty coward," Balder sneered.

"We would need proof first before we accuse him of anything."

"Sire," one of the healers interrupted and came over to the bed. "Pardon me for overhearing, but I do remember seeing Lord Adabiel's wife."

"When did you see her?" Stefan asked.

"It was a day or so ago. She had come here to get a potion to help her sleep. I didn't see any problem with that, but, when I returned after I had to help with an emergency, she was gone."

"Do you know if anything was taken?" Thor asked.

"No, I didn't think I had to check."

She led them to where the potions were stored as they checked the shelves and Stefan scowled.

"One of the poison vials is missing," he said.

"Which one?"

"It is a nightshade base poison, but it is only dangerous to..."

"To Dark Elves?" Balder asked and Stefan nodded.

"Could we assume that Adabiel poisoned his wife?" Thor queried, his brows lowering.

"I would need to scan the body first to say one way or another," Stefan said.

"Then do so," Odin ordered. "This is all very suspicious. First we are told she died of a fever, yet now we find her body in the woods and then burnt by balefire. If she died of natural causes, there would be no need for all this subterfuge."

Thor and Balder helped carry the body to the diagnostic bed. They placed the body down and Stefan moved the sheet back. He noticed the sickened look on their faces as he nodded then pushed the buttons.

"Where is Loki?" Odin asked.

"I told him to go to his rooms," Thor said. "I had a feeling Adabiel might do something to him, so I had two guards posted. If he tries anything, they have orders to stop him by whatever means necessary."

"Good."

The scanners whirred and then showed the inner workings of the elf's body on the screen.

Stefan studied the scans and pressed a few more buttons and typed in a request. "Toxicology."

Stefan looked at the screen when he frowned and checked the readings.

"Was she poisoned?" Odin asked.

"No," Stefan said with a shake of his head. "Her neck was broken."

"So someone did kill her!" Balder exclaimed. "And I would bet my armor I know who did it-or ordered it done."

"As do I," Thor said. Odin remained silent for a few moments, anger written all over him.

"Father?"

"I hate moments like this," Odin said with a sigh. "On one hand, we have proof she was murdered, but, on the other hand, we cannot accuse her killer without causing a war."

Thor scowled. "Rotten little coward! I never liked him even when we were children. He was a nasty vicious bilgesnipe even then. Remember when he broke Kara's nose?"

"Yes, I do remember."

"So, what do we do, Father?" Balder asked.

"There is little we can do to bring him to justice here," the Allfather replied. "I can send a missive to the King of the Dark Elves and tell him what went on. Though I am not sure what the laws are there. It may be that Adabiel has the right to kill his wives as he chooses. I have heard rumors that others have died under mysterious circumstances."

"I can send a report with the missive, if that will help," Stefan said.

"Yes, it will," Odin said then looked at his sons. "Right now, we need to go back to the palace and make sure Loki is safe."

"I agree," Thor said and Balder nodded.


	49. Adabiel's Gambit

**49**

 **Adabiel's Gambit**

 _"In the dark of the night, evil will find you." ~ Loki_

Loki worried his lip back and forth as he thought about what he had discovered in the forest. He knew the body was probably that of Adabiel's dead wife. Since there would have been no one else who had died recently and they had not even held a normal funeral for her. Which meant she had been killed quickly, perhaps to silence her? What did she know that Adabiel didn't wish anyone else to learn?

The little god burned to be the one to solve this mystery, and to show Odin that he was as worthy as his older brothers to help his kingdom and get rid of a known criminal. The Odin could be proud of him the way he was of Thor and Balder.

There came a tap at the door, and he called, "Who is it?"

"It's Rhee," came a soft voice, like a bell chiming.

"Come in," Loki said.

Rhiannon opened the door and entered the room. "Your mother took me to the cobbler and had new boots made for me!" she said proudly, showing off her new soft half-boots of a pretty gray color.

"They look very pretty," he said. Rhiannon noticed the worry in her friend's eyes as she approached him.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked. Loki wasn't sure if he should tell her when he sighed and placed his hands behind his back.

"I found something while I was out with Fenris."

"What did you find?"

"I found a body."

"A body?!"

"Yes, it was lying on the ground in a glade. When Fenris and I went to get Thor, we went back to the glade, but the body was gone. Fenris was able to find its scent and we found it."

"Do you know who it was?"

"No, the body had been burnt with balefire," he said and she gasped.

"Why would they do that?!"

"I guess to cover up how they died."

"Do you know who the killer is?"

"Yes, but I don't have proof."

Loki paused as he started pacing then looked at her.

"Want to help me find it?"

"Sure," she said and he held out his hand. She took his hand and they headed down the hallway.

"Where are you going?" Abby's voice asked from behind them.

"We're going to solve a murder," Loki said, turning around.

"A murder?!"

"Yes," he said with a nod and told her what happened.

"You need to be careful," Abby cautioned. "We can't let whoever it is know what we're doing."

"I know," Loki whispered. "Come on. I can hide us under a concealment Veil."

Loki cast the concealment Veil on the way to Adabiel's quarters and Loki saw two Dark Elf guards on either side of the doors. The doors opened as Adabiel walked out of the room and beckoned to the guards. With a nod, he walked off as the guards followed.

"Do you think he locked the doors?" Rhiannon asked in a soft voice.

"Let's see," the prince replied, approaching them.

Loki touched the door handle. It didn't move. "Locked," he muttered. Then he traced a few runes in the air. They shimmered and drifted down over the door handle. It clicked. "Unlocked!" Loki smirked. "Come on!"

They hurried into the room.

"Where should we start?" Abby asked.

"Where should we look?" Rhiannon asked nervously. Loki looked around and frowned.

Like most Asgardian guest rooms, there were three parts to it. A bedroom, a sitting room, and a bathing room. The three were currently in the sitting room, where brocade chairs rested around a mahogany table and there was a secretary roll top desk to one side by a potted plant.

"Let's start with the secretary," Loki said.

Loki approached the desk and peered at the papers upon it.

Most of the papers were correspondences, but there was one correspondence which mentioned Asgard.

"Look at this," he whispered and showed them the letter, forgetting that Rhiannon couldn't read and Abby did not read elvish.

"What does it say?" Rhiannon asked.

"It mentions something about a deal and how he will receive Asgard if he does what he's told," Loki said.

"Does it say who it's from?" Abby asked and he looked at the piece of paper.

"No,"Loki said, placing the piece of paper in his pocket. They looked through the rest of the papers then went to check the rest of the room, but they didn't find anything.

"Let's go. We don't want to get caught and I can only hold the Veil for half-an-hour." He warned.

They headed for the doors. Suddenly the doors opened and Adabiel and the guards walked in the room.

"Hide," Loki mouthed and they hid behind the drapes over the large windows. Adabiel walked to the secretary and peered at the papers. He held up a hand to silence the guards as he looked around then noticed the drapes swaying.

 _Interesting_ , he thought as he walked to the drapes and smiled. With a wave of his hands, he cast a spell to prevent Heimdall from seeing or hearing anything then pulled the drapes aside. He was surprised not to find anything when his heightened hearing heard running and he waved his hands. Loki, Abby, and Rhiannon became frozen to the spot and Adabiel walked over to them. He sensed the concealment Veil, and he snapped his fingers, cancelling it. Loki, Abby, and Rhiannon appeared.

"Well, looks like I caught some spies," he said with a cold grin.

"We're not spies!" Loki said.

"Then what are you doing in my chambers?"

"We were playing," Abby said swiftly. "Hide and seek."

"Do you normally play that in other people's rooms?!"

"I can go anywhere in the palace," Loki said with a defiant look.

"Yes, I bet you can."

Adabiel approached and looked Loki over then noticed something sticking out of his pocket.

"Are you also allowed to take things without asking?!" he snapped, taking the piece of paper out of Loki's pocket. He mentally kicked himself for leaving one of the Enchantress' letters out in the open and he crumpled the piece of paper in his fist.

"If you were going to throw it out, why do you care if I was playing with it?" Loki demanded. _Run!_ he sent to the girls, casting a counter spell to the immobilization.

 _We can't_ , Abby sent.

 _I did a counter spell. Run!_ Loki sent and they ran for the doors.

"Get those snooping brats!" Adabiel roared at his men. "As for you—you little troublemaker-!"

Loki shifted into a goat and head butted him in the family jewels.

The guards ran out of the room after Abby and Rhiannon as Adabiel fell to his knees and moaned.

Loki ran for the doors while Adabiel slowly got to his feet and waved his hands. A rope sailed through the air as it wrapped around Loki's hooves and he fell to the floor. The rope constricted around him as he changed back and Adabiel slowly limped over to him.

"Let me go! My father and brothers will kill you if you harm me!" Loki shouted, trying to get free.

He tried to shift into a mouse or even a horsefly, but the rope had some kind of magic and he could not access his shifter ability.

"Keep struggling and you're just going to hurt yourself," Adabiel said, slowly kneeling by the boy. Loki glared up at him.

"Let me go!"

Loki sent frantically. _Thor! Balder! Help me! I'm in Adabiel's chambers and he has me tied up with a magic rope!_

 _Hold on, Brother!_ Thor sent.

 _I alerted the guards. He will not get away with this!_ Balder sent.

"My brothers are coming!" Loki said and Adabiel laughed.

"We will be long gone by then," Adabiel said when he heard screaming and saw the guards in the doorway. They held Abby and Rhiannon with their arms pinned against their sides and winced as the girls kicked them.

"Let's go!" Adabiel said. They ran from his chambers and cupped Loki, Abby and Rhiannon's mouths to prevent them from screaming. They heard booted footsteps as they went down the hallway and Adabeil growled.

Odin was leading the guards as they stormed toward Adabiel's chambers. He had informed Frigga about what was happening and she assured him she would look after Sam and the other kids. Fenris, Sleph and Jorgy demanded to help him, but he told his grandsons to guard their grandmother and cousins, but he knew Fenris wasn't happy.

"You will stay here!" he had warned Fenris and Fenris reluctantly gave in.

Rhiannon tried not to cry while Abby wished she could move her arms and make the guard holding her so sick he would drop her.

"Why is this one so cold?!" the guard holding Rhiannon asked.

"Who cares? I don't think I will ever walk correctly with the way this one is kicking me!" the guard holding Abby said.

"Keep silent and keep going!" Adabiel shouted and they left the palace.

"You will regret this!" Loki snarled, his eyes blazing. "My father will have your head on a pike!"

"No, he will do nothing! If he does, it will be war between Asgard and the Dark Elves!"

A loud crash of thunder filled the air. Loki grinned and Adabiel looked alarmed.

"Afraid of a little thunder?!" Abby teased.

"Maybe he's afraid of what comes afterwards," Loki teased.

"Quiet!" Adabiel said, waving his hand and the three children fell asleep. They arrived at Adabiel's coach as the footman opened the door and Adabiel tossed Loki inside. He hopped in the coach and so did the guards, placing the sleeping girls on the floor next to Loki.

"Go!" one of the guards shouted.

"Wait. Don't go too fast. Make it look like we're just leaving," Adabiel said and the driver nodded.

The coach rattled down the road toward the Bifrost, while overhead thunder boomed and lightning slammed into the ground. The driver had all he could do to control the panicked horses, but he managed to keep them headed towards the Bifrost interface.

The driver turned to see something sailing toward the coach and he made the horses go faster.

"Open Bifrost!" the driver shouted.

Heimdall glared at them as he stood his ground and held his sword tightly in his hands. The coach rattled as it approached with Thor close behind it when Adabiel stuck his head out the window and muttered a swear word in elvish.

"Open Bifrost or the prince and his friends die!" he shouted.

"You will die if he does!" Heimdall shouted. The driver saw Thor nearing as he drove the coach toward Heimdall, but Heimdall didn't move. Growling, Adabiel pulled Loki off the floor, yanking open the door, he held Loki out while holding onto his neck.

"Open Bifrost!" he shouted. Heimdall knew he was serious as he swore and opened the interface. The colors swirled around as Adabiel moved back in the coach with the limp child in his grasp and the conveyance disappeared into the Bifrost.

Thor landed with a loud crash and he looked at Heimdall. Heimdall lowered his head in shame.

"Forgive me, My Prince. But he was going to throw Loki from the coach or throttle him if I didn't do as he asked. I had no choice."

"This was not your fault, Heimdall. It was mine for not making sure Loki was protected. I'm not sure who else Adabiel took but my guess would be Rhiannon was one."

"Your niece Abby was the other," Heimdall said. "Don't blame yourself, Thor. Adabiel is a sneaky bastard. I think though he was working with someone else. I couldn't see or hear him or what he was doing until he appeared with the coach. But the important thing now is getting the children back."

"Yes. I will make him regret he ever touched them!" Thor growled.

"I think Loki will make him regret it too!" Heimdall remarked. But he prayed nothing would happen to the little prince and the girls before they were rescued. Or else he would never forgive himself.

 **A/N: So what do you think will happen now?**


	50. How To Drive a Kidnapper Crazy

**50**

 **How To Drive a Kidnapper Crazy**

 _If anyone ever kidnapped me they would be begging to take me home soon afterwards! ~ Loki (as a child)_

The coach exited the portal into the countryside of Svartalfheim as Adabiel looked out the window at the withered fields.

"Where shall we take them?" the guard asked, looking at Abby, Loki, and Rhiannon.

For a moment, Adabiel didn't answer, gazing at the sparse trees and the yellowed grass, Svartalfheim was slowly coming back from being devastated in the last war, but it took a long time and Adabiel thought the land would never be as it was, not even with magic to help it along.

He knew Thor or Odin would contact King Izarithon about the kidnapping, so he had to hide. After thinking for a few minutes, he smiled.

"We will take them to my winter home. It is up in the mountains," Adabiel said.

"But the Thunder God can fly."

"Yes, which will make him an easy target for my archers," he said with a smirk. "And the trails are too dangerous for Odin and his army."

"As you wish," the guard said and told the driver to head for Adabiel's castle, known as Darkholm.

Darkholm was set upon a mountain peak and there was only a single pass through the mountains to reach it.

The pass was surrounded by a high wall on one side and a long drop on the other side. Soldiers would have to walk single file through the pass which made using carts and horses impossible.

Darkholm itself was a dark and foreboding sight. The exterior was made from black stone with several large towers and the outer walls were patrolled by archers. Light from the windows caused an eerie glow at night and the front gate was made from dark wood. Skulls were placed on pikes along the top of the walls. A black stone bridge stretched over a long cavern and sharp stones rose from the bottom of the cavern.

There were fearsome stone carvings in the walls, of faces screaming and gargoyles leering. It was enough to give a stalwart soldier nightmares.

Red and black flags flapped in the wind from posts on the top of the towers and dead trees lined the courtyard. Gargoyle statues leered from the courtyard pillars.

~0~0~0~

 _Asgard:_

Odin sat on the golden throne glaring at Adabiel's wives who huddled on the floor, sobbing.

"I will ask you again. Where did Adabiel take my son, my granddaughter, and their friend?" Odin growled. Frigga was glad he was no longer under the influence of his father as she placed her hand on his and he glanced at her.

"We don't know," Frensyn said. She was the oldest of Adabiel's wives and she hushed one of the younger wives.

"He left us," Henntral said. She was the second oldest wife and she sobbed into her hands.

"We're all going to die!" Anyanni bawled. She was the next to youngest wife and Frensyn hushed her.

Odin sat back as he looked at the women and sighed. He was not sure they were telling the truth, but his instincts said they were. He sensed they were terrified and believed he was going to harm them—just like their husband.

"Darling, they appear to be sincere," Frigga said while Thor and Balder stormed in the room and glared at the women.

"Have they said anything?!" Thor demanded.

"No. They claim they do not know," Odin replied.

"If you don't know exactly where they were taken, can you guess where he might take them?" Frigga queried. She sensed these women were frightened, and if she could convince them not to be afraid, they might prove valuable allies against their husband. "We promise that whatever you tell us is in confidence and your husband will never know."

"Do you swear by the Nine that we will be safe from his wrath?" Frensyn bargained.

"Are you afraid of your husband?" Frigga asked softly.

"Yes, Queen Frigga," answered Henntral. "He is cruel and we . . .have always been afraid of him. He rages like a bilgesnipe and the wives before us . . . have all died."

"Are you saying that . . . he has killed them?" Thor asked, frowning.

"Well . . . a few did die in childbirth but others . . . may not have," Anyanni said.

"Like the one who died recently?" pressed Odin.

"We don't know how Inyasha died," muttered Frensyn. "But it is possible. Lord Adabiel has always had a fierce temper and takes it out on us more often than not."

"Then why would you wish to go back to such a man?" Frigga asked.

"Where else can we go?" Anyanni asked.

"We could give you sanctuary here." Frigga insisted. "If you will help us retrieve our son, granddaughter, and my ward."

The abandoned wives exchanged glances with each other, then slowly stood and dried their eyes on their sleeves. They lifted their chins a notch and nodded. "Very well," Frensyn said. "It is clear to us that our husband—" she sneered the word."—has no loyalty to us so we do not have loyalty to him. We will help you if we can."

"I am tired of him harming children," Anyanni hissed. "He took my baby girl from me and sold her into slavery in Askterat. I will not let him harm any other children."

"Then you shall be granted sanctuary," Odin declared. "Now . . . do you know where Adabiel might have taken them?"

"Our best guess, sire, would be Darkholm, his fortress in the Black Shard Mountains."

"It is almost impregnable," added Henntral.

"Why is that?" Thor queried.

"The castle sits high on a bluff. It is surrounded by a gorge with a drop of over a hundred feet to rocks below," replied Henntral. "And there is only one pass in or out . . ."

The Asgardians listened gravely as the young wife described the fortress in detail.

~0~0~0~

Meanwhile, in Darkholm, a certain little God of Mischief was waking up in a dank and cold room with a single lamp that glowed with a feeble light.

Loki blinked and peered about, noting the unfamiliar surroundings. He was in a room that had dark gray stone walls and a wooden floor. Some dusty pallets were strewn about and there were two buckets, a towel and a pitcher on small table. On the floor next to him were Rhee and Abby. He glanced towards the door, it was one made of sturdy oak and had a small window up top with an iron grillwork on it.

 _Great! I'm in the Dark Elf version of a dungeon!_ He thought and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He carefully stood and tried the door, but it wouldn't budge. He really hadn't expected it to. Then he tried all four walls to see if there was some hidden lever or other secretly disguised way out of the room. There were none.

Next, he tried to magically unlock the door, but found the door was charmed against unlocking spells. Sighing, he went to shift into a tiny creature, like a mouse or a bug, to scuttle beneath the door and get out that way, only to find that a cuff about his wrist made of some dark shiny metal made it impossible to shift.

"Nine Hells!" he muttered, and sat back down on the floor, chin in hand, thinking. If he wasn't able to escape this cell by regular means, he would need to come up with something innovative. Finally, he hit upon something that might work, but he needed the help of his companions to pull it off.

He glanced at the two girls and saw them beginning to stir. Rhee woke first from the enchantment, yawning and blinking. "Loki? Where are we?"

"In a room with a locked door. I would guess wherever Adabiel brought us."

Abby yawned and sat up. "I'm thirsty. Is there any water?"

Loki moved over to the pitcher on the table. He saw that it was full and sniffed it. The water seemed pure. He found a tin cup and poured some into it for Abby. "There's only one cup, so we'll need to share it for now."

Abby drank the water down. "Why do you think he took us?"

Loki shrugged. "I'm not sure. Unless it was to keep us from talking about the note we found on his desk."

"The one where it said he was going to take over Asgard?" Rhee clarified.

Loki nodded. "Yeah. He took the note from me and threw it away, and it shows he was working with someone. Probably someone who knows the palace and the way Asgard is run."

"You mean a traitor?" Abby sounded horrified.

"Maybe. Or someone who used to be a member of the court but got dismissed for some reason. Asgard has lots of enemies." Loki told them.

"What do we do now?" Rhiannon asked, her bottom lip quivering.

"Well, I can try and mindspeak my brothers," Loki said, and concentrated. "Tell them where we are."

But he felt no answering warmth in his head that signaled a connection. He sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't make a connection. They're too far away," the boy frowned.

"Then how will anyone find us?" Abby asked, troubled.

"Maybe it's up to us to escape. Or get Adabiel to let us go." Loki stated firmly. He was frightened too, but determined not to show it. He needed to be strong for the girls.

"How?" Rhiannon asked.

Loki's lips quirked up in a trademark smirk. "Adabiel thinks he's won. But he hasn't. We're going to make him wish his father never met his mother."

"What are you planning?" Abby queried.

"We're going to be the worst prisoners in history. And make him wish he never kidnapped us," Loki declared.

~0~0~0~

Odin, Thor, Balder, the Warriors Three, Sif and some other warriors mounted their war horses as Frigga stood with Sam and the rest of the children and Fenris scowled.

"I should be going with them," Fenris said.

"Don't you think I don't want to go?" Sleph asked. Odin had told him the pass would be too dangerous for him due to his eight legs and they watched as the horses headed off.

"I do too, but you heard Bestefar," Jorgy sighed. "Some of us have to remain here to protect the rest of the family. And in case something should happen to our grandfather and uncles."

"I know, Jormungander! It makes sense, but I don't have to like it!" Fenris grumbled. He lifted a hand in farewell as the king and his retinue rode off.

Thor noticed the anger on his father's face as they rode in silence and he prayed for Loki, Abby and Rhiannon's safety.

"I do not blame you," Odin said, glancing at his son.

"You already told me that, but I still should have done something," Thor said with a sigh.

"Then I might have lost a son," Odin said and Thor nodded.

"Father, what do you think Adabiel will offer for their release?" Balder asked.

"I have no doubt he will want Asgard."

"He will not have it," Thor growled.

"Fear not, Dear Friend," Fandral said with a grin. "Knowing that brother of yours, Adabiel will be begging for us to take them back."

"I pray you are right," Odin said and urged the horse to go faster.

 _Darkholm:_

Loki held Rhiannon against his side when the cell door squeaked open and a guard walked inside. Abby and Loki gave him a scared look, Rhiannon didn't have to fake being scared, and the guard smirked.

"Let us go!" Loki shouted.

"Silence or I will take away the food!" the guard said as he showed them the tray. Loki admitted he was hungry as he sighed then nodded his head.

The guard placed the tray on the table. They rose and peered at the food as the guard crossed his arms over his chest and Loki smiled.

"Do you mind if we say grace?" Loki asked.

"Go ahead," the guard said. Loki had been teaching the girls the words to a song Aleta and Max would sing until Loki wanted to scream.

"This is the song that never ends...," Loki said as they started singing with him and the guard waited for the song to end. When they didn't stop, he scowled and glared at them.

"Will you please stop?!" he bellowed.

"But we have to finish or the Norns will be angry at us," Loki explained and the guard gritted his teeth, stalking out of the room after they started singing again.

Loki smirked as he continued to sing while he portioned out the bread, cheese, fruit, and some kind of salt pork.

The guard slammed the door as they giggled and started eating.

"That was fun," Rhiannon said, smiling. She nibbled her bread and cheese.

"Should we sing louder?" Loki asked and they started singing louder and louder until they were nearly shouting.

"Shut up!" the guard shouted from the other side of the door and kicked the door hard with his foot.

"It's working!" the little Mischief God hissed.

After they had eaten, Loki taught Rhiannon and Abby _Row Row Row Your Boat._ They started singing that song and the guard balled his hands into fists.

"Row row row your boat gently down the stream . . ."

"May all the gods listen, I am going insane!" he snarled, holding his hands over his ears.

They switched to The Wheels on the Bus song.

"The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round . . ."

"Bloody damned brats!" the guard snarled a curse, feeling his head spin round and round, and stomped off. Their voices followed him as he ran up the stairs, nearly crashing into Adabiel.

"Where are you going?!" Adabiel demanded and the guard lowered his hands.

"Sire, forgive me, but I can't... They keep... If I have to listen to that singing, I will go crazy!"

"What singing?"

"The children are singing songs that never end! They go on forever about rowing boats and wheels on buses going round and round . . .!" the elf whimpered, looking like he had been stretched on the rack.

"I will deal with this!" his master snapped.

Adabiel stormed down the stairs and headed for the cell, but only heard silence. He peered through the window in the top of the door, he could just see Loki, Abby, and Rhiannon sitting on the floor, made a motion with his hand and stalked inside.

"I do not know what you are doing, but it will not work. I am wise to your tricks," Adabiel began, eyeing the three harshly.

"What tricks? We were just sitting here," Loki said innocently.

"Lies," Adabiel said as he slapped Loki's face and Rhiannon gasped. Loki held his hand to his burning cheek and Adabiel glared at him. "If I hear one more song, I will remove your tongues!"

Loki glared defiantly at him. _Go on, you big bully! Hit me again! I've been hit worse!_

Adabiel left the room then stopped when they started singing "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts."

"I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts . . .doodly doo . . . here they are standing in a row . . ."

Adabiel bolted back into the cell, but by the time he did so the children were quiet again. They looked at him questioningly.

"What did I just tell you?!" he demanded.

"We're not singing," Loki answered.

"Maybe you're hearing things," Abby said.

"Yes, you were hearing things," Rhiannon agreed, trying not to giggle.

Adabiel ground his teeth. "I know what I heard! My hearing is excellent!"

"Sometimes when you're stressed your mind starts hearing things that aren't there," Abby replied.

"I am _not_ crazy!" Adabiel snapped.

"You know, people who are crazy never think they are," Loki said in a conversational tone.

"How long have you been hearing voices?" Rhiannon asked.

"Silence!" Adabiel shouted. He was about to cast a muffling spell upon them when one of his guards yelled, "Sire! Strangers have been reported approaching the mountains! Come and see!"

Adabiel smiled evilly. "There will be no rescue for you! I'll be back!" he then slammed the door shut and it locked. He gestured for the old guard to leave. "Go help on the battlements. Send a replacement down. Someone who isn 't driven crazy by measly rotten brats."

The children all high-fived each other. "That was good. But now we need to step it up a notch."

"What do you have in mind?" Rhiannon asked. Loki glanced at the door, smirking, his green eyes shimmering with glee.

A new guard marched down the hall and stood outside the door, determined not to be driven away.

"Don't think you can scare me off by singing," the guard said. "I am tone deaf, so your singing will sound like screeching. Now, stay silent or I will show you what it means to screech!"

 _Bifrost:_

Heimdall watched while the war party rode closer and he held the handle of his sword tightly in his hands.

"My King," he said with a nod.

"Open Bifrost," Odin said and Heimdall nodded. After he opened the interface, Heimdall watched the horses move by and the interface closed. Sighing, he shook his head and prayed for their safe return.

~0~0~0~

Upon hearing that declaration, Loki got a wicked idea and made a beckoning motion with his hands. Three pairs of bright red tap shoes appeared. The girls stared at the shoes and blinked in astonishment.

"Put these on," Loki whispered, putting on the shoes. Abby and Rhiannon put theirs on and stood up. "They're tap shoes. You can dance in them. Nate showed me on his tablet."

"Now what?" Abby asked. Loki showed them some moves. Soon loud tapping filled the cell and they laughed. The noise grew louder and louder as the guard glared at the door and frowned.

"What are you doing in there?!" he yelled, wrenching open the door and saw them tap dancing.

"Exercising!" Loki grinned and he tapped his way around the room, the shoes going clickety-clack on the wooden floor.

"It's fun!" Rhiannon said as she tapped her feet and the clickety-clack echoed in the tiny cell.

"You will stop right now!" the guard shouted over the noise then cupped his hands over his ears. The sound started drilling into his head, making it throb ceaselessly. He whimpered and tears formed in his eyes. "Please!"

"We'll stop when you let us go!" Abby said while moving her feet.

"Step in time! Step in time!" Loki chanted while dancing faster and faster. He had seen a show on Nate's phone where a man had done this same routine with a pretty lady holding a parasol.

"No more!" the guard said, wanting to run up and slam the little brat into a wall but the noise of the shoes made him feel like his head was going to burst. And his lord had ordered him not touch the children. He ran out of the cell and slammed the door behind him. He sprinted down the hallway then up the stairs and thought his ears were bleeding. He would rather be on latrine detail than have to guard those awful children.

"Yes!" Loki said as he gave the girls a high five and they laughed. "Another one bites the dust!"

~0~0~0~

The wind blew through their hair as Odin led the way to the pass. Frensyn's directions were perfect. Darkholm rose above them as Odin looked up at the dark towers, his breath curling like a wreath about his face. He wondered where Loki was in the foretress and prayed Adabiel had not harmed the children.

"Do you wish me to fly up and do some scouting?" Thor asked.

"No. They might have archers or worse," Odin said with a shake of his head.

"I could send up a lightning bolt."

"That will alert them to our presence."

Hogun had been looking at the dark rocks when he swore he saw something cut into the the stone and blinked.

"My king, I think I found a cave," he cried excitedly and Odin rode his horse over to investigate.

"Let's see if it's the one we were told about," the king said.

~0~0~0~

Inside the fortress, Adabiel stalked into the cell, his fists clenched. Two of his guards had now been driven away by these wretched children! It was not to be borne. "You will stop whatever you are doing immediately, you pestilential brats! Or I will use this on you!" He shook a short whip at them.

Loki swallowed. Then he recalled his new plan and spoke up. "You know, if you keep getting so agitated you could develop a nervous allergy. Like the time when my mother's maid got one because she fretted so much about her husband coming home. She broke out in these big red hives."

As he spoke, he made a certain rune sign behind his back.

"It was so awful! I thought she was going to die from scratching herself!" Loki declared with relish.

"Shut up!" Adabiel snapped. He felt his nose start to twitch. Then an itch crawled up his back.

 _Ignore it_ , he told himself. _It's not really itchy._

Suddenly he felt his skin erupt with a red rash with raised bumps all over.

Rhiannon gasped. "Oh, dear!"

"I think it's happening to you too!" Abby remarked.

Adabiel swore and Loki tisked, "Such language! Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

"I can swear if I want to!" Adabiel snapped sounding like a child.

Loki shook his finger at the Dark Elf chidingly. "Naughty, naughty! You'd be getting your mouth washed out with soap if my mother heard you."

"If anybody's mother heard!" Rhiannon added.

"Shut up! Shut up!" Adabiel howled and began scratching himself frantically, the whip falling from his grasp.

But the more he scratched, the more he itched.

"Better stop that," Rhiannon warned. "You could spread it."

"Yeah, like down there," Loki indicated Adabiel's crotch. No sooner were the words out of his mouth then Adabiel yelled and began scratching there too.

"Gross!" Abby shrilled. "He has crabs!"

"See what happens when you get all excited?" Loki smirked.

"You . . . will . . . pay . . . " the dark elf cried, still scratching. "As soon . . . as I . . .bloody f&^%# brats . . .!"

Adabiel hobbled out of the room, nearly driven crazy by the burning rash, slamming the door and cursing a blue streak.

"By the Nine! Who knew he knew that many swear words?" Loki chuckled.

"He swears worse than my father," Rhiannon remarked.

Loki laughed.

"Did you make him get that rash?" Abby queried.

Loki nodded. "And he'll be awhile getting rid of it."

The three settled down on the musty pallets and some new guards approached the cell.

They had their ears stuffed with cotton batting.

But Loki knew how to get around that. He turned the tray upside down and began to drum on it, singing a wordless song, that kept repeating the same phrase over and over. "Oh wee oh—yoh! Oh wee oh—yoh!" It was from another popular children's movie that he had watched with Lucy.

The girls joined in.

After about five minutes of listening to that, even muffled, the guards' heads began to ache.

Sensing he was getting to them, Loki whispered, "Let's sing Bingo!"

That was another song Aleta and Max had taught him. It was one they said drove their brothers and sisters crazy.

"There was a farmer who had a dog, and Bingo was his name-o!" Loki warbled. He put on a tap shoe and began banging out the rhythm while he sang. "B-I-N-G-O! B-I-N-G-O! And Bingo was his name-o!"

Then the girls began to sing along and soon they were all tapping out the rhythm and yelling, "B-I-N-G-O!"

The two guards covered their ears and sweat began to trickle down their faces.

"Shut up! No more Bingo!" yelled one.

This only prompted Loki to sing louder.

Ten minutes later, the guards broke and ran.

They found Adabiel in his chambers, his servant applying some sticky goop to the hives all over him. "What the Hel do you want?" he demanded.

"Please, my lord! I can't take it! No more Bingo!" sobbed a guard.

"Who the Hel is Bingo?" Adabiel snapped.

"The farmer's dog!" the second guard bawled. "B-I-N-G-O! Oh, Darkness help me, now I'M singing it!"

"Get out, you imbeciles!" Adabiel ordered. "May all the gods listen, I am surrounded by idiots!" Then he yelped as the servant rubbed a bit too hard. "Watch what you're doing, you dumbass! That's tender!"

"Sorry, my lord!" the servant apologized, cringing.

"It's still itching!" Adabiel growled, vowing to beat the spit out of the children next time they acted up.

~0~0~0~

The crack in the wall of the mountain had led to a large cave and Odin had ordered them to enter it. Volstagg lit some torches. The darkness surrounded them as the horses whickered and snorted. Water dripped down the walls while the wind blew through their hair and the path sloped upward.

"Father, let me fly ahead and see where this path goes," Thor said. Nodding, Odin watched while Thor used Mjolnir to fly ahead. He used some ball lightning to light up the tunnel as he soared through the darkness then he saw what appeared to be an exit and he carefully landed just before it. Pushing back a tapestry, he saw an empty passageway with torches in gold holders lining the walls and he smiled. He flew back to Odin, triumphant

"Report," Odin demanded.

"There is an entrance into the castle in this direction." Thor said, pointing into the darkness and Odin nodded.

"How large? Can the horses fit?" the king queried.

"No. We will need to have someone wait in the cavern with them."

"Very well." Odin nodded at a soldier. "Stay here. Make sure no one tries to come through."

"Yes, My King." The soldier took the reins of the horses.

"If we don't return in fifteen minutes, call Bifrost and bring the horses home."

"Understood, Sire."

Thor led the rest onward, the ball lightning glistening upon the path.

~0~0~0~

Adabiel strode down to the dungeons, his whip gripped tightly in one hand. He was still itchy as he fought the urge to scratch and placed his hand on the handle of the door.

"Stand away from the door!" he shouted before opening it. Loki, Abby, and Rhiannon were sitting on the pallets and he gave them an icy glare.

"How's the rash?" Loki asked, smiling.

"Still feeling itchy?" Abby asked.

"Silence or you will feel the sting of this whip!" Adabiel said, waving the whip at them.

"Do you think he's feeling the side effect with the rash?" Rhiannon wondered.

"Maybe," Loki said, casting the runes behind his back. "His stomach must be turning over."

"What side effect?" the Dark Elf spat. "I swear, I am going to make you all scream-!" He advanced upon the children, whip raised.

Suddenly, Adabiel felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He grunted and bile rose in his throat. He took a few deep breaths to calm down as he glared at them and waved the whip menacingly. "I have gone easy on you till now but if you put one toe out of line I shall flog you raw, ransom or no!"

"If you hurt us, my father will not pay the ransom," Loki pointed out, praying the spell worked swiftly.

"No! I will not…!" Adabiel shouted as the bile built and he cupped his mouth with his hand. He bolted out the door, shutting it with a clang, then vomited on the floor. He gagged until he started dry heaving and pounded the floor with his fist. He tried to get to his feet as dizziness roared through his head and he placed his hand against the wall.

"Great green globs of greasy, gooey gopher guts…," the kids started singing in loud voices as he scrambled down the hallway and felt his stomach gurgling.

Inwardly he wished Loki and the girls in the deepest coldest pit of Hel. He would send them there as soon as he got control over his stomach, he vowed.

~0~0~0~

Thor peered into the passageway as he nodded and entered it. Some of the guards followed, holding their weapons tightly in their hands. The torchlight lit the gloomy corridor and they came to stone stairs leading upwards. Odin crept up the stairs, Balder and Thor were close behind him as they went up and up until they came to a wooden door. Odin cautiously opened it.

~0~0~0~

Loki gazed at the locked door as he tried to figure out how to get it open when Rhiannon touched his shoulder and Loki turned to look at her.

"They're coming," she said in a reassuring voice and Loki nodded. Abby had been thinking about how they could escape as she sighed and looked at her hands.

"I know you're making him sick, but what if we got sick?" Abby asked.

"What?" Loki asked.

"He wants us alive, right? If we got really hurt or sick, he would have to take us out of here."

"Yeah, but how?!" Rhiannon asked.

"A bad lady..."

Abby didn't know why, but she had a fuzzy image of a red lady teaching her how to use her powers to hurt people instead of healing them and she shook her head.

"A bad lady taught me how to use my healing power to hurt people. Really hurt them."

"No. You shouldn't have to use your healing power that way," Loki argued. He walked to sit next to Abby and slid his arm around her.

"Then how are we going to get out of here?" she asked, placing her head on his shoulder.

"We just keep doing what we're doing. Sooner or later, he is going to let us go. Or my father and brothers will make him."

"So what prank will you pull now?" Abby asked.

"What if we made it so they all had to leave?" Rhiannon suggested.

"How?" Loki asked.

"Well, if the whole castle was infested with vermin-like spiders, or mice, or fleas, we would all have to leave," Rhiannon said. "Can you do something like that? Call some spiders and mice and fleas?"

"I can, you clever girl!" Loki giggled. "I wouldn't even need to use magic. I can just speak to whatever animal is around here."

"You can?" Abby sounded impressed.

"Yes. I always have been able to," he replied.

"Then do it!" Rhiannon said.

Loki made a soft squeaking noise, like a mouse calling another mouse. Suddenly a pink nose and whiskers appeared from a crack down by the corner of the wall. Loki squeaked again. "Come, friend mouse!"

The little white mouse scampered out of the hole as he held his hand out and the mouse ran onto his palm. He lifted the small rodent up and it peered at him from tiny beady black eyes.

"Who are you?" the mouse squeaked.

"I am Loki, Prince of Asgard." Loki squeaked.

"Why did you call me?"

"We are being held here against our will and wish your help in escaping."

"How may I help?"

"Can you call all your siblings and cousins and have them infest the castle?" he asked. "And if you see any spiders or fleas or ants can you tell them to join you?" he asked.

"Yes, I can!" the little mouse said with a nod. "Would you like the lice and maggots to attack as well?"

"Yes!"

"We don't like the master of the castle," the rodent said. "He is cruel and has killed many of us and even his own kind. He disturbs the Balance of Nature."

"We don't like him either."

"There was one who used to feed us. Her name was Inyasha. He found out and hurt her. We bit at his toes to make him stop, but he ran."

"He will pay for that," Loki promised then placed the mouse on the floor. The mouse vanished into the hole and Loki went to sit next to Abby.

"Do you think this will work?" Abby asked. A loud squeaking came from the walls as Loki smiled and hugged her.

~0~0~0~

Odin led the way down the hallway when several large rats ran by him and he frowned.

"Where did all these rats come from?" Balder asked.

"Never mind that," Sif said as she pointed to the spiders crawling on the walls and the ceiling and maggots started oozing out of the cracks in the walls.

"Disgusting," Fandral said, scrunching up his face.

"You would think he would keep a better house," Hogun muttered and Volstagg nodded. They walked down the hallway when they heard shouting and saw several of the Dark Elves trying to kill the rats

Adabiel was in the middle of swallowing a drink to calm his burbling gut when a mouse scurried by his foot.

Growling, he tossed the goblet at the mouse, but missed and several more mice raced into the room.

"What the Hel?!" he shouted and stood up.

"Sire! We're under siege!" the guard shouted, running into the room and he had several spiders in his hair.

"I can see that!"

"No, not the vermin! One of the guards saw Odin and a small army in the hallway!"

The Dark Elf swore viciously. "Blast that meddling fool to Hel!"

He sprinted from the room when several Dark Elves ran by him and rats chased after them.

"Stand your ground, you dumasses!" he shouted then removed the sword from the guard next to him. As he raced down the hall he heard a loud roar of thunder.

"Wonderful," he growled, hurrying towards the prison cell.

Loki heard the thunder boom as the cell shook. Dust rained down on them.

"Thunder!" Rhiannon cried joyfully.

"Thor!" he shouted as he ran for the door and started pounding on it.

 _Brother, where are you?!_ Thor sent as Loki smiled and tried hard not to cry.

 _We are in the dungeon,_ Loki sent and wiped the tears away.

 _Are you all right, My Son?!_ Odin sent and Loki's lip started quivering.

 _We're fine, Father._

 _Stay where you are. We will release you as soon as we find Adabiel,_ Balder sent.

 _Stay where we are?! Gee, why didn't I think of that?!_ Loki sent and heard Thor and Balder laughing in his head. He turned as he looked at the girls and they gave him a puzzled look.

"They're here!" he said in an eerie voice.

"Who?" Abby asked.

"My father and the others."

The girls ran and hugged him and he blinked the tears from his eyes.

~0~0~0~

The tramp of booted feet alerted Adabiel to the presence of the invaders close by. His hand tightened upon his sword and he had a spell of fire upon his lips. Just then Odin and Thor rounded the corner, Odin holding Gungnir and Thor readying Mjolnir.

"How dare you invade my home!" Adabiel cried. He gestured and a fireball bloomed in his hand.

But Thor called rain and snuffed it out. "How dare _you_ kidnap my brother, niece, and his betrothed?"

"Traitor!" Odin boomed. "Surrender and perhaps we will not kill you. Fight and you will end up decorating Gungnir!"

"I will see you in Hel first!" the Dark Elf spat and then he lunged, attacking Odin with his long sword. As he did so he wondered how his carefully laid plans had fallen into ruin. _Darkness take that little Trickster brat! I should have killed him when I had the chance!_

Despite his advanced age, Odin was still quick enough to parry Adabiel's rush. He blocked the thrust with Gungnir's haft, then countered by spinning the spear and stabbing it into Adabiel's side.

There was a gush of crimson and the Dark Elf fell backwards, gasping.

"Gungnir never misses its mark," Thor stated.

Adabiel held a hand to his side. He could feel blood flowing between his fingers and he cursed softly and muttered a spell to halt the bleeding. Then he conjured a bright light and threw it in the faces of his enemies.

"Ahhh!" Fandral yelped. "Can't see!"

Adabiel grinned and lifted a dagger, going to stab the vulnerable warriors in their vitals, a favorite tactic of his.

But Odin, used to being blind in one eye, was not as hampered by the fact that he could not see his opponent.

He used his acute hearing to pinpoint where his enemy was, hearing his breathing and the slight scrape of his boots against the stone. Then he hefted the Black Spear and hurled it at the Dark Elf.

Adabiel was about to thrust his dagger home in Thor's abdomen when Gungnir found its mark, right in Adabiel's sternum. The Dark Elf fell with a cry and lay still.

"Is he dead?" Balder queried.

Thor knelt beside the stricken elf. "No. He's alive. For now."

"We need information from him," Odin said. "Pick him up and take him with us. Now let's go find Loki and the girls."

Volstagg snagged a passing Dark Elf servant and scared him into telling them where the dungeons were. They raced down a level and found the cell where the children were being kept. Two guards stood nervously before it, glancing about for rats and spiders.

They gaped when they saw Thor, Odin, and the other rescuers.

"May the Darkness have mercy!" gasped one, throwing down his weapons.

"What are you doing, Kalik?" cried his companion.

"Surrendering," snapped the other elf. "No way am I dying today. Adabiel was crazy to steal those three in the first place. They've been nothing but trouble. I will be glad to see the back of them."

Thor and Balder grinned at each other.

"That's our Loki!" Volstagg chuckled.

"You should beat that brat more often," growled the other Dark Elf, then shrank away when Odin glared fiercely at him. "He is enough to try the patience of the Norns themselves!"

"Mind your tongue or else I will beat you!" the Allfather spat. "Now open this door!"

Kalik unocked the door and backed away, allowing the Asgardians to go inside.

Thor was the first one inside. "Loki!" he cried, and knelt with his arms out.

Loki ran into his big brother's embrace, grinning. "Thor! You took long enough getting here! I was about to sing another song to drive them crazy."

The Thunder God's laughter echoed around the room as he hugged Loki so hard the boy gasped. "I missed you, Little Mischief!"

Odin appeared next, and he went and hugged Abby and Rhiannon, stroking their hair and asking if everything was all right.

"We are fine," Abby murmured. "Adabiel didn't have a chance to hurt us."

"But he slapped Loki," Rhiannon put in.

Odin scowled. "He has paid for that," the old warrior said gruffly.

Loki found himself hugged by Balder next and then they heard a little voice from the next cell calling, "W-wait! P-Please! C-Can you l-let me out t-too? B-before I st-st-arve?"

Volstagg went to the cell across from Loki's and tore the door from its hinges. Inside he found a young elven boy, with soft white hair tied in a tail and wearing a velvet tunic and breeches of blue and black. He wore patched boots and shrank away from the large warrior when he entered the cell.

"Well, come on then, lad! Before you become a permanent resident!"

"I-I-yes, sir!" the child stuttered, his violet eyes wide in his pixie face.

"Who are you?" Sif asked kindly.

"I'm M-Malek Thornvallir," the boy replied, doing his best to not stammer. "I . . . am cousin to L-Lord Ad-dabiel."

"You're Adabiel's cousin?" Sif exclaimed.

"What were you doing in the dungeon, lad?" Volstagg queried.

"The L-Lord . . . put me here . . . because I . . . disobeyed him," Malek admitted. "I . . . he caught me t-trying to sneak a k-key to the prisoners. So . . . he locked me up."

"Well, you're free now," Fandral said, and went to clap the boy on the back.

To his shock the child flinched away and cried out.

"What's the matter?" the handsome warrior asked.

"Ad-d-abiel . . .he . . . whipped me before he . . ." Malek whimpered.

"Oh Norns! You poor child!" Sif murmured. "Come here. We will get your back tended after we leave this place."

"I-I can come with you?" Malek asked, his eyes shining.

"I would not leave a flea in this place, much less a child," Sif snapped. "Where are your parents?"

"D-Dead a year past," Malek answered.

"That settles it then," Sif stated. "You're coming back with us."

"B-But my l-lord . . ." began Malek fearfully.

"Your lord is mortally wounded," Hogun said bluntly. "So you are free of him."

Malek's smile brightened. Then he looked beyond the warriors and Sif and saw Odin hugging Loki. "That—that is the Allfather!" the boy said in awe.

"Yes, we know!" Fandral chuckled. "We are part of his elite guard."

Then Malek saw Abby and Rhiannon. "G-greetings!"

"Who are you?" Abby asked.

"M-Malek," stammered the boy.

"He's Adabiel's cousin. He was locked down here too," Volstagg informed her. "But we're taking him with us, lass."

Loki looked over at the boy. "Hello, I'm Loki. This is Abby and Rhiannon."

Sif looked at Abby and recalled something. "Princess, you're a Healer. Can you heal Malek's back?"

"Yes," Abby said and came beside Malek. She took the boy's hand and her healing magic flowed into him, mending his poor back in seconds.

Malek stared at the girl with something akin to worship in his dark eyes. "Thank you, Princess."

"You're welcome," Abby said quietly. She went back and stood beside Thor.

Odin put his arm around Loki and then beckoned to Abby. He took the children a little ways from the others and then knelt and said quietly, "I want you two to know that Adabiel is mortally wounded. But Abby can heal him enough so we can question him . . . if she so desires. But the choice must be up to you, child." He looked at Abby earnestly. "I know that Adabiel is a wicked person and he hurt you all. However, hatred hurts you worse than it does the person you hate, because it poisons your spirit. But still, you must decide for yourself what to do."

"I . . . I'll think about it." Abby said, eyeing Loki.

Odin nodded and rose, allowing them some time and space.

"What would you do?" Abby asked her father. "Would you heal him?"

"Well . . ." Loki thought for a long moment.

He knew that his father was right. Somehow deep within his heart he knew that the hatred one held for an enemy would eventually cause your own heart to wither and dry up, like a plum in the sun, until you became bitter and hard. He didn't want that to happen to gentle Abby. So he went and took her hands in his and gazed into her bright green eyes, so like his own.

"You should heal him. My father is right. We need whatever information he has, so we can save Asgard. But also because you don't want your heart to become bitter. Then you end up like Adabiel."

Abby gave him a gamine smile. "Then I'll do it, Loki."

They approached Odin and told him they would heal Adabiel if possible. The old king looked glad and led them to where Adabiel was lying on the floor. He was pale and his tunic was sticky with drying blood. His dark eyes were glazed with pain.

"What . . . do you . . . want?" he hissed. "Come to gloat, Trickster?"

Loki looked down at the wounded elf and suddenly Adabiel seemed more pathetic than wicked. "No. We can heal you . . . maybe. In exchange for something."

"What?" sneered the elf.

"You tell us who wrote to you and offered you the throne of Asgard," Loki said softly.

"What if I don't?" Adabiel coughed, blood flecking his lips.

Loki shrugged. "Then you're going to go to Hel."

"But if you help us, we may be able to save you," Abby encouraged.

The Dark Elf grimaced. He knew he was in no shape to bargain. "Always . . . you seem to have the upper hand, brat . . ." He took a deep breath, knowing he risked Amora's wrath if he told. But a sudden pain made him gasp. _To Hel with it!_ He thought suddenly. The sorceress had promised him wealth and rulership and she had reneged on both promises. He owed her nothing. "Fine! The one who wrote the letter . . . was a sorceress called Amora."

Loki's eyes widened. "Amora? The Enchantress?"

Adabiel nodded. "The same. She claimed to know all of you well."

Loki scowled. "She does. Because once, long ago, she was betrothed to my brother. Until Thor rejected her once he found out her beauty was only skin deep and she was cruel and cold."

"And she wanted you to take over Asgard?" Abby prompted.

"Yes. She . . . also wanted me to . . . kill Loki and . . . crush Thor," Adabiel revealed.

Abby drew away, glaring at the elf.

Loki put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. "Remember?"

Abby took a deep breath. "You would have done it?"

Adabiel nodded. "If it gained me a throne, yes. Why should _he_ have everything? He's nothing more than a cast-off half-breed prince!" The elf spat.

Abby's eyes narrowed. "Why, you're jealous! Because Loki is a prince and you're not!"

The elf coughed suddenly, holding his side. "Like you give a damn! Just get on with it, girl!"

Abby sniffed and then placed her small hand on Adabiel's shoulder. "I'm not doing this for you. But because I don't wish to become like you—all cold and bitter and shriveled inside." Then she let her power flow into him.

It slowly began to mend the huge wound in his side. Adabiel closed his eyes and drifted. Her words stung, yet he did not know why. Once he had been the favored son of a Dark Elf Ambassador. Cosseted because of a deathbed promise his father had made to his mother, he had grown selfish and proud. Until he had met Loki as a boy and the bloody Trickster prince had shown him that even an Ambassador's son was not above the law, leading to his father publically humiliating him by switching him in front of the entire hall. Ever since then, the young elf had hated Loki and vowed someday to have his revenge.

Yet his revenge had proven unsatisfying and hollow, and suddenly Adabiel realized he had spent his whole life being a prisoner of hatred and bitterness and now he had naught to show for it. His wives hated him, and he had no son to follow him. The girl children they had borne him he had gotten rid of and now, as Death came to claim him, he was alone and scared.

He opened his eyes and gazed at Loki—the prince he had hated since he was a boy, and the daughter Loki could not remember yet who still adored him, and he envied them fiercely. _That will never be me. I have thrown away all of my tomorrows to sip from the bitter cup of hate. I will die alone and unmourned, my name a curse on the lips of the living._

Loki's eyes met his, and some unnamed sympathy rose within the young boy. "Let it go," he murmured. "And you will be free."

"What good would it do?"

"Much for you," Loki replied evenly. He gazed at his enemy and thought the proud elf was no longer terrifying, but pathetic, a shadow that lay withering in the sunlight.

Adabiel bit his lip. "Very well . . . Prince of Asgard," he said and for once there was no rancor in his tone. "I will." Then he took a deep breath, let it out . . . and closed his eyes, feeling at peace.

"May the Norns have mercy upon you," Loki sighed, his hand grazing the other's. "And end this wretched strife for all eternity."

Abby followed suit, placing her hand atop Loki's. "The Norns listen, I've done what I can. But . . . it might not be enough. His body was badly damaged. Those wounds were fatal. Anyone else would have died before now."

Loki squeezed her fingers. "It's okay. Come, let's tell Father."

They went to tell Odin what they had learned. The king listened gravely, then hugged them both and said he was proud of them. Both children felt ten feet tall at the praise.

"Pick up Adabiel," the king ordered. "We are leaving."

But the soldier who bent to pick up the Dark Elf froze. "Sire . . . I am afraid he has passed on."

"He's dead?" Balder asked, astonished. "But I thought he was healed!"

"I couldn't heal everything, Uncle Balder," Abby corrected.

"Well, the Norns weave as they will," Odin sighed. "Let us leave him here, and tell his people to burn him. We must get back to Asgard. I don't trust Amora not to do something while I am gone." He put an arm about Loki and raised Gungnir to the sky. "Heimdall, open Bifrost!"

 _Now that is how you drive a kidnapper crazy!_ Loki thought in triumph before Bifrost's rainbowed light teleported him away.


	51. True Love's Kiss

**51**

 **True Love's Kiss**

 _Love is the most powerful magic, and it shall break any spell. ~Loki_

The Bifrost danced about them in a brilliant swath of rainbowed light. When it faded, they saw Frigga and the rest of the Laufeysons waiting to greet them on the palace steps.

"Loki!" Frigga cried, and then swept Odin, Loki, and Malek into her embrace, crying joyfully.

Loki hugged her back, trying to not to be crushed against Odin. "Mother!" he gasped.

Poor Malek was not so lucky. "I-Is this n-normal?" he asked, finding his face half crushed against Frigga's stomach.

"Only after you've been kidnapped." Loki managed to say with a lopsided smile.

Thor went and picked up Rhiannon, hugging her, and Balder did the same with Abby, while the other children swarmed about them, waiting for their turn, everyone smiling and laughing.

"Dear, I think you are crushing Loki," Odin managed to say. "And this little fellow Malek too."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, dear," Frigga said, then reluctantly let them go and went to hug Rhiannon.

Loki found himself being hugged by all of his children, it was like being in the middle of a benevolent whirlwind.

Malek watched all the hugging and just stared, he had never seen anything like this before, since after his mother had died, no one dared to hug him. Overwhelmed, he hid behind Odin.

"You don't have to be afraid." Odin said and laughed.

"I'm hungry." Rhiannon said and Frigga smiled.

"Me too!" Loki added. He looked around for Malek and Abby.

Malek peeked out from behind Odin. "So am I."

"Who's this?" Hunter asked curiously.

"That's Malek, my new friend," Loki told him. "He's an orphan."

The Laufeysons exchanged glances, all of them wondering if this boy would soon be added to their family. Once Loki was grown, that is.

The children introduced themselves and Malek smiled shyly, afraid to talk too much in case they laughed at him.

Serena smiled welcomingly at him. "It's okay. We're loud and there are a lot of us, but we're harmless."

Malek nodded. "Are you all r-related to P-prince Loki?"

"Yes. We're all family," she replied.

"Let us get you children something to eat." Frigga said. Her grin was wide and joyful.

"Come on, Loki." Rhiannon said, grabbing his hand.

Loki followed her happily.

"I hope there is ice cream." She giggled.

"There should be. We always have ice cream during the summer."

"I can't wait!" She said, running ahead of them.

Vince ran up by Loki. "So what happened? Did you get locked in a dungeon with rats and spiders?"

"I'll tell you," Loki laughed.

"I a-am h-hungry." Malek said, following his new friends.

They all sat together at the long table. A bouncy blonde with her hair in two braids ran over to them. She was the same age as Rhiannon, and was Volstagg's youngest child. "You're back, Loki and Abby and Rhee! I'm really glad the Dark Elves didn't hurt you."

"Hello, Gudrun," Loki said to her. "It is good to be home again."

Gudrun noticed Malek sitting beside Loki. Her eyes widened. "You're a Dark Elf! What's your name?"

"M-Malek." He stuttered. "Y-you are p-p-pretty."

Gudrun giggled. "How sweet! I'm Gudrun Volstaggsdottir. My daddy is that big warrior over there next to Hogun." She pointed. "Did you come here to visit?"

"I a-am o-orphaned. I w-was t-told I c-could s-s-stay here." Malek said, trying to be polite.

"Oh! I'm sorry! Maybe someone here will want to adopt you." She looked over at Fandral, Hogun, and Sif pointedly.

"I h-hope s-so." He said and smiled. "D-do y-you have a l-large f-f-family?"

Gudrun nodded. "Yes. I am the youngest of six, and my mama is expecting again. I have an older sister and four older brothers."

Malek looked startled. "That's a lot!"

Then she added, "But not quite as big as Abby's family. She has twelve brothers and sisters!"

"T-t-that is s-so many." He said, his mouth falling open.

"Nine of us are adopted," Hunter put in. "And there are four from Dad's first marriage."

"Oh. W-where is your f-father?"

 _Right next to you_ , Hunter thought. "Uh, he's off courting our new mother," he answered glibly. "They just got betrothed."

"I h-hope t-they are m-married a long t-time."

"Me too," Hunter said. "Do you have magic too? Like some of my sisters and brothers?"

"S-some. Y-yes." He replied, eating some fruit.

Hunter nodded. "You know Abby can heal, and she can shift too. My three older brothers have shifter magic. My sister Aleta is a Seer and my brother Vince is a Ghost Speaker. My little brother Max has magic too-a lot of it but we're not sure what all he can do with it yet."

"Y-you will f-find it out s-soon." Malek said and nodded.

"My dad will be able to figure it out. He's a really powerful mage." Hunter said.

"G-good. A p-person with u-uncontroled m-magic is d-dangerous."

"Dad says that all the time," Belle said. "I'm Belle. I'm Asgard's Lorekeeper."

"H-hello. I am M-Malek." He said, in awe of her title.

Belle smiled at him. "Pleased to meet you. If you don't have a magic tutor, you could ask Mr. Gold. He's a really good tutor. He taught my dad and grandmother and lots of other mages."

"I-i-i w-w-would like that."

"I could ask him," Belle offered.

"T-thank you." He said and looked at Gudrun next to him. "W-would you like my a-apple?"

"Uh, sure. We can share it." She picked up a little fruit knife and cut it in half.

"T-thank y-you." He said, sighing as he gazed at her.

"Do you like to play hide-and seek? Or Mother May I?" Gudrun asked.

"I h-have never p-played those."

"I can show you!" Gudrun said excitedly. "Lucy, Max, Aleta, do you wanna play?"

The other three said yes, and it was decided they would play in the Queen's Garden after they had finished eating.

"Let's play with the kittens after we eat," Loki suggested to Rhiannon. "They are probably lonely."

"I missed Jewel so much! And Trickster too." Rhiannon replied, smiling.

"We could go and see the little foal too. Balder says there is a newborn one in the stables, a white filly named Snowdrop."

"I so want to see her. We could take the kittens."

"The kittens could play in the straw. We could too. There is a big straw stack and the loft is above it." Loki told her.

"We can jump from the loft into the straw." She said, growing excited.

"That will be fun!" Loki agreed. "And there is a swing too. "

"There is?" She said. "There is one on the farm I used to live on. It was fun to play there."

"Yes, it is in the maple by the barn." Loki told her.

"You can go first." She said and smiled.

"No, you. We can take turns."

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yes." He finished his plate of food.

"If it pleases you." She said and finished eating.

"Shall we go?"

She took his hand and they ran from the hall,calling the kittens.

"Jewel!" She called out and they came trotting down the hall, their tails in the air, and their ears perked.

"Trickster!" Loki grinned.

"They are happy to see us." Rhiannon said.

The kittens jumped into their arms, purring and rubbing their heads into their necks.

"They missed us!" Loki giggled.

They carried the kittens down to the stables, letting them play in the straw while Loki and Rhee went to pet Snowdrop.

"She is so pretty." Rhiannon said, holding the bottle to feed the filly.

"Look, she has blue eyes like you!" Loki pointed out. He stroked the fuzzy coat.

"She does. I wonder if they will stay that way."

"They could." Loki mused.

"Queen Frigga is going to have the most beautiful horse." She said and petted the filly's nose.

"She will have a horse as beautiful as she is," Loki said, laughing when Snowdrop nibbled his hair.

"She is trying to eat you." Rhiannon giggled, hugging the horse.

"Silly filly! Do I taste good?" He rubbed the foal's nose, and grinned. "Her whiskers tickle!"

"They do? Does she run yet?" She asked, smiling.

"Yes. Most foals can run right when they are born." Loki said. "Maybe Sleph will let us watch her run later."

The foal yawned, tired after being fed, and lay down and went to sleep.

"I hope so. She needs to be out and free " Rhiannon giggled, petting the sleeping foal.

"Now let's jump in the straw," Loki whispered.

"All right." She said and followed him.

They closed the stall door behind them and wiped their hands on a rag outside it. There was a ladder going up to the loft and they climbed it.

The straw stack was thick and about ten feet high. It glistened like spun gold in the sunshine.

"Don't look up my skirt." Rhiannon warned as they waited to jump.

"I won't," Loki said. They reached the edge of the loft.

"Do you want to go first?" She asked.

"All right." He jumped off, laughing, and landed in the thick sweet-smelling straw.

"Look out!" Rhiannon called, jumping and landing next to him. She giggled as she lay in the straw and looked at Loki.

"Let's do it again!" He said and they scrambled down and raced up the ladder again. They jumped into the straw over and over, until they were tired and just lay on the hay.

"Where do I sleep tonight?" Rhiannon asked, panting.

"You can sleep in my bed again. " Loki offered.

"Will we get in trouble?" She asked, looking shy.

"No, why? This time no one will slime us."

"Good." She said and smiled.

He yawned. "Should we go play on the swing? I'm kind of sleepy."

"We don't have to. We can nap here."

He nodded, his eyes closing. They dozed in the warm straw, their small hands clasped in sleep. The kittens climbed up the stack and curled up beside them.

Sleph walked through the barn, finding the two and smiling as he walked on.

 _Loki woke in a dream, Rhiannon running through a field from him again. He chased after her, her body growing and her hair turning from bouncing curls to long golden waves. He called her name, but she did not look back._

 _She ran toward the woods, disappearing into the trees and he fell to his knees. He looked at the spot she vanished, seeing nothing but a dark hole between the brush._

 _"Loki," a female voice called as he stood and headed for the dark hole. He entered the darkness then he felt like he was getting taller and his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He kept walking when he came to a large glade surrounded by the trees and a tall woman stood at the center of the glade._

 _"Hello," he said and noticed his voice was deeper._

 _"Hello," the tall woman said then turned to face him._

 _"Rhiannon?" he asked, recognizing her face and she smiled._

 _"Yes," she said. She took his hands as he looked deeply into her eyes and smiled._

 _"Wait!" a male's voice said and they looked into the trees. A figure stood in the shadows. Loki placed her behind him protectively. "You can't have her! She is nothing more than a whore and a monster!"_

 _"No, she's not!" Loki refuted._

 _"And he is nothing more than a monster and a killer!" a female voice said and they saw the shadow near the bushes._

 _"Leave us alone!" Rhiannon shouted._

 _"Both of you should be destroyed!" another male voice said as they saw another shadow figure and Loki's eyes turned red._

 _"She said leave us!" Loki shouted as ice spread out around them and froze the forest and the shadows. Rhiannon smiled at him as Loki approached and she stroked his cheek with her hand. His skin was blue with a soft silver shimmer and he had ridges on his face. He watched her change into her Jotun form when he moved closer and she gave him a shy look. He bent to kiss her when he felt someone shaking him and everything went dark._

"Loki. Wake up, it is supper time." Sleph said and laughed.

Loki sat up, blinking. "It is?"

"Yes. Your friend is collecting the kittens." Sleph laughed again, helping him stand up.

"I had a strange dream," he told his son. "Rhiannon was in my dream and she was running and I was chasing her and then we turned into grown ups. . ." He told Sleph the dream.

"I think it means you will always be together," Sleph said. "Because you are meant to. And you know you're not a monster, right? You are as the Norns made you, your own unique wonderful person, because they love infinite variety and if we were all the same it would be boring." He repeated what Loki had said to him one day after his father had found him crying because Boda and some mean boys had teased him. "And we love you just the way you are."

"Yes. I know that." Loki said, rubbing the back of his neck and Sleph nodded. Rhiannon walked back with the kittens, both of them following her and meowing at her feet.

"Are you coming, Loki?" She asked and petted a kitten.

"Uh huh." He knelt and picked up Trickster. "They say they are hungry."

"We better feed them then." She said, petting Jewel.

"Let's all eat. I'm hungry as a horse!" Sleph said and they all laughed.

"Will I have to leave the castle when I come of age?" Rhiannon asked.

"No. This is your home," Sleph said, and smiled at her.

"Oh." She said and frowned. "I just wanted. ... It is not important."

"You could leave to go to school," Loki put in. "Someday I am going to the Academy. So I can be a great sorcerer. What do you want to be?"

"A Healer." She said and smiled. "I want to be the best at my job."

"You will be," Sleph said. "You and Loki both."

"I am going to marry Loki when we grow up. But I don't want to kiss him."

Sleph laughed. "You say that now. But perhaps you will change your mind. Look at Lady Sif. For a long time she said no man will want to put his boots under a warrior woman's bed. And she would not marry again until a man did. But now she is in love with Prince Thor. Who likes her just the way she is."

"Prince Thor has a scratchy beard." She said and cringed.

Sleph burst out laughing. "Maybe he will shave! A man will do a lot for his lady when he is in love."

"Have you ever been in love?" Loki asked curiously.

"Not as of yet." Sleph replied.

"Kissing is strange." Rhiannon said.

Sleph laughed again. "Kissing is something you enjoy when you're older."

"How do you know?" Loki asked, wide eyed.

"Because I have kissed a girl once or twice," Sleph admitted.

"Was she nice?" Loki queried.

"Was she pretty?" Rhiannon asked.

"Yes and yes," Sleph admitted.

"What was her name?" his father asked.

"Eleanora, but she liked to be called Pearl," his son said.

"Why didn't you marry her? You could have ordered her to." Rhiannon asked.

Sleph shook his head. "That's not how you win a woman's heart. You ask and then you wait upon her pleasure. And you show her how much you love her and will treat her like a queen, even if she was not born to it. For all women are queens in their own way, every one."

"Who told you that?" Rhiannon questioned.

"My father," Sleph replied.

"One day I would like to meet him," Rhiannon said, walking into the hall. Sleph chuckled.

"Your father sounds very wise," Loki remarked as they followed her.

"He is. I hope someday I will be like him," Sleph said, his eyes twinkling.

"You can if you want to be." Loki said, sighing to himself. "I will marry out of duty." He said and rolled his eyes.

"Perhaps. But I think one day you will marry for love," Sleph said.

"I am a prince. I will eventually love who Mother and Father selects."

"I am a prince too. And my father told me, you love whom your heart selects, and that is how it should be. So listen to your heart. Now let's have supper. You have plenty of time to worry about marriage when you are grown. And things will work out in the end."

"Yes. I believe so." Loki said and took his seat.

Dinner was delicious, roasted chicken with gravy, broiled salmon in dill butter sauce, roasted vegetables and smashed potatoes with cheese and garlic.

The children ate everything on their plates, Frigga smiling nonstop at them. "I guess you were really hungry. Didn't they feed you over there?"

"They gave us food, but it didn't taste like this," Loki told her, stifling a yawn.

"You seem tired, Loki. Would you like to have dessert in your room?" suggested Frigga.

The boy nodded slowly. "All right, Mother. May Rhee keep me company?"

"Of course," the Queen laughed. "Go on. I will send Claire with a tray."

Loki and Rhiannon left the table, going to Loki's chambers.

"I feel kind of full and sleepy," the little girl admitted. "But I don't want to miss dessert."

"Neither do I."

They sat together at the table in the sitting room. Five minutes later there was a knock and then Claire entered with the tray of dessert. "Here you are, darlings!" she said, beaming at the two children.

She placed the dessert and cups of tea on the table, then curtsied and left them alone.

Rhiannon sniffed the air. "This cake smells divine!"

Loki stirred sugar and milk into his tea. He uncovered a dish of sticky toffee cake. "Mmm! This cake is great!"

"What kind of cake is that?"

"It's called a sticky toffee cake-because it has toffee and brown sugar sauce on it and it melts into the cake and makes it really moist and it's delicious!" Loki told her. "Here's a spoon. Try some!" he encouraged.

"Are you sure you don't want it all?" She asked, looking at the cake.

"I can share." He said generously.

"Thank you." She said and took a bite of it. She hummed in happiness, closing her eyes. "This is better than a kiss."

"I bet a kiss is nicer." Loki said and laughed.

"I have never really kissed a boy." Rhiannon said with a blush.

"I have never kissed a girl. Well, unless you count my mother."

"I don't know if that counts." She giggled, stealing another bite of the cake.

He took his own bite, savoring the delicious sweetness on his tongue. He sighed blissfully.

"I will have to kiss you alot if we marry." Rhiannon said and blushed deeper.

"Umm . . . yes . . ." he colored a pleasing peach.

"So we have to start kissing now?" She asked, her mouth open.

"If . . . if you want to."

"Do you want to? I don't know if it has to be done now." She said, turning shy.

She fidgeted with her hands, giggling.

"You want me to count to three?" he asked innocently.

She nodded.

"Ready? One . . .two . . . three!"

On three, they leaned towards each other and their mouths met. She tasted silky spice and toffee and cream, while he tasted the same with the addition of apples.

Without conscious thought, they deepened the kiss until something utterly amazing and magical happened.

The curse had been cast to keep two lovers apart, without memory of their former adult lives and the love they bore each other. But there was one thing Amora had never reckoned with-and that was the simple fact that true love did not cease because the lovers are under a spell. It lived , it breathed, and it waited deep inside them until this moment.

There was swirl of color and light and then the curse broke.

Rhiannon pulled back, blinking at herself and frowning. She noticed her engagement ring was no longer on her finger.

"What happened to my ring?" she asked, feeling as if she had awakened from a dream.

"And my clothes?" Loki stared down at himself. "This isn't the suit you made me."

"Where is my beautiful gown?" Rhiannon cried.

"Why are we in my room?" Loki asked, puzzled. He rubbed his eyes.

"Did we not go through with the ceremony?" She stammered.

"Yes. I remember us sealing the vows with a kiss and then we were eating dinner and we ate some pie and . . ." His jaw dropped as memories began to surface-memories of himself and Rhiannon as children. "By the Nine! We were cursed! To become children! Do you remember that?"

"Yes, I do remember most of it. We were taken by Adabiel and brought to his castle," Rhiannon said, shivering from the memories of their kidnapping.

"We drove him crazy," Loki said with a grin then remembered what happened to him. "He died."

"But you forgave him."

"Yes, and he seemed to have made peace with whatever reason he had for hating me."

"I think we need to go see Abby. She was quite...," Rhiannon said as someone knocked on the door and Abby walked in the room.

"Loki, are you awake?" Abby asked then gasped when she saw they were adults again.

"Surprise!" Loki teased and Rhiannon giggled.

"But...? But how?!"

"It was True Love's Kiss. It can break any spell or curse."

"We need to tell the others!" she said as she ran to her daddy and pulled on his hands.

"I think we need to change first," Loki said and waved his hands. Their clothing changed as he held his hand out and Rhiannon stood up. They were no longer tired as he smiled and they left the room.

Odin sipped on some wine when he saw Loki, Abby and Rhiannon enter the room and he nearly choked.

"Hello," Loki said. Everyone in the room said their hellos as he led Rhiannon to the throne and they made a bow and a curtsy. "Evening, Father."

"Good evening," Odin said, clearing his throat.

"Would you and Rhiannon like something to eat?" Frigga said with a smile.

"No, we have eaten," he said and she nodded.

Malek looked at them when he tapped Belle's shoulder and she looked at him.

"Who i-is that?" he asked.

"That's my father and his betrothed," Belle said and Loki and Rhiannon sat down next to her. Loki tried not to smile at Malek as he gave the boy a blank look and blinked. "Father, this is Malek. He is an orphan and has come to stay here."

"Hello, Malek," Loki said then turned to look at Rhiannon. She gave Malek a sweet smile and placed her hand on top of Loki's hand. "This is my betrothed, Rhiannon."

"Gr-greetings," Malek said.

"Greetings," Rhiannon said as he yawned and shook his head.

"I am s-sorry."

"No, that's fine," Loki said as Volstagg walked over and placed a hand on Malek''s shoulder.

"Ah, looks like someone is ready for bed," Volstagg said and Malek looked up at him. "The AllFather told me you shall be coming home with me and my family until we find you a proper home. Is that alright?"

"Yes, it's f-fine," Malek said and Volstagg scooped the boy up then walked off. After they were out of earshot, Loki noticed the look on his children and brother's faces and Thor folded his arms over his chest.

"To answer your unasked question, Amora's curse was broken with True Love's Kiss," Loki explained.

"It started out as just a first time kiss, but we sort of got carried away," Rhiannon said and a blush moved over her cheeks.

"Awwwwwww!" the girls said together and the boys rolled their eyes.

"Well, however it happened, I am glad to see you have grown up," Balder teased and Loki smirked.

"I don't think I have done that just yet," Loki said, wagging a finger at his oldest brother.

"Has there been any word of Amora or any sign of her?" Rhiannon asked, looking nervously around the room.

"No, not yet," Thor said with a shake of his head.

"Hel," Loki whispered then noticed Odin nodding his head toward him. "I'll be right back."

He walked over to Odin and placed his hands behind his back.

"You wish to speak with me, Father?"

"Yes. Would you mind explaining to your mother and I why you and Rhiannon are no longer children?" Odin asked. Loki explained as a grin spread over Odin's face and Frigga lightly laughed.

"I guess you'll need to give this back then," Frigga said as she handed Loki Rhiannon's ring and he nodded. Walking back to the table, Loki sat down, giving Rhiannon a pleased look. She wondered why but a moment later had her answer.

"I believe this is yours," Loki said as he took her hand and slid the ring back on her finger. She blushed when he lightly cupped her chin between his fingers and thumb and kissed her lips. They ignored the laughter and cheers when Loki moved back and placed his forehead against hers, making her smile.

**A/N: And now that Loki and Rhee are back to being adults again . . . it's time for one of the big reveals of this story-what's the whole connection Loki and Max have?**


	52. Mini Me

**52**

 **Mini Me**

 _I see the best in me when I look at you and that's all that matters. – Loki_

Loki woke up early the next morning, feeling refreshed and slightly lazy. He wanted to just lie in bed, but he made himself rise and take a bath, scrubbing the last of the sleep from his eyes as he did so. He planned to gift Rhiannon with Arcana today, it was customary for a prospective groom to give his bride a betrothal gift, and Loki hoped she would like the mare.

 _Of course she'll like her_ , Loki thought when he heard a loud squeal coming from the nursery.

"Wonderful," he said, pulling his robe on and slippers. He walked down the hallway while the squealing turned into giggling and he opened the nursery door. "What the Hel?!"

Snow.

Snow was falling in the nursery and Max and Aleta were running around, making snowballs.

"Where did this snow come from?" Loki asked and Max ran to him.

"I made it!" Max said and Loki's eyes widened.

"You made it?"

"Yeah!"

"We wanted to play a prank on Vince and Nate and Max said we should throw snowballs at them," Aleta said.

"But it's not snowing," Loki said, getting concerned as well as confused.

"That's when I said it would be neat if we could make snow. So, I closed my eyes, thought about snow and...," Max said as he pointed to the snow.

"Ah," Loki said with a nod then waved his hands, making the snow vanish.

"Awwwww!" Aleta said with a pout.

"Are you mad at me, Daddy?" Max asked.

"No, imp, I'm not mad. Just a little curious with how you were able to do that."

"I won't do it again."

Loki felt bad about upsetting his son as he knelt and hugged him. "It's not bad, imp, just unusual to be able to do that. I'm going to get dressed." After he was sure Max was all right, Loki left the nursery and went back to his chambers.

 _How did he do that?_ Loki wondered. His son seemed to have inherited ice magic from his unknown father, who must have been a Jotun or half-Jotun like Loki was.

He dressed in his favorite green, gold, and black outfit and then hurried down to Rhiannon's room. Trickster darted out and attacked his ankles. "Hello, little scamp!" Loki laughed at the kitten. "I'll feed you in a minute." He picked up the striped feline and set him on his shoulder. Then he knocked on Rhee's door.

"Who is it?" Rhiannon called.

"It's Loki," he replied.

The door opened and Rhiannon stood there in a pretty peach day dress. "Good morning!" she greeted him and then stood on tiptoe and kissed him.

He grinned at her. "If that's the way you greet me every morning, I'll be a lucky groom."

The blonde lady laughed softly. "I will remember that. Shall we go to breakfast?"

"Yes, but first I have a present to give you," Loki said eagerly. "I would have given it to you the morning after the betrothal ceremony but we were enchanted. Anyway, I can give it to you now."

"A present? Why? It's not my birthday," Rhiannon said, puzzled. Her birthday was in the spring, during the month of May.

"It's custom for a groom to gift his bride with a betrothal gift," Loki explained.

"Oh, but . . . I don't have a gift for you!" she protested.

"You are my gift," he said, then took her arm in his. "Come, it is outside."

He led a curiosity-laden Rhiannon out of the palace and to the field where the royal horses were turned out for the day. He halted with her by the white fence surrounding the pasture and whistled softly.

A gold mare with a silver mane and tail lifted her head from her grazing and whinnied. Then she trotted over to them. Loki stroked her nose and then gave Rhiannon a sugar cube. "Here, darling. Give Arcana this so she gets to know you."

Rhiannon fed the mare the sugar cube, wondering why Loki wished her to do so. "Loki, why do you want Arcana to know me better?"

"Because, darling, Arcana is now your horse," Loki declared. "She is my gift to you. Do you like her?"

Rhiannon gasped, overwhelmed at the gift. "She is the most beautiful horse I have ever seen, much less owned! Thank you, my love!" She turned and hugged Loki and then kissed him.

He drowned in her sweetness and murmured, "If I had known giving you a horse would elicit this sort of reaction, I'd give you a dozen!"

"You don't need a horse to make me kiss you, you foolish prince!" she giggled, swatting his arm playfully.

He chuckled. "Now you can use your mother's saddle and ride her. She is a champion jumper. Jumps like she was a pegasus. I have also asked Mother to have her dressmaker sew you a new riding habit, one with a divided skirt and short breeches to wear beneath it, so you can ride astride, which is how you should ride a horse."

Rhiannon's eyes widened. "Astride? Like a man?"

"Jotun women and Vanir and Alfar women ride astride too," Loki pointed out. "As do many Asgardian ladies. It's only the court ladies who want to show off their pretty frocks that use those ridiculous sidesaddles and claim they are ladylike. I suppose they are all right if you are in a procession or going at a slow walk, but a faster pace can result in too many accidents because you cannot maintain a proper seat with only one leg in contact with your horse."

Rhiannon considered what he said, and realized it made sense. "You are right, Loki. I will look forward to using the new riding habit when it is finished."

"Hopefully it shall be done in time for the wedding," Loki said. "Speaking of the wedding, would you like to set a date?"

Rhiannon nodded eagerly. "What is today?"

Loki consulted his watch. "In Midgardian time it is June 28th, which means in Asgard time it is two weeks before that. So it's the fourteenth here."

Rhiannon considered. "How does July fourteenth sound? It's a month away, which will give us time to prepare the invitations and the hall and everyone's clothes and the wedding feast."

Loki nodded. "That sounds fine to me. I shall tell Mother and Father tonight. We can do the guest list together and the wedding feast menu. You and Mother can do the decorations for the hall. All I ask is to include some green color scheme in there, anything else is up to you."

"And how about the dresses and your suit?"

"You can pick out the girls dresses, since I assume they will be in the bridal party. I'll wait and see what you choose and then I'll make the boys' clothes to match. You may wish to speak with Father, he would like to help design the dresses. But I will make your wedding gown myself."

"I shall make your suit," Rhiannon promised.

"I look forward to seeing what you create for me. I'm sure it will be stunning," Loki said with a smile.

Rhiannon blushed. "I will do my best. I know whatever you make for me will be amazing."

She stroked her new mare's nose and fed her an apple Loki handed her. "You are a beautiful mare and I can't wait to ride you."

Loki watched her with the golden horse and said, "You know, if you wish to ride her right away, all you need to do is borrow a pair of Sam's jeans and boots. And one of her tunics my mother made for her when she practices with Balder. She won't mind letting you borrow them."

"Really? But isn't that outfit rather improper?" Rhiannon asked, though inwardly she was fighting against the voice that hissed to her that real ladies didn't wear breeches and ride astride.

"No. Sif rides that way and she is a lady. My children all ride astride because it is safer that way. You need both legs to communicate with your horse and to hold on if the horse runs or shies suddenly." Loki pointed out. He could tell she was wavering and said in his best wheedling tone, "Would you like to try it?"

Rhiannon nodded. "Yes, I would!" she declared. "Are you sure Sam will not mind?"

"I doubt it, but you can ask her at breakfast," Loki said. He scratched Arcana's forehead. "We have to go now, girl. But we'll return later. Perhaps we can go for a ride after breakfast."

"That sounds lovely." His betrothed agreed and they walked back to the family dining hall together.

On the way there they met Belle, and Loki thanked her for making the restorative potion and assured her he would save it just in case it was ever needed. "I'm proud of you, raven." He declared, hugging her.

Belle smiled up at him. "Mr. Gold helped. And Wulf."

"I see. I will thank them later." Loki grinned, but forbore teasing her over the apprentice.

During breakfast, they announced the wedding date, and everyone was excited to begin preparing for it. Sam was quite eager to lend Rhiannon some of her clothes, and the two disappeared shortly after they had finished eating so Rhiannon could change. Loki went to prepare the horses, getting Rhiannon's Jotun saddle from the tack room where Sleph had stored it and placing it on Arcana.

Sleph tacked up Starflight for Loki, and said, "Enjoy your ride, Father."

"Thank you, son. I shall." Loki leaned against the mounting block, waiting for Rhiannon to come out.

Soon she emerged, walking with unaccustomed freedom in her borrowed jeans and a long purple tunic tied with a gold sash. She wore Sam's brown leather boots and had her long hair pulled back in a tail. Her Frost Opal earrings glittered in her ears.

Loki whistled softly when he saw her. "She doth teach the torches to burn bright," he quoted appreciatively.

"Excuse me?" she said, not understanding the reference.

"I was quoting a Midgardian play called _Romeo and Juliet_ ," Loki explained, smiling. "You look beautiful, is basically what I said."

"Thank you, Loki. This feels kind of odd but I think I like it." She glanced down at herself. "You can move so much easier in pants. No wonder you men love them."

Loki grinned. "That's certainly true. But pants aren't just for men. On Midgard, women wear them too."

"I think I shall like Midgard very much," Rhiannon grinned.

Loki gave her a leg up into the saddle and again Rhiannon realized how much easier it was to do things like getting on and off a horse wearing the non-restricting jeans. They were also very comfortable,allowing her to sit easily in the saddle and not worry about cumbersone skirts getting in the way.

The two rode leisurely out of the yard, and only when they were among the peaceful rolling green hills did they allow their horses to run, Rhiannon laughing as the wind streamed through her hair.

Loki rode with a careless grace, but he loved watching his betrothed's eyes light up as she discovered new things.

While the two were enjoying their morning ride, Loki's children were happily rehearsing for the play, though Max and Aleta didn't have much to rehearse and once they were done fifteen minutes later, the two toddlers went out to play with Malek by the practice yard.

The young elf was too shy to ask to use a practice sword with the grown men, so he played games of hide and seek, chase, and Mother May I with Max, Aleta, and Gudrun. He still did not know who he was going to stay with permanently, but hoped that one of the Asgardians would agree to have him as their fosterling. He wasn't fool enough to think one might adopt him.

Slightly tired from their games, the children leaned on the fence surrounding the pracrice yard and watched the warriors sparring. Malek thought Balder was the most impressive warrior, so devilishly quick with his long sword, Lyn, which meant lightning in Old Norse.

"I'm thirsty," Max announced. "I'm gonna get a cup of water."

He went towards the table in the garden nearby, which had a pitcher of cool lemon water and some small cups set out for them by Loki's household servants. As the little boy approached the table, he passed two noble women gossiping.

"Did you hear, Gytha?" a tall lady in a teal gown muttered to her friend in a yellow gown with her golden hair piled high on her head. "Prince Loki's bastard made it snow in the nursery this morn! I heard one of the maids saying so to Claire, who is the prince's cleaner."

"Really?" tittered Gytha. "Oh, Marcella, now that just proves the prince was lying when he said that the boy was not his get. No one but a Jotun babe would have that sort of magic. Plus look at them—they are nigh mirror images of each other."

Max shrank back against the shrubbery, his face burning. Loki had said that he was not a bastard, but then why did those ladies keep saying he was?

"So true, Gytha! The prince must have had a good time down there in Midgard, no matter what he says!" She gave a spiteful laugh. "Honestly, I think the king and queen should be stricter, otherwise this kingdom will be overrun with royal bastards like a plague of fleas."

"Yes. I believe all three princes have some," smirked Marcella, smoothing her yellow skirts. "Only Thor and Balder don't attempt to deny theirs. Does Loki believe we are stupid, to not see what is right in front of our eyes?"

"Perhaps," sniffed her companion. "Or perhaps he does not wish his betrothed to know he has sowed some wild oats."

"Not many women would agree to take a bastard into their house," snorted Marcella. "Especially not one who is a magical freak like that."

They moved on, and Max crept out from behind the shrubbery. He went to the table and got some water, but found he was too upset to drink it and just sat staring at it. His stomach hurt thinking about what the ladies had said, and wondering if they could be right.

Aleta, Malek, and Gudrun were so busy watching Balder, Sif, Thor and the Warriors sparring that they quite forgot about Max, who finally got up from the table and went into the stable to pet Snowdrop. The filly was sleeping in the straw and did not wake when the small boy crept in to stroke her silky mane. Max curled up in the straw next to Snowdrop and dozed, waking only when he heard Loki and Rhiannon returning from their ride.

He walked out of the stall and saw Loki just coming out of Starflight's stall after rubbing the silver mare down. Max's hair was sticking up and his green eyes were sleepy and teary. "Dad!" he cried and ran and hugged Loki about the knees.

"Hey, scamp! You decided to take a nap in the hay?" his father queried, picking some straw out of his son's hair.

Max nodded. "I slept with Snowdrop. So the nasty ladies didn't see me."

Loki frowned. "What nasty ladies, Max?" He knelt to look in his son's eyes, noticing how upset the boy was.

"The ones who said you lied and that I was really your bastard," Max sniffled.

"Oh, poor Max!" Rhiannon exclaimed, coming over.

Loki's mouth tightened with suppressed anger, and his eyes flickered crimson for a brief instant. "That does it!" he said softly, his tone frigid.

Max looked up at him. "Am I in trouble?" His lower lip trembled.

"No, imp. I'm not angry at you. I'm mad at those gossipy blasted—" he bit off the rest of what he wished to say, knowing it was not suitable for young ears.

"Loki?" Rhiannon queried. "What do you mean to do?"

"I mean to lay these false rumors to rest once and for all," he answered. "Do you think Stefan has a diagnostic bed free right now?"

"He may, yes."

"Good. Because we're going to need it," Loki said shortly and picked Max up.

"Why, Dad? I'm not hurt," Max said.

"I know, buddy. But we need the bed for another reason," Loki answered. "Rhee, can you calibrate it to scan for DNA?"

She nodded. "Of course I can."

"That's good, darling." Loki said, and then they all went to the infirmary.

As luck would have it, Stefan had not one, but two beds free, and Loki had Rhiannon turn them both on while he lay on one and Max on the other. She turned several knobs and pushed a few buttons and soon a glowing schematic appeared over both beds.

Rhiannon scanned them, and then typed in DNA percentage match. She expected to get back one of two results—either half the DNA would match—indicating that Max was Loki's blood son—or only a small portion would match—indicating they were not blood related.

What she found was something no one had expected.

The DNA matches were the same.

She gaped at the results, her mouth dropping open.

Loki turned his head. "Rhee? What is it? You look like you're catching flies."

On any other day, that would have made her smile, but not today. "I . . .That's impossible," she murmured half to herself.

"What do you mean—impossible?" Loki frowned. "What do you see?"

"The DNA . . ." she began. "It's not just similar . . . it's the same, Loki."

"The same?"

"Yes. Exactly the **_same_**."

Loki froze. Then he sat up. "But . . . that can't be. Even with a blood tie, no one's DNA exactly matches another's. Unless—"

"—Unless they are identical twins," Rhiannon finished. "Or . . ." she hesitated upon saying it because such a thing was forbidden by Asgardian law.

"Am I your twin, Dad?" Max asked softly.

"No, buddy, otherwise you'd be a grown up," Loki said softly, a chill running through him. _No . . . it can't be . . ._ he thought in denial.

"Loki, are you _sure_ you didn't have a twin?" Rhiannon queried, her face grave.

"Yes. Astra and Laufey both told me I was a single birth—a rarity among Jotun who normally have twins." Loki answered.

Rhiannon stared at the results again, her hands twisting in her tunic. "Then . . . that means . . ." she trailed off.

"Do the scan again," Loki said and Rhiannon nodded. She pushed the buttons and looked at the screens, but the results were the same. Loki and Max's DNA were a perfect match. She printed out the results then she looked through the archives and found a medical scan for Loki when he was Max's age. She pulled it up and compared them, shaking her head.

"Now what?" Loki asked, getting up and walking to her.

"This is an old scan of you at Max's age," she said and he looked at the results.

"It's the same," he whispered.

"Daddy, what's wrong?" Max asked, getting scared.

"Take it easy, imp," he said, picking Max up.

Loki thought about how he could replicate himself with his magic. But those copies were mere illusions, mirror images that faded as soon as he stopped concentrating or they were destroyed physically. Even a magically created doppleganger might look like him on the outside but a master mage could tell it was nothing but a construct of earth, water, spit, and ashes glamoured to appear like the person it represented.

The replicate spell, which could make multiples of objects and food, could never make a replica of a person, because that required more magic than the spell could handle. It was very difficult to make even a doppleganger of someone, though most people thought it was easy for a magician to do. But it was not-even if one had talent in that area.

"Loki, if these are correct...," Rhiannon said and he nodded.

"I need to take Max back to Midgard," Loki said and Max looked at him with a puzzled look.

"Why?" Max asked.

"I need to see Uncle Tony and I want Uncle Bruce to do some more tests," he said and Max frowned.

"Will I have to get a shot?"

"No, son. Just some images." Loki replied, his mind whirling.

'What are you going to tell everyone?" Rhiannon asked.

"I will tell Thor the truth, but I will tell the rest that I forgot Max had a dentist appointment. I know we have Healers who deal with teeth, but he would feel better with his regular dentist," Loki said. He hated having to lie, but if what he and Rhiannon thought were true then he needed to know how it happened and when.

"We have to lie?" Max asked.

"Yeah, imp, but it's one of those times when someone has to lie."

"I want to go with you," Rhiannon said and Loki gave her a puzzled look.

"You do?!"

"Yes, you could say I want to see Midgard before the wedding so I won't be overwhelmed."

Loki was stunned.

"Are you sure?"

"I am. You need me, Loki."

"Daddy, I want Rhee to come with us," Max said and Loki smiled.

"Okay," he said and they headed out of diagnostic room. Rhiannon had deleted the scans, but the scanner had made an auto saved file and sent the file to Stefan's desk.

Loki had sent word for Thor to meet them outside the infirmary. Thor approached and saw the worry in his brother's eyes.

"What is going on? Is Max ill?" Thor asked.

"No, he's fine, but we need to speak," Loki said as he handed Max to Rhiannon and led Thor to a tree.

"What is going on?" Thor asked in a soft voice. Loki cast a spell so Heimdall could not hear them and leaned against the tree. "Loki?"

"Max overheard some women gossiping about him being my bastard."

"How dare they!? Tell me who they are and...!"

"Brother, calm yourself. I will handle them."

"What does this have to do with Max being in the infirmary?"

"I wanted proof that Max isn't my son and Rhiannon took a scan. I thought we would either find something which will prove he is or isn't my son, but we found something else."

"What did you find?" Thor asked, unsure if he wanted to know the answer.

"He's me."

"He's...you?!"

"He is an exact copy of me only younger."

"How is that possible? Is he an illusion?"

"Why would I make a child version of me?"

"I don't know."

"No, if he was an illusion, he would have faded. The same if he was a replicate."

"Then what is he?"

"I think he might be...a clone."

"By the Nine! How did that happen?!"

"I have no idea. That is why I need to take him to Misgard. Tony or Bruce could run some tests and, maybe, help me figure out when I was cloned."

"Are you sure it didn't happen here?"

"No, I don't. That is why I need help and your word you will not say anything. Max, no matter who or what he is, is still my son and your nephew." Loki said sharply, gesturing emphatically.

"How could you ask such a thing?! I would never think any different no matter what you find out!"

Loki sensed he had hurt Thor with his sharp words and said quietly, "Forgive me, brother. Of course you wouldn't. I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I am just . . . stunned right now."

He placed a hand on Thor's muscular shoulder and Thor clasped his wrist lightly.

"Who else knows?" the Thunder God whispered.

"Only you, me, and Rhiannon."

"What are you going to tell the others about why you're leaving?"

"That I need to take Max back to Midgard for a dentist appointment."

"I will look after the other children until you get back."

"Thank you, brother," Loki said and Thor smiled. Loki lowered the spell. They walked to Rhiannon and Max gave Thor a sad look.

"Uncle Thor, I'm a bastard," Max said.

"No, you're Max!" Thor said as he took Max from Rhiannon and tossed him into the air. Max giggled as Thor caught him and tossed him again. Thor caught Max and hugged him and Max leaned his head against Thor's neck.

"We better get going," Loki said. Thor handed Max to him. As the trio left, Thor shook his head and thought he should have seen the signs before.

Heimdall watched as Loki, Max and Rhiannon approached and he sighed. Thor had sent word about their having to leave, but something seemed wrong. He had noticed the private conversation between Loki and Thor and the troubled look on Max's face.

"My Prince," he said with a nod and Loki adjusted his hold on Max.

"Open Bifrost, please," Loki said.

"Of course," he said and the interface opened. He watched them leave, frowning, as Bifrost closed.

"Whatever is wrong, may the Norns watch over you," he whispered and wrapped his fingers around the hilt of his sword.

Bifrost deposited Loki, Rhiannon, and Max right outside the Avenger's mansion, on the back lawn.

Loki wasn't sure if Bruce or Tony were at the mansion when the door opened and Steve walked out.

"What are you doing here?" Steve asked then gaped at Rhiannon. "And who is this?!"

"Steve Rogers, meet Rhiannon Lyr, my betrothed," Loki introduced them.

"Hello, Miss."

"Hello," Rhiannon said.

"Is Doctor Banner or Stark here?" Loki asked.

"Yeah, they're here," Steve said then noticed Max' unhappy face. "Hey, Max, what's wrong?"

"I'll explain once I see Stark," Loki said and Steve was a little shocked by his tone.

"Hi, Uncle Steve!" Max said softly.

"Hey, buddy," Steve smiled at him.

They walked in the building while Rhiannon looked around and Loki loved the curiosity on her face. She was taking in everything as they headed down the hallway and stopped at the elevator.

"Hey, Max, want to show Rhiannon around while your dad talks with Tony?" Steve asked.

"Yeah!" Max said.

"Will that be alright?" Rhiannon asked.

"Yes, I will have Jarvis call you if they want to do tests," Loki said.

"Who is Jarvis?" she asked.

"I am, Miss," a voice came from somewhere and she gasped.

"The house is alive?!"

"No, I am an artificial interface Mister Stark invented so he has someone to talk to while he's working," Jarvis said and she smiled.

"He sounds very wise."

Loki and Steve glanced at each other as they smiled and tried hard not to laugh.

"He is," Jarvis said when the doors to the elevator opened and Loki walked in. He pushed the button as he waved at them and the doors closed.

"This way," Steve said while pointing with his hands and they followed him.

Tony moved his head to the music while he looked at the information on the multiple screens when the door opened and Loki walked in the lab.

"Stark, we need to talk," Loki declared bluntly and shut the door.

Tony spun about. "Loki! Mother of God!"

"No. God of Mischief."

"That's not what I meant. You scared the life out of me. If it wasn't for my arc reactor, my heart would be going a mile a minute."

"I do apologize, but we need to talk."

"I got that," he said, swiping his hand to turn the screens off. Tony approached Loki and saw the anger in the prince's emerald eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I have reason to believe someone has... That I have been..."

"Spit it out. You've been what?"

"I believe someone cloned me."

"Come again?!" Tony asked with wide eyes and a confused look. "Someone _cloned_ you?"

Loki nodded tightly. "I just found out today."

Loki told him about the rumors which have been going around about Max as Tony nodded and waved for him to continue. Loki then told him about the tests and how Max's DNA was identical to his own and Tony blinked his eyes a few times.

"Whoa, Reindeer Games, that is freaky. Are you sure the scans are right?" Tony asked.

"That is why I brought Max here. I wish for you or Banner to scan us again. If he is what I think he is, then I want to know what happened and when," Loki said.

"I don't blame you. I wanna know too." Tony said quietly, all traces of his normal flippant attitude gone. "Jarvis, where is Bruce?"

"He is in his lab," Jarvis said.

"Have him come here."

"Shall I tell him about Loki?"

"That would be a yes."

"Yes, sir."

A few minutes later, the door opened and Bruce entered the room. He was curious to why Loki was there as he saw Loki pacing and Tony held up a finger to silence him.

"Bruce is here," Tony said. Loki stopped pacing then turned to face Bruce and Bruce titled his head to one side.

"What's up?" Bruce asked.

"The sky," Loki joked feebly. Then he reiterated what he had told Tony.

"Did you know about this?" Bruce eyed Tony sharply.

"Nope," Tony said with a shake of his head.

"Will you do that scans?" Loki asked.

"I don't have to," Bruce said then he walked to the computer panel and typed on the keyboard. "We still have the security scans from when you first brought the kids here. And we have one for you as well."

Bruce looked at the screen then he tapped a key and the scans appeared on the main screens.

Loki looked at the 3D images and he sighed while Tony looked up at the ceiling.

"Jarvis, see if you can find anything which links Max to Loki," Tony said.

"Searching," Jarvis said. "The scans are identical."

"How?! Max is a four-year-old kid?!"

"Unknown."

Loki gazed at the scans as his heart slammed in his chest and he balled his hands into fists.

"Scan them again."

"Searching," Jarvis said. "The scans are identical. Max is Loki."

The three friends stared at each other in shock.

"But he's been examined by me as well as his family doctor. Wouldn't they have noticed he wasn't human?" Bruce asked.

"Max is a master shifter, like I am." Loki told him. "We can shift to mimic those around us. I did it when I was a baby, shifting from my Jotun shape to Asgardian when Odin found me. It's not conscious when you are that young."

"Anything else?"

"He has nightmares, he can levitate objects, he has ice magic, he teleported into my betrothed's room, he..."

"Whoa! Back up! Your betrothed?!" Tony asked.

"Yes, I am engaged to be married."

"Right. Remind me to congratulate you later. What else can he do?"

"He knocked me in the head while levitating a book and my mother has taught him some other magic."

"Sounds like your powers and magic," Bruce said.

"How did this happen?!" Loki asked, getting agitated.

"Calm down. Can you think of anything else you two have in common?" Tony asked.

"His magical aura is the same as mine," Loki said, running his fingers through his hair.

"These nightmares? What are they about?" Bruce asked.

"They are mostly about the abuse his mother inflicted upon him."

"Who was his mother? What was she like?"

"She was an abusive drug addict."

"Is she alive?"

"No, she overdosed."

"Do you know her name?"

"Her name was Amelia Ryder."

"Has Max told anyone, but you about the nightmares?" Bruce asked.

"Yes, he has a child psychologist."

"What did he say Max should do about the nightmares?"

"He was to draw them and..."

Loki thought about Max' drawings and they were mostly about a shadowy woman and hands. He wondered if there were drawings he hadn't seen and he vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Ok, what was that about?" Tony asked and Bruce shrugged.

Loki appeared in Max's room and looked around, but nothing seemed out of place. He then peered at the dresser when he knelt and opened the bottom drawer.

"Oh, Max," he murmured as he removed the drawings and placed them on the floor. He examined the drawings and noticed a green outline was on most of them. He picked up the drawings as he pushed the drawer closed with his foot then vanished in a puff of green smoke.

"Welcome back," Tony said after Loki appeared and he placed the drawings on the table.

"What are those?" Bruce asked.

"Max's drawings," Loki said and they gathered around the table. He spread the drawings out and Loki recognized one or two of the drawings as something which happened to him as a child.

"Uh, why is there a baby in a box?" Tony asked, showing Loki the drawing.

 _No, it can't be,_ Loki thought. The drawing was of his little sister's funeral. He had never told Max about her funeral.

"That's... That's my baby sister," Loki said and told them what happened to her.

"Then this is a memory. Your memory," Bruce said.

"Sir, I have scanned the drawings and have found a theme," Jarvis said.

"What sort of theme?" Tony asked and the drawings appeared on the screen.

"As you can see, the drawings are outlined in green."

"Yeah. Noticed that."

"This could be from Max's point of view."

"You mean we're seeing where he is?" Bruce asked.

"Affirmative."

"Are those bubbles?" Tony asked.

"Affirmative."

"Which means he is in some sort of green liquid," Bruce said.

"What are these black images?" Loki asked.

"They could be people he's seeing, but they're distorted due to whatever he's floating in."

"Is that an octopus?" Tony asked, pointing to the red object.

"Scanning," Jarvis said. "Negative. It is not an octopus."

"Then what is it?!"

"It is this!"

The image became clearer as they looked at the screen and Tony growled.

On the screen was the symbol for HYDRA.

"Holy hell!" Tony snarled.

"Whoa!" Bruce said.

"Hydra cloned me!?" Loki cried.

"Looks like," Tony said.

"Do you think Fury knows about this?" Bruce asked.

"I wouldn't put it past him."

"We need to see him." Loki said shortly.

"Yeah, we will, but you need to calm down."

"Get him here now!"

"Sir, I have contacted SHIELD and told Colonel Fury you need to see him immediately. He will be here in ten minutes," Jarvis said.

"Thanks," Tony said.

"Why don't we go upstairs and you can introduce us to your fiance?" Bruce asked and Loki nodded. They left the lab when one of the drawings fell silently to the floor and slid under the table.

Rhiannon and Max were with Steve, Clint and Natasha in the kitchen while Max nibbled on some cookies and Rhiannon was talking with Natasha. She was amazed with the stories of how they all got together due to Loki and thought it was sad that Steve had to spend years frozen in ice.

"Well, who do we have here?!" Tony asked as he, Bruce, and Loki walked in the the kitchen.

"Uncle Tony!" Max said as he got off the chair and Tony lifted him up.

"Hey, kid! It's my favorite cookie monster!" Tony said, giving Max a hug.

"I would like to introduce my betrothed, Rhiannon Lyr," Loki said and she smiled at them. "This is Tony Stark and Bruce Banner."

"Pleased to meet you," Rhiannon said politely.

Tony grinned. "Well, Reindeer Games, you sure know how to pick 'em." He nudged Loki.

Rhiannon was puzzled. "Reindeer Games?"

"That's Tony's nickname for me," Loki explained. "Because of my helmet."

"It reminds me of a reindeer. And since he loves the cold . . ." Tony coughed.

Rhiannon chuckled. "I get it. Loki likes giving his kids nicknames too."

"Or anyone nicknames," Steve said. "You should see those two at one of those stuffy corporate parties. They watch everyone and give the really annoying and arrogant men and their wives hilarious nicknames."

"Remember that one guy who wore the paisley print shirt with the striped pants?" Clint giggled.

"The one who could make you go blind looking at him?" Tony clarified.

"Yeah and Loki said . . . that guy needs to call 911 Rescue My Closet! I almost died laughing."

"That man was a walking disaster," Loki recalled. He smiled at Rhee. "So how are you finding Midgard so far?"

"I like it. Your friends are very helpful." Rhiannon smiled. She looked at Loki questioningly, and he sent to her.

 _Bruce and Tony confirmed what we found out on Asgard. But we figured out who did this. It is a group of nasty individuals called Hydra. They want world domination. I will know more after I speak to Nick Fury._

As if Loki had conjured him, Fury appeared in the doorway.

"Where's the fire, Stark?" the Director of SHIELD asked.

"Right here," Tony said and Fury looked at Loki then at Rhiannon.

"Who's she?"

"This is my betrothed, Rhiannon Lyr," Loki said.

"Your what?"

"His fiance," Natasha said. Fury nodded as he saw Max and Max smiled at him.

"Hey, little buddy."

"Rhiannon, please take Max to the entertainment room." Loki requested. She nodded, picking Max up.

"Jarvis will show you where it is," Tony told her. After she and Max had left the room, Fury arched an eyebrow and folded his arms over his chest.

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?"

"It has to do with this," Tony explained. The 3D scans of Max and Loki appeared over the table as Fury examined them and scowled.

"What am I looking at?"

"These are scans of Loki and Max."

"Why am I looking at them?"

"Max has started showing signs of magic and powers which are identical to Loki's. More than that. He shares the same DNA as Loki."

"Then he really is your kid, hunh?" Fury asked, looking at Loki.

"No. Max is me," Loki said. Fury swore as he shook his head, chomping on his cigar.

"You knew?!" Tony cried, shocked.

"Not about the kid, but what happened to Loki," Fury said and Loki glared at him.

"What _did_ happen to me?!" Loki growled. His eyes flashed dangerously.

"Calm down, Reindeer Games," Tony said, holding his hands up.

The temperature started dropping in the room rapidly, plunging from a comfortable seventy degrees to thirty in seconds as the Jotun prince's temper slipped its leash.

"Whoa! Did it suddenly get cold in here?!" Clint asked.

"Loki, don't make me sedate you," Tony warned. Loki was usually so controlled and polite that sometimes the billionaire forgot that he was also a fierce Norse god and one with powers that could level a planet if he chose.

"Look," Fury said. "I'm sorry about what happened, but, at the time..."

"Tell me!" Loki hissed, his eyes flickering from green to red and then back.

"It would be better if I showed you," Fury said.

"Showed me?"

"Yeah. And to do that, we need to go to the Helicarrier."

"I'm going with you," Tony said suddenly.

"Me, too," Bruce chimed in.

"We'll all go," Natasha agreed.

"Someone has to stay here with Max and Rhiannon," Loki said.

"I'll do it," Clint offered, raising his hand.

"We better go," Fury said as they all went outside. He led them to the shuttle then up the ramp and the shuttle took off a few minutes later.

Loki sat in silence as he tried to figure out how they were able to clone him. He closed his eyes as he cleared his mind and tried to access any memory of his time on the Helicarrier.

He remembered the Avengers taking him there.

He remembered being led in chains to the holding cell and the shocked look on Bruce's face when he saw him.

He remembered his talk with Coulson and killing him.

He replayed his talk with Natasha when he opened his eyes and gave her a regretful look.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"I'm trying to figure out how all this happened," Loki murmured and she nodded.

Loki thought about talking to Thor and tricking him into the holding cell and his escape.

Suddenly, he realized something was missing. He felt like he had hidden something or blocked something out and he concentrated.

"Hel," he sighed as the shuttle glided in for a landing. They strode down the ramp and across the deck. Some of the SHIELD agents gave Loki a leery look but he ignored them and followed Fury to the small elevator.

"Why isn't he in chains?" one of the men asked.

"Why isn't he dead?" another snapped.

"Because he wasn't in control of himself when those aliens invaded," said a woman. "He was mind controlled to lead them. You think he'd be an Avenger otherwise?"

The others muttered but Loki didn't wait to hear what they said, entering the elevator.

The small elevator lowered them into the ship as Loki watched the numbers going down and Fury saw his eyes glinting angrily.

"So, how did you meet Rhiannon?" Fury attempted to distract him, but Loki stayed silent.

The doors opened and they strode down the hall, drawing attention from some agents posted there.

"Was that...?!" one of the female agents asked, looking at Loki.

"Yeah, it's Loki," her friend said with a grin.

"Damn, he is so cute!" she moaned and they softly laughed as they went around the corner.

Loki heard them, his mouth twisting up into a small smile. _Is that all they ever notice about me? I am more than just a pretty face._ Fury pushed the buttons on the control panel. The doors hissed open as they walked into a room and Loki's heart froze.

Before him was the holding cell.

"What are we doing here?" Natasha asked.

"This is where it happened," Fury said, walking to the computer panel and typed on the keyboard. The screens clicked on as they gathered around him and Loki watched the screen.

"What are we looking at?" Steve asked.

"This is security footage of when Loki was in the holding cell," Fury said and they watched Loki pacing the cell. Tony and Bruce checked the readings on the screen and Tony was surprised to see how low Loki's body temperature was compared the rest of the room.

"Is that normal?" Tony asked and Loki looked at the scan.

"For me, yes," Loki said with a nod. They watched as an agent walked in the room and walked to the cell.

 _"Well, it looks like I have company," Loki on the screen said with a grin._

 _"Stand back," the agent said._

"Does it look like he has something in his hand?" Bruce asked. Fury typed on the keyboard and they could just see a taser gun in his right hand.

 _"You're afraid of me," Loki said. "Good. You should be."_

 _"I said stand back!"_

 _"As you wish."_

 _Loki stood back as the door opened and the agent walked in the cell. Before Loki could cast a spell or move, the agent took aim and fired the taser gun. The electricity hit Loki as his body jerked and he fell to the floor._

"What the hell?!" Tony asked and looked at Fury. "Why did he do that?!"

"Watch," Fury said.

 _The unknown agent walked to Loki then knelt beside him._

 _"Still awake?! Good!" the agent said._

 _"I am going to destroy you!" Loki hissed._

 _"No, you're not."_

 _"What are you going to do?!"_

 _"Oh, I'm just going to take some hair and blood."_

 _"Why?!"_

 _"So we can find out how to destroy you."_

 _"Thor would never allow this!"_

 _"He gave his ok after the Colonel explained things to him."_

Loki glared at Fury as the room became chilly and Fury sighed.

"He's lying," Fury soothed. "I would never have asked that and Thor would have kicked my ass if I dared." Loki looked back at the screen as he tried to hold back his anger and Natasha placed a hand on his upper arm.

 _"All of you are going to burn once I'm free!" Loki said and the agent laughed. The agent removed the syringe from his pocket as he jabbed the needle into Loki's neck and Loki screamed. "Stop!"_

 _"Did you stop after you killed all those people?!"_

 _"I... I...," he said as the pain increased then he cast a spell to bury the memory of what was happening into the furthest reaches of his mind._

 _After the agent had drawn the blood, he placed the syringe into a small metal case and used scissors to cut some of Loki's hair. He placed the hair into the small metal case when he stood up, kicked Loki in the side then left left the cell. Loki's eyes closed as he sighed and the glass of the cell frosted over._

"Do you have any idea who that agent was?" Tony queried.

"Nope. His image was pixelated so we can't see who he is. His voice was altered as well," Fury admitted.

"How convenient," Loki spat as he crossed to the holding cell and Fury pushed the buttons. The doors hissed open as Loki walked in and paced about the cell. He felt a cold shiver run through him then he shook off the fear and shifted into his wolf form.

"Wow," Steve said. Loki sniffed the floor as he tried to categorize the scents and sneezed at the scent of a strong aftershave.

"Find anything, Flea Bait?" Tony teased and Loki gave him a narrow-eyed Look. Changing back, he walked to Fury and sighed.

"I was able to pick up a scent that is not mine, yours, or Thor's," Loki informed him.

"Do you think you can identify who it belongs to?" Fury asked.

"The only way I can do that is if I had free access to the Helicarrier."

"Or you had everyone go on deck for inspection," Steve suggested.

"That would make it easier," Loki agreed.

"I'll do it," Fury said quietly. "I want to catch this sonofabitch! What he did was illegal . . .extremely so. We aren't like those Nazi mothers!"

"I believe one of those Nazi mothers, as you put it, infiltrated your organization and did this to me." Loki put in.

Clearly that idea did not set well with Fury and he scowled and chomped down on his cigar. Then he used the PA system to gather all the agents on deck for a surprise inspection.

When everyone had assembled, Fury went on deck followed by the Avengers. Loki walked a few paces behind Fury, his nose working to find the scent of the aftershave.

They went down the rows, Nick eyeing everyone sharply, waiting for Loki to signal that he had found the rogue agent. Suddenly Loki paused before an agent towards the back of the group. The man was of average height and build, nothing remarkable. His hair was blond and his eyes were a medium brown. He looked to be in his late forties, with tinges of silver in his hair. Loki coughed softly and Fury halted in from of the man.

His name badge read **A. Smith.**

"Agent Smith, come with me," Fury ordered softly.

"Something wrong, sir?" the agent said nervously, and Loki could smell his sweat. He glanced at Loki. "What's that animal doing here?"

"Don't question me, Smith!" Fury snapped. "And don't insult our guest either."

"A guest?" sneered Smith. "Is that what you're calling him nowadays?"

"Let's go!" Furry snapped and the agent went with them into Fury's office.

However, the moment they stepped inside, Smith went for the tazer on his belt. He would have shot Fury in the back, but Loki was faster.

The taser vanished from the agent's hand and the next thing Smith knew he was hauled off the floor by his collar and dangled in the air as a furious God of Mischief snarled, "Don't even try to escape! You're going to answer a few questions first."

"Like hell I will!" the agent struggled but could not break free.

"You were gonna shoot me in the back?" Fury growled. "You damned coward!"

"I owe you no loyalty!" spat the agent, sensing his cover was blown.

Loki dragged him over to a chair and sat him in it, conjuring ropes that wrapped about the agent and held him fast. "Now, first you're going to tell me your name," he drawled pleasantly, but there was frost beneath it.

"I will tell you nothing, you monster!"

Loki rolled his eyes. "Spare me! You'll sing like a canary." He set his hand on the other's head and magically cast a truth spell on the man. He waited for it to take effect then whispered, "Now, tell me your real name."

"I'm Franz Oppenheimer."

"All right, Franz. Who do you really work for?"

"Hydra. I am one of their top spies."

Fury swore. "How long have you been here?"

"At least three years. I am a deep cover agent," Oppenheimer said smugly.

"Why did you take blood and hair from me?" Loki interjected.

"Because my superiors and I wished to make a clone of you so we could destroy everyone," Franz answered, then looked horrified. "I . . . I . . . how are you doing this?"

"Making you talk?" Loki queried wolfishly. "That's for me to know and you to never find out. So you wanted to make a weapon to take over the Earth? Did you succeed?"

The Hydra agent struggled to avoid answering but in the end it was useless and he blurted, "No . . . not at first. Despite our top scientists, the cloning method was experimental still. Many did not survive. There were three that made it through the first stages, but then two did not mature right and they died. One only survived when we removed him from the tube. But . . .he was not, as we had intended, fully grown. He was a baby. My superior, Dr. Horst, named him Maximus—the Great One."

Loki's fists clenched. That explained Max' drawings of the green bubbles. "What did you do with him?"

"The good doctor determined we would need to raise the boy in the doctrine of the Fuerher. So we gave the baby to one of our top operatives. Her name was Margot Rydah."

"Not Amelia Rider?" Loki frowned.

"That was her alias. Her name was spelled liked this," he carefully spelled it. "If you rearrange the letters it spells—"

"Hydra!" Loki exclaimed.

"We thought it very clever," laughed Franz. "So we sent the clone with his teacher and told her to raise him to be the weapon we desired."

"Did you also tell her to abuse and belittle him?" Loki demanded sharply.

Franz shook his head. "In that, we erred. We thought she would respond better to the clone, but once his powers began to emerge, she proved to be a coward. Instead of teaching the boy to revel in his power, she used force to make him suppress it. But we did not find this out till much later. The reports she sent were full of lies, and by the time we discovered the truth, our superiors in the organization determined that Margot was a liability and we needed to rid ourselves of her. So we set up a certain deal, and primed the drugs we sold her to kill her when she used them. Then no one would question how she died."

"What about Max?" Fury snapped.

"We were going to take the clone back, try another minder, but we did not reckon with NYSS. They came and fetched the clone before we could prevent it, and then he disappeared into the system. My superiors declared the program a failure and they forced the good doctor to kill himself to regain his honor."

"How about you?" Fury scowled.

"I was deemed too good of an operative to lose. So they let me live and continue my mission."

"What about the lab and the equipment they used to clone me?" Loki snapped.

"When the program was shut down, they destroyed the lab and all the research used to make Maximus." Franz replied. "I saw it done. Once a program fails, it is erased entirely."

Loki's eyes narrowed. "So you're telling me there is no way for you to make more clones?"

"No."

"And you are the only one left who knew that Max was a clone?"

"Yes."

"Good. That will make this a lot easier," he said, then he reached out a hand and clamped it upon Oppenheimer's forehead.

"What—what are you doing?" the prisoner stammered.

"Making sure you don't ever reveal this to anyone," Loki replied grimly and then he used his magic to erase all the memories he had of Max and the cloning process.

He removed his hand. "There! Now that my secret is safe, I can turn you over to Captain Fury, who will take you into custody. I'd like to kill you for what you did, but something tells me that letting you live as a prisoner will hurt you far worse than dying." He gave the Hydra agent a frigid smile.

"No! Just kill me and be done with it!" Oppenheimer howled.

"No."

"Why not? You killed before!"

"That wasn't me killing people in New York," Loki declared coldly. "I was under a mind control spell. When I kill it is for self-defense, or to protect those I love. "

"Just do it, you monster!" screamed the agent, thrashing against the ropes.

"No," Loki repeated maddeningly.

"Damn you to hell, you mother f*&^%%!"

As the Hydra agent's language deteriorated into the worst set of street slang, Fury called to his men. "Take this traitorous piece of trash and throw him in a cell. Don't listen to whatever he says. He's Hydra."

His men looked startled then saluted and obeyed, dragging Oppenheimer off.

Fury turned to Loki. "Listen, Laufeyson, I want you to know that what that slime did was not something I would ever okay—not to anyone. That kind of thing goes against every code I stand for and I apologize again for it happening to you."

Loki heard the sincereity and regret in the old soldier's voice and he said, "I don't blame you. That spy had everyone fooled. What's done is done, Fury."

"What about Max?"

"What about him? He's my son and that's all that matters."

"Are you going to tell him?"

"I will, but not until he's older. Then, he will decide who and what he is. His mind and his soul is his own," Loki said and Fury nodded.

Loki now understood how Odin felt about not telling him about his own past. Having such a burden was painful, but it was for the best. He prayed to the Norns that he was doing the right thing and sighed.

"Let's get you back to your kid," Fury said and Loki nodded.

The shuttle back to the base was just as silent as the one going to the Helicarrier. Loki peered out the window, pensive and upset. Natasha touched his hand and he turned to her. She wrapped their fingers together.

"He's still Max," she said.

"I know. I am just wondering what else Hydra has of mine," Loki said, gently squeezing her fingers.

The shuttle landed as the Avengers and Loki departed then stood back. They watched the shuttle take off as Clint, Rhiannon, and Max walked outside and Max ran to Loki.

"Daddy, Uncle Clint taught me how to burp my name!" Max said and Loki looked at Clint.

"He did?!" Loki exclaimed and Clint shrugged.

"Did you find anything?" Rhiannon asked.

"Yes," he said as he tickled Max. "I have a very talented little boy!"

"Daaaaaad-dyyyyyy!" Max said as he giggled.

"Ok, now that's over with," Tony began, laughing. "When is the wedding and are we invited?!"

"No, I thought I'd let you see the video on Youtube," Loki joked. Then he started laughing. "Of course you're invited! It's black tie and formal, naturally."

"Is it alright if I bring Laura and the kids?" Clint asked.

"Yes."

"I need to call Pepper and have her get my tux cleaned!" Tony said as he ran inside.

"Save the date, Stark! July 14th!" Loki called.

"Right!"

"If he forgets, I'll remind him." Steve said.

"Thank you."

"Daddy, are we going back now? I want to show Aleta how to burp her name," Max said.

"Say goodbye first," Loki said and Max grinned at his uncles.

"Bye!" he said with a wave.

"See you soon, buddy," Clint said. They watched the Avengers walk inside as Loki looked up and adjusted his hold on Max.

"Heimdall, open Bifrost," he called out.

"Wait!" Bruce said as he ran to Loki and Natasha was behind him. "Can we go with you?"

"Why?"

"I want to see Asgard. The way you and Thor talk about it makes it sound like paradise," Natasha said.

"And I want to also," Bruce said with a grin.

"Okay," Loki said when the golden light appeared and they stepped in the light. "Just so you know, the first trip tends to make people sick."

Rhiannon followed. "Just close your eyes. That helps."

"I never got sick!" Max informed them.

"That's because you're a teleporter, imp. Gates don't affect us like that," Loki explained.

The rainbow light flared as they soared upward and Bruce felt his stomach flip.

"Don't get sick," he chanted in his head as he heard the Hulk laughing and he sighed.

"Wimp," the Hulk said in his head.

Natasha shut her eyes and held onto Rhiannon's hand. She had the feeling of flying through space at a ludicrous speed.

The rainbow light flickered as they stepped out of the interface and Heimdall smiled at them in welcome

"Greetings," the Watcher intoned.

"This is Heimdall," Loki introduced them. "Heimdall, these are my friends, Dr. Banner and Lady Natasha Romanov."

"Hello," Natasha said.

"Hi," Bruce said, waving.

"Uncle Heimdall, I can burp my name!" Max said and Heimdall softly laughed.

"That sounds like an excellent trick," he said and Max nodded.

"We're taking my friends to the palace," Loki said.

"I will inform the AllFather we have guests."

They walked slowly across Bifrost when Bruce looked down at the Void then at Loki. He couldn't imagine someone falling into that, or the horrors which followed, as he shuddered and went to catch up with them. _Poor Loki! That must have been hell!_

They paused as the golden city appeared and both Natasha and Bruce gasped.

"Wow!" Bruce whispered.

"It's amazing!" Natasha said in a soft voice.

"This is Asgard the City," Loki explained. "But we just call it the City. That large triangular structure with all the golden walls up ahead is the palace."

Rhiannon chuckled softly. "I remember the first time I came to the city. I was dumbstruck." She went and put her arm in Loki's.

"I would be, too," Bruce said and Natasha nodded. The sound of horses made Loki look to the right when Thor and Balder arrived and Thor dismounted.

"Are you all right?" Rhiannon whispered to her fiancée.

"We'll talk later, okay?" Loki whispered back.

"Welcome, Friends!" Thor greeted, smiling broadly.

"Hello. Good to see you again," Balder said, giving a neat bow and smiling happily at Natasha.

"Hey!" Bruce said with a wave.

"It's... It's nice to see you again, too," Natasha stammered a bit, finding herself breathless. There was an unaccustomed fluttering in her stomach when she looked at the blonde warrior.

"Uncle Thor! Uncle Balder! I can burp my name!" Max said with pride and his uncles chuckled indulgently.

"Well done," Balder approved.

"I've been able to do that for years!" Thor bragged and they laughed.

"How did you know we arrived?" Natasha asked curiously. "You got here so fast."

"News travels fast around here," Thor said.

"Ah!"

"At warp speed as Captain Kirk would say," Loki chuckled. "Hardly anything gets past Heimdall and what Heimdall knows, so does my father."

"And Father sent us to escort you to the palace," Balder said.

"Ladies," Thor said as he gestured to the horses and Rhiannon and Natasha shrugged. They helped the women get onto the saddles then Loki handed Max up to Rhiannon and they rode towards the city.

Rhiannon noticed their two guests were as awe struck as she had been the first time she had come to the city, looking about with astonishment at everything at once. She knew it would take them a while to absorb all the new sights and sounds, and she rode leisurely, with Loki walking beside her horse. She sensed that beneath his calm façade, her beloved was troubled, and she wished they could be alone now so she could lend an ear.

Natasha looked down at Balder walking next to her horse and the sunlight shimmered on his hair. She knew there was something there when they met at Easter, but did he feel the same?

"What do you think?" he asked and Natasha blinked.

"This place is amazing!" she exclaimed and he nodded.

"I find Midgard just as amazing," he admitted.

"You do?"

"Yes," he said with a nod. "I can see why my brothers love it so much."

They rode by some people and a few women looked at Balder and sighed, nearly fainting.

"Does that happen often?" Natasha raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, but I ignore it."

"You do?"

"Well, when I was younger, I didn't mind being able to make friends easily, but, now, it's hard to tell if people like me for me or because of my position and my looks."

She noticed the resigned look on his face as he glanced away, making her want to lean over and pat his shoulder.

Not to mention the fact that his wife and daughter were both criminals because they had tried to murder Loki. Loki had told her that Balder had been deeply ashamed and hurt by their actions and even though he had cast them off and no longer spoke of them, Loki believed Balder was still heartbroken over how he had been used by both Karnilla and Jorunne.

They neared the palace and her heartbeat quickened. This was beyond her wildest dreams. They entered the courtyard and the guards bowed. The stable hands helped hold the horses and Natasha felt a soft tingle run through her when Balder helped her off her mount.

"You are light as a feather," Balder teased and she blushed. He put her down and held out a hand. She closed her hand over his and again felt herself thrill to his touch. Like iron to a magnet.

Loki and Thor glanced at each other when Thor shrugged and took Max from Rhiannon. Rhiannon dismounted and placed her hand on Loki's chest, looking up at him questioningly.

"Shall we go somewhere and talk?" she whispered.

"Yes," he said with a nod.

 _I'll explain what I found out to you later, Thor,_ he sent to his brother. _For now, look after our friends and Max. I need to speak to Rhee privately._

 _Alright,_ Thor sent and walked away with Max on his shoulders.

Rhiannon led Loki down the path to the Queen's Garden and the sweet scent of the flowers floated in the air. She led him to the stone bench, and after they sat down, she took hold of his hands. She waited for him to cast the privacy spell and then spoke.

"What did you find out?"

"It turns out Max is my clone," Loki began then told her what he had found out. Rhiannon was beyond shocked over the thought of mortals making a weapon out of someone as innocent and pure as Max or how her beloved was violated in such a manner.

"What do you think Fury will do with the traitor?" she asked, folding their fingers together.

"I don't care. All I care about is Max. What should I do? I remember how I felt after finding out I had been lied to about who and what I am. I never lied to any of the kids, but how can I expect a four-year-old to understand he's a clone? And how do we know if he's genetically stable? The other clones developed problems during their incubation process. I cannot stand the thought of him dying," Loki groaned, placing his head in his hands.

"Darling, think on this. Max was the only one who lived. That means he is stable."

"But will he grow up normally or will he age slower than the other kids?"

"Did you grow up normally?"

"Yes. My aging didn't slow down until I was older."

"Then it's the same for him."

"What if he hates me?"

"This is Max we're talking about. He adores you. That will not change once he finds out. You still love your father even after learning the truth, don't you?"

"Yes," Loki said then sighed.

"Think about this. You gave Max the one thing he always wanted and needed but never had-a home and a father who loves him. That is more precious than gold and diamonds. He may be your replica physically, but he is his own person inside. He has a loving heart, just like his father. He will understand why you waited to tell him."

"I _will_ tell him. When he is thirteen. Because then he will be old enough to understand what happened to me and that I still love him, no matter what."

She cupped his cheek in her hand, her fingers as delicate as a butterfly's wing against his face. "Everytime I look at Max, I can see you as a child, and it fills me with joy. I love all your children, Loki, and Max is the sweetest little imp."

Loki leaned his head on her shoulder, reveling in her touch. "You always know how to make me feel better," he murmured.

"You are my heart," she responded simply and kissed the top of his head.

"Forever and always," he said, and wished he could stay this way forever.

~0~0~0~

Odin sat on the throne observing Thor, Balder, Bruce and Natasha as they approached him and both Thor and Balder bowed. Bruce imitated the brothers as Natasha curtsied and Odin smiled.

"Welcome," Odin greeted then looked questioningly at Thor. "Where are Loki, Rhiannon, and Max?"

"Max is in the nursery and Loki wanted to speak to Rhiannon in private," Thor explained.

"I take it things went well on Midgard?"

"Yes, Rhiannon really enjoyed herself," Natasha said.

"That's good. I was worried she would have been overwhelmed."

"She's not the only one." Bruce said, looking around.

"Thor, please take your friends to their rooms. I have planned a feast to welcome them officially to Asgard."

"Thank you, Sire," Natasha said with a nod.

"Yeah. Thank you," Bruce said and Thor led them out of the room. Odin had noticed Thor seemed worried, but knew he or Loki would explain what was going on sooner or later and he sat back against the cushions.

Huginn hopped down from his perch on the throne back and began to preen Odin's hair and the king scratched the raven's head.

~0~0~0~0~

After a time, Loki stirred, lifting his head and brushing his dark hair back from his face. "I suppose we had better be going. My family will be wondering where we are."

"Will you tell them about Max?"

"Thor already knows. I did plan on telling my parents and since Thor knows Balder should too. But not the kids. That can wait until Max knows himself and then he can decide whether or not to tell them." Loki answered, rising and holding out his hand.

Rhiannon took it and stood. "Your friends are very nice. I hope that Bruce and Natasha enjoy their stay here."

"I think they will."

"Will you tell your family right now?"

"My parents, yes. My brothers whenever I can find a minute alone. "

"Are you still going on that fishing trip you were planning?"

"Yes, perhaps we should go tomorrow." Loki mused. Then he got an idea. "Would you like to come along?"

"But isn't it just you, your father, brothers and the boys?"

"Well, yes, but I figured it might do you some good to get away too. Before you get so busy planning the wedding you don't have any free time."

"I would like to, since I have never been fishing before but how?"

"Easy. I could show you how to shift into a boy."

"Is that hard?"

"For me, no. And since you are already a shifter, it will be even easier," Loki grinned. "So what do you say? Want to come fishing?"

Slowly she nodded. "Yes, why not? For once I can discover how it feels to be a boy."

After they returned to the palace, Loki went to check on Max and found the little boy in the nursery, reading one of his books.

"Imp?" Loki asked and Max looked up.

"Yeah, Daddy?" he asked.

Loki picked Max up off the couch and sat down. Placing Max on his lap, he cuddled the boy and Max leaned against him.

"I just wanted to check on you and see if you're still upset about what those ladies said."

"No, I'm not."

"You sure?"

"Uh-hunh. Know why?"

"Why?"

"Because they were being mean and, even if you and my mommy did make a baby, it doesn't matter 'cause you're my daddy and I love you."

Max's words melted his heart as Loki kissed the top of his son's head, smiling down at him.

"I love you, too."

"Are we still going fishing?"

"Yes, we're still going fishing."

"Good! I'm gonna catch a really big fish!"

"Really?!" he asked, arching his eyebrows up.

"Yep!"

"Would it be okay if Rhiannon joins us?"

"She's not a boy!"

"She can shift into one. Well, she will once I show her how."

"Then it's ok. Just hope she does scream when she sees a worm."

"If she does, don't laugh."

"I won't," he said with a shake of his head. "Daddy, will you read with me?"

"Sure," Loki said as Max held up the book and Loki smiled.

~0~0~0~

Rhiannon saw Natasha pacing. The Healer approached the Avenger and Natasha turned to her.

"Is there something wrong?" Rhiannon asked.

"No. Yes. I don't know," Natasha said with a sigh. "This is ridiculous. I don't normally have problems when it comes to my feelings. But, when it comes to him, I turn into a mess."

"Who are you talking about?"

"I am talking about Prince Balder."

Rhiannon looked at her and she saw in Natasha the same hopeful and loving expression she had seen in Sif with Thor and a small smile appeared on her lips.

"You have feelings for him?"

"I guess," Natasha said, lifting her hands in the air.

"Have you ever felt this way before?

"No. I've dated a few guys but none of them have ever made me feel like this."

"Like your insides flutter and you are at lose for words when you see him?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"I felt that way whenever I saw Loki. But, seeing how ugly..."

"You think you're ugly?! You beautiful!"

"Thank you," Rhiannon said as she blushed. "I used to have this long scar on my face from an accident I had as a child and my father told me I was ugly. It wasn't until Loki healed me that I realized I was beautiful."

"Well, attracting a man with my beauty and charm was never a problem. I guess I'm not sure he would be interested in a relationship after what happened with his wife and daughter."

"That was . . . well it was both horrifying and shameful to all of us, not just poor Balder. But Loki told me that he made his peace with Balder during the holiday called Easter,the equivalent of our time of renewal. He believes that when Balder meets his true love his heart will mend itself. The way Loki's did when he met me."

"Loki told you that? He's pretty savvy. But that explains a lot of why Loki never dated, even though women were throwing themselves at his feet."

Rhiannon looked startled. "They were?"

Natasha nodded. "Yeah. He's a chick magnet."

"A chick magnet?"

"Means all the ladies like him. A lot. Some of them would have worshipped at his feet. But he was never more than polite and friendly to any of them. I thought . . . well I thought that he was like Thor when we first met-arrogant and stuff. But he really wasn't. That was all Thanos controlling him. He's a gentleman. He treats women with respect-all women, no matter if they are rich and pretty or not. Makes me wonder what sort of bitch he married before who couldn't appreciate that."

"She was horrible. She treated him and their children like dirt beneath her feet. Luckily though she is dead now. Even though he was divorced from her for many years, she still haunted him. But now he can lay her to rest."

"She died? Recently?"

"Yes." Rhiannon told her what had happened with Boda.

"Not to speak ill of the dead, but good riddance!" Natasha snorted. "Sounds like the best thing she did was give him Jorgy, Fenris, and Abby."

"I think so." Rhiannon nodded. "Otherwise she was-as you Midgardians put it-a waste of breath."

"Now all I have to do is figure out how to get Balder to notice me."

"Why don't you ask him?" Rhiannon asked while Balder approached and Natasha noticed how handsome he looked in his armor.

"Greetings," Balder said with a bow.

"Hello," Natasha said.

"Greetings," Rhiannon smiled.

"Lady Natasha, would you honor me by allowing me to escort you to dinner this evening?" he asked and Natasha felt her stomach flip.

"Yes, I would like that," Natasha agreed and he smiled.

Rhiannon hurried back to her room to change for supper, thinking that if the Norns were kind, then Natasha would end up being Balder's beloved the way Sif was Thor's and she was Loki's.

Loki met Thor on his way to Odin's study, and he beckoned his brother to accompany him. "You may as well come with me and hear what I say to Father," the Master of Mischief told him. "Because I intend to tell him what I would have told you."

"All right. This way you won't need to repeat yourself," Thor chuckled, his teeth glinting in his beard.

His two sons found their father yawning over some paperwork and the old king looked happy to see them. "Hello, my sons," he greeted them. "What do you wish of me?"

"Father, I brought Thor here so he could listen to what I have to tell you," Loki began, standing at attention with his hands clasped behind his back. "All I ask is that after you hear what I say, you agree to speak of this to no one else save Mother."

"That is not an unreasonable request," Odin agreed. "Does this concern your wedding, Loki?"

"No, it concerns me and Max," Loki replied.

Thor sat down in a chair across from Odin and then Loki told them what he had discovered when he visited the Avengers mansion and Nick Fury.

Odin's eye went wide in astonishment at first and then the blue orb darkened with anger.

"How _dare_ this mortal violate my son in this manner?" Odin snarled, his temper skyrocketing.

Loki was slightly shocked to see this display of temper, as he had not been around when Odin had declared war upon Adabiel, and he hurried to calm the king down. "Father, please, calm yourself! The man responsible had been caught and punished for what he did. I saw to it myself."

"Is he dead?" the king demanded abruptly.

"No, imprisoned," sighed Loki. "However, if he causes any problems I have no doubt he will be killed."

Odin huffed softly. "Very well. I would have preferred him executed by our laws, but I supposed that will have to suffice."

"Had I known sooner, I would have made him pay for what he did, Loki," Thor said softly.

"Then it's better you did not know, because then I could not have questioned him," Loki replied. "And then the truth would have never been known."

"It is a strange thing—that my grandson is also my son," Odin mused.

"In a way," Loki acknowledged. "But though Max is my replica as far as my physical body and powers, his soul and his mind are his own. The Norns allowed this to happen for a reason, and they weave as they will."

"That is so. And perhaps it is best to not question them," Odin agreed.

"Max is still my son, and that's all that matters," Loki declared firmly.

"Have you told him what you found out?"

Loki shook his head. "No. I will wait until he is older. He won't understand right now. But when he is thirteen then Rhiannon and I will tell him."

Odin met his son's eyes in shared understanding. "Just do not wait too long, Loki."

"I won't, Father," Loki promised.

"Good. Very good," the old king said approvingly. "Are we still going fishing tomorrow as planned?"

Loki nodded. "Yes. Shall we ask Bruce if he wishes to come along?" he asked Thor.

"I will ask, though Dr. Banner is not much of a fisherman. Boats make him ill."

"Perhaps he can stay and assist Stefan in the infirmary," Loki mused. "I'm sure Bruce would love to learn about our medical technology."

"He will talk Stefan's ear off," giggled Thor.

"No doubt," Loki agree, then the brothers took their leave.

 **A/N: So what did you think of my surprise? And there are more surprises yet to come!**


	53. Son of Frost and Fire

**53**

 **Son of Frost and Fire**

 _"In the latter days of the reign of the Wanderer, a son of frost and fire shall rise to be his equal." ~ Loki_

The next morning Loki woke early and dressed in casual Asgardian clothing, a green tunic and black trousers with his older leather boots. After clasping his hair back into a tail and feeding Trickster, he hurried over to Rhiannon's chambers, knocking softly on them door.

"Rhee? It's Loki."

The door opened a crack and Rhiannon stood there, dressed in a day dress. "Come in, quickly!" she hissed.

Loki slipped into the room, along with Trickster, who began to romp around with Jewel. "Good morning, love."

"Good morning," she said and kissed him lightly.

He grinned and waved a teasing finger at her. "Now, now. None of that when you're shifted into Bay, darling. Or people will talk."

"Bay?"

He nodded. "Your name as a boy. I figured we'd keep it simple and I also made up a background for you. You are Kara's distant cousin, a farmboy from the Koppmientrin region," he named the region of Asgard where most of the large farming communities were. "You were sent here for a visit and I invited you fishing. Okay?"

She nodded. "Yes. I can memorise that. I am glad you thought of something because I had no idea how to explain who I was. You are better at improvising than I am. Now, how do I shift into a boy?"

"It's the same way you shift into a hawk. You concentrate and imagine yourself as the thing you wish to become. Your magic will do the rest."

Rhiannon took a deep breath, then closed her eyes and concentrated hard. She imagined herself as a blond boy, skinny, and about thirteen years old, of average height. Cute and a bit shy. Then she willed herself to change, much as she did when she became a hawk.

Her magic responded and then she blurred into a boy. She looked down at herself. "Oh Hel! I'm wearing a dress!"

Loki snickered. "I can remedy that, don't worry. But you look quite cute as a boy." He waved a hand and she was now wearing a blue tunic and gray trousers and boots. "How does that look, Bay?"

Rhiannon looked in the mirror and found a rather unfamiliar face looking back at her. "Oh! By the Nine, I look different."

"That's the idea," Loki grinned. "That wasn't hard, was it?"

"No, it was easy. Now let me shift back so we can go to breakfast."

Rhainnon did so, and Loki changed her clothes back. "Loki, what do I tell everyone so they don't go looking for me?"

Loki thought for a moment. "Tell them you are going to the market to buy a gift for me. A morning gift."

The morning gift was a traditional gift that a bride bought to give to her groom on the morning after the wedding, and the groom did likewise.

Rhiannon nodded. "All right. I shall. But will they really believe I was all day shopping for a present?"

Loki threw back his head and laughed. "Of course, darling. Women love to shop. And you haven't done any of that recently."

"True. You are very good at this," she smirked.

"I _am_ the God of Mischief." He winked at her.

After breakfast, Rhiannon excused herself and hurried to her room.

Loki told Thor and the others to go and meet him at the lake, he would be along as soon as he spoke to Kara about tonight's dinner, which hopefully would be the fish they all caught. This was really an excuse to go and tell his friend about their subterfuge, so Kara would not give them away if anyone remarked about "cousin Bay" in her hearing. The Head Pastry Chef thought it was great fun and vowed to keep their secret.

"Now shoo, Loki! A gentkeman never keeps a lady waiting!" she flapped her dishtowel at his backside.

He turned his head and gave her a Look. "Hit me with that and I will make all your cakes fall," he threatened.

"Just get!" she giggled.

The God of Mischief went.

He met Rhiannon, now shifted into Bay, in her chambers and led her into the hall and out the front gates. "Come, Bay. Let's go find my father and catch some fish." He set a hand on Bay's arm and they teleported a short ways from the lake.

"You could have warned me." She griped, breathing deeply.

"Sorry. Do you feel sick?" he asked apologetically.

"I just need a moment." She murmured and concentrated on settling her slightly queasy stomach.

Loki waited patiently, leaning slightly on the pole in his hand. Just then he realized he only had one and replicated another for Bay.

"Problem two, I have never been fishing." Bay admitted.

"Um . . . never? Well . . . we can just say you're new to it and trying it out. You can tell them you were totally landlocked, without any rivers or lakes nearby."

"Very good. Next question, and don't judge me," she colored up slightly.

"Go ahead."

"How do you... relieve yourself with... You know . . ." she felt her face flame scarlet.

Loki fought to keep from laughing. He cleared his throat. "Uh . . . you untie the string on your trousers and pull them down and then you aim at a tree."

"Oh. Well that is very efficient." She looked around and hurried into the trees nearby. _Oh Norns! Damn my nervousness!_ She fumbled with her trousers, then felt eyes on her.

"Don't stare! I cannot do this if you are watching." She cried, spinning about.

"Okay! Not watching!" Loki bit his lip and turned around.

"Norns! You could almost put out a fire!" she remarked, sighing in relief.

Loki clamped a hand over his mouth, trying not to bust out laughing.

"Umm . . . I seem to be dripping a bit."

Loki chuckled. "Shake it a little."

"Stop laughing. I was not born with one of these." Bay remarked indignantly.

Loki tried to compose himself. "Sorry. It's just . . . you remind me of Max."

Suddenly he heard a yelp of pain.

"Bay? What is wrong?" he asked, alarmed, fearing she had been stung by a wasp or something.

There was an embarrassed silence.

"Bay?"

"I . . . caught it in my pants lacing them back up."

She waited for him to make fun of her, but instead he winced. "Ow! You have to be careful. That's a sort of . . . delicate appendage."

" _Now_ you tell me. Norns!" She limped back toward him.

"By the Nine. I'd heal it but I don't think you want me touching you there."

"I am willing to make an exception. I believe I pity you for having to live with one of these."

"It's not bad if you're used to it. Come here."

"On second thought . . ."

"Relax." Loki put a hand on Bay's arm and healed her.

"Much better!" she sighed in relief.

"Now, if you thought that was bad, just imagine what it feels like when someone kicks you there." He told her.

She paled. "It would take the wind out of you!"

"More than that. You can't stand up. That's why your father dropped on the floor when you punched him there."

Rhiannon nodded, unable to suppress a wince. "He deserved it."

"Yes. Come on, let's see where my family is."

"Yes, and hope I don't have to relieve myself again."

"Not much you can do about it if you do. Like Vince says when you gotta go, you gotta go."

"At least I know now what not to do."

"See, you learn something new everyday."

"Don't rub it in." Bay glared at him.

"Let's go," Loki was unfazed. He handed Bay the fishing pole. "You're a boy, you carry your own gear."

"I'm not really a boy though."

"Today you are. And unless your arm is broken, you would carry your pole. Or else you'd be thought a sissy girl." He informed her bluntly.

"All right, hopefully I will not have to do anything worse."

"My brothers will behave themselves. My father is there. My sons, though, might tease you a bit."

"Oh great." She sighed, and carried the pole over her shoulder, copying Loki.

"Not a lot. They aren't bullies. And I'm there and they know how I feel about that sort of thing."

"Good."

Thor saw them approaching first and waved. "Brother! Who is your friend?"

"Hey, Thor! This is Bay, Kara's cousin from Koppmeintrin."

"Hello, sir." Bay said shyly, half-hidden behind Loki.

"A farm boy! You look a bit like Kara." Thor said with a friendly grin.

"I think they're second cousins, right, Bay?" Loki looked at the boy.

"Yes... Yes sir." Her voice cracked abruptly. "What was that?"

"You're what, thirteen? Your voice will do that to you until it settles into your adult range."

"Norns. That is going to be Hel." Bay groaned.

"We all went through it. You'll live. Thor, Bay has never been fishing before, so I thought he would like to try it. Not many lakes over where he's from. Flat land, you know. And his father passed away when he was little so he's been brought up by his mother."

"Nice lady, excellent cook." Rhiannon praised her mother.

"I think that runs in your family." Loki chuckled.

"Mos... most likely."

They approached the lake and saw Balder sitting on a fallen log with his pole in the water. Nate was on the other side with his pole cast too and Odin was seated beside him. Hunter was a little ways down from Balder retying his fly. Thor was a few yards over from Nate, while Fenris and Jorgy were on the opposite bank. Max was inbetween Odin and Balder.

Bay gazed out at the sparkling asilvery water and hissed, "The voice is getting irritating."

"It'll stop. Just relax." Loki murmured.

"I miss being a girl."

"You'll be one again soon."

She grimaced. "Good because this thing rubs terribly."

Loki nearly had a coughing fit. "Ahem! Darn dust!" Then he sent, _That's because you're wearing the wrong underwear._

"I was not told to wear any different." Bay muttered, scowling.

"Nine Hells! Stop. I'll fix it." He started to cough again from trying not to laugh. "Ahem!" He made a discreet gesture. "Better?"

 _Much. Norns! There is so much room!_ she sent.

Loki bit his lip and sent _, It makes a difference the clothes you wear._

"This is strangely liberating. But this is so much better! And more comfortable." She sighed in relief.

Loki nodded and sent _Yes, we do have clothes that are easier to move in here._

"Careful, I may want to stay a boy." Bay hissed with a smirk.

"On Midgard girls wear pants and shirts," Loki reminded her. "And if you stay a boy you have to go through puberty."

"Spite! Always a catch."

"Magic always comes with a price." Loki quoted.

"Don't rub it in."

"It's a fact. Every mage knows that."

He went and sat down on the log beside Thor, and started to bait his hook.

Bay sat next to Loki with her knees together, her eyes going wide. "Norns!"

"What's wrong? You sit on a splinter?" Loki asked, concerned.

"I tried to sit with my knees together... I crushed it." She coughed, wincing.

Loki's eyes danced with mirth. "Umm . . . that's why we don't do that." He muttered, indicating his own legs, which were spread slightly apart.

Bay groaned. _Now you tell me._ She sent.

 _I'm sorry. But I don't really think about those things, you know?_ He sent back, slightly remorseful.

 _Humph! I will get back at you later._ She mock-growled.

"Loki, is your friend there well?" Balder asked, concerned.

"He's fine. Just a bit sore from the ride up here. Bay, let me show you how to put a fly on and cast. How are the fish biting today, Balder?"

"Caught five already." His brother replied.

"Did you let them go?" Bay asked, not seeing any fish lying around.

Everyone laughed.

"No, the fish are in a net in the water. They need to stay alive until we're ready to leave. Then we'll kill them and fillet them and take them home for Kara to cook." Loki explained.

"Oh. We clean them?"

"Yes. I do anyway. My brothers might have forgotten how." Loki teased.

"Loki, I have not! I cleaned them when we were camping." Thor protested.

"You always fell for that, Thor!" Loki giggled.

"Hey, Dad! Guess how many fish I caught?" Nate called.

"How many? Nine?"

"Ow!" Bay yelped.

"What's wrong?"

She sucked on her thumb. "Poked myself on the hook."

"Be careful. I don't want to have to get that hook out of your face. Stand up when you cast, Bay. Watch me."

He snapped the pole forward and the line made a perfect cast into the water.

"Clumsy for a boy." Balder drawled, teasing.

"Oh, lay off him. He's never gone fishing until now. And I won't remind you what happened to you when you first tried to cast a line in the water." Loki said, jumping to Bay's defense.

Thor smirked. "No, but I will. He caught his hook on the seat of his trousers and ripped them! Mother was not happy."

The boys giggled and Balder rolled his eyes.

"How many fish did you catch, Nate?" Loki asked.

"Three!" his son answered.

Rhiannon stood, attempting to cast her line and catching the hook on her tunic. "Spite!"

"Uh oh!" Max cried.

"I seem to have caught myself." Bay said in dismay.

"Here." Loki said patiently. He undid the hook from Bay's tunic "There! Try again. Snap your wrist. Like this." He put his hand over Bay's wrists to demonstrate and helped cast the line into the water. "Now leave it and wait."

"Yes, sir."

Loki looked over at his youngest son. "Max, how many fish did you catch?"

The sun was warm upon Bay's back and Rhiannon found herself drifting into a doze while she waited for something to bite. The boys chattered to their father, an hour went by and she almost fell asleep sitting next to Loki.

Out in the lake, there was a silver flash of scales as Jorgy swam in his sea serpent form.

"Warm day." Bay said, wiping sweat from her brow.

Hunter nodded. "Yeah, it's really hot out. Think I'm gonna swim after this."

"That sounds good," she said, imagining cool water flowing over her. Her rod twitched suddenly, and she raised her head.

Loki was watching both his rod and hers. "Looks like you got a bite, Bay. Don't pull it in yet. Let it nibble."

It twitched again. And the reel let out a bit. Bay glanced nervously at Loki. "Prince Loki? What do I do?"

The rod jerked forward suddenly, pulling her off the log. She closed both hands on the rod and rolled to her backside.

"He hooked Jorgy." Balder snorted.

She hugged the rod to her chest and started reeling like mad. "Jorgy is down river that way!" she yelled her voice cracking again. "What have I caught?"

They saw the big sturgeon leap from the water, scales glistening in the noonday sun like remnants of the Bifrost.

"My Prince! It muts be at least a hundred pounds!" she gasped.

Loki put a hand on her shoulder. "It's big all right! Play the line out. Or it's going to snap it."

Bay dug her heels into the sand to prevent being pulled into the water. "What? What do you mean?"

"Give the line some slack! So he's not pulling so hard." He grabbed Bay's waist.

At first she was shocked at the improper hold but then recalled there wasn't anything to worry about and concentrated on letting the line out. The fish fought like mad but with Loki anchoring her she could pull with all her might.

"It is going to be a fight to bring it in!" she panted.

"I wanted to see the boy get dragged in!" Thor muttered, smirking. "Loki, you ruin all my fun."

"Shut up, Thor! Keep letting it go and bringing it back. It's tiring!" he encouraged Bay. "Sorry Thor, I don't need to perform mouth to mouth again. He can't swim."

"You can do it boy! I believe in you!" Odin urged the skinny boy, watching with a keen-eyed delight.

"Thank you, My Gracious King. Stop fighting me you son of a whore!"

The fish leapt from the water again and they all could see just how large it was. The hook was embedded securely in its jaw. Its tail glistened in the sun.

"I can bring it in for the boy," Thor offered, seeing the tendons standing out on Bay's forehead.

"Let it out a bit more. Good." Loki coached. "No, let him do it. You can knock it out though." He informed his brother, thinking _no way will you steal his victory._

Odin whistled. "That is the largest I have ever seen."

The fish tired and was slowly pulled into the shallows.

"I think you caught the king of fishes, Bay!" Max yelled excitedly.

"I can assure you, I did not mean to." Bay grinned.

"This can feed everyone for supper and then some!" Loki praised, helping to reel the fish in. The huge sturgeon thrashed on the sand. "Thor, knock it out!"

Thor picked up a large branch and hit the fish. The line went limp and the fighting ended.

"This is most impressive!" The Thunder God said, admiring the big fish.

"Norns! I did that?" Bay gasped.

Loki held the giant sturgeon up. "By the Nine! It's as big as you, boy!"

Everyone cheered and Bay flushed and enjoyed the sensation of victory and belonging.

"And you get to clean the thing!" Balder reminded.

Jorgy swam up and transformed, his tunic and pants slightly damp. "Holy Valhalla! You caught the Great One! Nice going!"

"Bay, you were most impressive," Odin praised, smiling.

"What? How do I do that?" Bay stammered in alarm.

Jorgy laughed. "I'll show you, land lubber! Going to need a sharp knife."

"I was raised on a farm, Prince Jorgy." Rhiannon explained.

"Here is a knife." Balder handed Jorgy his dagger.

"And you caught a bigger fish then me!" Jorgy clapped Bay on the shoulder. "Father, sharpen it please!"

"By accident. I nearly fell asleep." She admitted.

Loki traced the runes for sharpness over the blade and it gleamed with magic.

Jorgy took the sturgeon and laid it out on the ground behind the log.

Nate whistled. "Whoa! Dad, take a pic with your phone!"

"Impressive!" Fenris approved.

"Holy shit!" Hunter cried.

"Hunter!" Odin reproved before Loki could say it.

"Sorry!" Hunter said.

"I nearly said that myself." Bay chuckled.

"You better not. Or else Dad will make you taste bitters," Max warned.

Loki gave Jorgy the knife and took his phone out and snapped several pics of the fish. "We can post this on Instagram and see what people think."

Bay looked puzzled. "I do not know what that means."

"Can't wait to see what Vince thinks! Man he's is gonna be ticked he didn't get his butt outta bed!" Hunter smirked.

"It's a Midgard term." Loki explained. "I'll tell you later."

"Look at its teeth! It's like the dinosaur of fish!" Max cried.

"Norns! I cannot believe I caught that!" Bay stared.

"It was his time to be dinner. Nate, good thing you didn't hook him, I'd have had to swim in after you, little brother." Jorgy pointed out.

"He would have pulled me in for sure." The handicapped boy predicted.

"Thank Valhalla you didn't!" Loki said.

"Clean it and magic it to Kara! She will have it ready for us by the time we get back!" Balder urged.

"Master Jorgy, if you please." Bay gestured to the older boy.

"Come over here, Bay." He helped bring the fish over to a clear spit of sand and laid it down. "Not only can you eat this, you can make jewelry from the bones. Can you carve?"

"No sir, but I am willing to learn."

"I know how. You can get a lot of pieces from him." Jorgy showed Bay the knife. "All right, we need to slice open the belly here and take the guts out." He made a firm long cut down the fish. "Good thing Father used magic to sharpen this because the hide is tough."

Bay looked pale as Jorgy started to cut.

Jorgy noticed and whispered. "Breathe, boy! You throw up and my uncles will make fun of you."

Bay gulped and nodded.

"Are you well, boy?" Odin queried, noting how white he was.

"Fine, Sire," Bay croaked.

Jorgy reached his hands in and pulled out the innards, Bay turning green.

Some ravens and sea birds hovered, screeching at the sight.

"Wait, you impatient things!" Jorgy called, waving the bloody knife about his head.

That did it.

"Holy Valhalla!" Bay gasped and ran for the tree line.

"I knew that was going to happen. All of them get sick when they see this the first time." Jorgy said knowingly, and continued.

"Did you?" Nate wanted to know.

"No. Sea serpents hunt fish, so this doesn't bother us."

He carried the offal to the side and the ravens and sea birds came and ate it.

Hunter peered at the dead fish. "Jorgy, why is it pink inside?"

"That means it will be white when you cook it. And it will taste amazing!"

"Sorry!" Bay muttered, returning.

"I told you to breathe". He cleaned the knife on the sand and began to skin the fish. "This will make a nice pouch or boots."

"You can do that?"

Jorgy nodded. "With him, yes. His hide is big enough and tough enough. He cut expertly so the skin came away in one neat piece. "See?"

"You want some water, Bay?" Loki asked, concerned.

"Give him some mead, Loki!" Thor guffawed.

"Not to rinse his mouth out." Loki disagreed.

"Yes sir. Sorry again, I did not expect the smell." _Fine boy you are,_ she thought disparagingly. _And you have operated on people, yet a dead fish makes you sick!_

Loki brought him a water skin. "That happens to almost everyone, don't feel bad."

"You want some mints?" Nate asked, holding out some TicTacs.

"Toss them here, son." Nate threw him a pack of Tic Tacs. Loki caught it and gave them to Bay." Eat this. It'll take away the taste and settle your stomach."

"Is he gonna be okay?" Max asked worriedly.

"He will be fine. Father is a medic, he knows what to do." Jorgy replied easily.

"Why didn't you cut the head and tail off?" Nate wanted to know, observing his older brother.

"I leave that because Kara will bake him. It's why I left the inner black skin too. Keeps the juices in."

"What about his bones?"

"I'll ask Kara to save them for me. Then I can carve them."

"Can I try?" Nate pleaded.

"You can but be careful. Father will skin ME if you get hurt." Jorgy warned.

Bay walked over to Loki. _Some boy I am_ , she sent. _I am surprised they do not tease me worse._

 _Father is here. They know better_. Loki sent back. Then he said aloud, "Come, the gross part is over."

"I still embarassed you." Bay said, hanging her head.

Loki snorted. "Oh please! Three of my sons puked all over my boots last time Thor and I took them deer hunting."

"Wouldn't it be funny if they found out a girl caught that fish though?" she hissed.

"Yes, but don't say anything yet. It'll be funnier if you announce it at dinner."

"The look on their faces will be priceless!" she smirked behind her hand. "My stomach... still feels a bit sour." Bay complained loudly, so they would think that was what she and Loki were discussing.

"Lucky the boy did not faint!" Thor laughed and lifted Rhiannon off her feet. "Time for the tradition of dunking the first to be ill on the fishing trip!"

"What tradition?" she sputtered.

"Thor! He can't swim!" Loki called.

Thor did not hear him and held the boy under one arm. "Balder and I just made it up! Are you ready?"

"No!"

"Thor! Nine Hells!"

"I would like to issue a protest against this action!" Bay yelped.

Thor swung the boy like a rag doll and tossed the blond into the water. "Protest away!"

Jorgy looked up from the fish. "Oh hells!" He ran and dove into the lake morphing into his serpent form.

Rhiannon hit the water and sank, struggling and clawing against the water.

Thor stared. "Where is the boy?"

"Dad tried to tell you! He can't swim!" Hunter cried.

She sank below the water and her lungs screamed for air. She kicked and tried to get back to the surface to save herself.

Suddenly a sleek silver form came and wrapped around her, towing her to the surface.

"I have you! Relax!" Jorgy hissed in her ear.

Bay coughed and gasped for air, hugging Jorgy. "Fucking... son of a... " She coughed again. " . . .Bilgesnipe!"

"What I would have said. And Father would not have washed my mouth out either. Breathe." He towed her into the shallows and then blurred back into his human shape, half carrying her.

"Thank you, Prince Jorgy. Oh!" she gasped as Balder grabbed her other arm. "How do you honestly survive each other?"

"I did not hear Loki." Thor said apologetically. "I am sorry."

"You may want to take your clothes off to let them dry." Jorgy suggested.

She turned pale again and wrapped her arms around her and shivered. "I will suffer quietly, I prefer to stay dressed."

Balder shook his head. "Nine Hels boy, Kara will cook us if we let you catch a cold." He unceremoniously pulled her tunic off over her head and she yelped.

"Balder, you deaf? Gods and Hels!" Loki came up and waved a hand over her and she was dry and so was her tunic.

Bay turned pink and crossed her arms over herself before ripping the tunic back from Balder. She was shaking with embarrassment.

"I was only trying to help." Protested the eldest prince.

Jorgy saw her back and his eyes widened at the faint web of scars. But he said nothing. Nor did Hunter, who also saw.

However, Thor could not resist blurting out, "By the Nine! Look at his back!"

Bay went red and went to yank the tunic over her head.

Loki shook his head. "Gods, Thor! Have you no tact whatsoever?"

"Who did that to you, boy?" the Thunder God demanded.

Bay clamped her mouth shut. "It . . . happened long ago."

"Yes, but who whipped you that way?" Balder asked.

"Brothers, clearly he doesn't wish to speak about it," Loki began.

But then Bay said suddenly, "It was my father. He grew angry when he caught me playing with a neighbor boy instead of doing my chores and he punished me."

"If your father were here now, I would give him what he gave you," Loki growled softly.

Bay nodded sharply. "Yes, but like I said, it was long ago." But not so long ago that she still did not feel shame over the scars.

Odin sensed the boy was upset and said, "Perhaps I may help a bit?" He rose from the log and approached Bay, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. Warmth and golden light flowed through him and healed the scars as if they had never been. "There! Is that better?"

"Oh yes, My King!" Bay cried, recalling just in time to not hug Odin like a girl.

She pulled the tunic on, smiling with joy. "Thank you, Sire."

"There is no need to thank me," Odin waved away her gratitiude. "No one should beat a child that way."

"That's what Daddy says, Bestefar!" Max chirped.

"He's right," agreed Balder.

"Would you like some cool honey tea?" asked Fenris solicitously. He handed Bay a cup of the brew.

Then she walked over to Nate. "What is that you are using?"

"This is my iPad," Nate said, showing her the tablet. "You can do a lot of things with this."

As Nate demonstrated the uses of the tablet to Rhiannon, Loki leaned over and asked, "Father, may I have a word with you?"

"Of course," Odin agreed, and they walked around the lake until they were about halfway and not going to be overheard. "You have my ear, son."

Loki walked with him down towards the other side of the lake. "This concerns the shifters and a certain type of—of psychosis we all bear." He explained how you cannot confine a shifter for long periods within four walls without sending them mad or killing them. He explained that the length of time varied based on the individual but most cannot survive more than a few hours. He told Odin that his own imprisonment nearly destroyed him and only his will and the fact he was a master of magic kept him sane before Thor broke him out.

The old man sighed and peered out over the lake, watching Hunter and Fenris push each other into the water. He looked at Loki with concern in his one eye. "Why did you not tell me that you nearly fell to madness? We could have found you another punishment."

"Because I thought you would not care. Everyone told me how I should be grateful I was not killed for what I had done and this was the best I could expect for the bastard Jotun beast I was. Fenris knew, but he was powerless to help me. So I cast my illusions because I thought better to die with at least some dignity as a man than a raving beast."

"Will you accept my apology for being so blind?" Odin asked. "I should have listened when Fenris came and told me that you were in distress, but with Bors controlling me, I was a prisoner in my own head. Still, I should have fought harder . . ."

"It's hard to fight what you cannot see. Only please change the punishment for shifters because I cannot stand to see another of my kind endure that. It is a horrible feeling. You feel like you can't breathe and the walls are crushing you . . ." He shuddered with remembered horror.

"I understand, and it will be done. It is cruel to drive a person to madness."

Loki nodded, shivering suddenly, his eyes bright with remembered pain.

Across the lake the boys stripped down to their underwear, splashing in the water. Rhiannon sat on the log near Nate, talking to him and being careful not to look at the boys.

"He does not play like other boys, does he?" the king observed shrewdly.

"I don't think he knows how. He told me he was an only child and his father died when he was young and his mother raised him."

"The poor boy. He is a good strong lad however, tenacious as well. He was not about to give that fish up."

"No and it paid off. In all the years we fished here I have never seen one that big." Loki said.

"It is very impressive, and it impressed me very much." He laughed. "I was sure he was going to be pulled into the water."

"That's why I was holding on to him."

"I saw that, but I still laugh at the way he was pulled from the log."

"It was funny! He was half asleep when it started biting!"

"I saw that. His head popped up like a groundhog hearing a call." The AllFather chuckled.

Out on the lake Jorgy and Hunter engaged in a dunking war, and Hunter complained that Jorgy was cheating because he used his serpent form to drag his brother under the water.

"Oh, boo hoo! I'm a shifter, it's normal for me to do that." Jorgy sniffed.

Hunter tackled him into the water.

Rhiannon laughed at the boys, turning in her seat to look back at them. She stood and shook her head, returning to her conversation with Nate.

Thor and Balder argued over who caught the bigger fish, and Balder accused Thor of telling the bigger fish story. A smirking Thor grabbed his brother by the back of his tunic and flew over the lake with Mjolnir and threw Balder into the water.

"That'll shut you up, Balder!" Thor hooted.

Balder gave him the finger before swimming out of the lake.

Odin shook his head. "It amazes me that they have not killed one another."

"I often wondered that myself. Or how they didn't kill me before I became strong enough magically to defend myself. That time they shoved me a barrel and rolled me down the hill behind the castle . . ."

"I remember that. They broke your arm. Frigga was in hysterics over it."

"I don't recall much after the healers gave me some medicine that put me to sleep. Well, until I woke up."

His father sighed. "I stood with her on their being punished, it was a stupid thing to do." He also recalled the demon within him gloating that Loki could have died and he clasped his arms about himself, chilled.

"I remember. I was lucky I didn't break anything else." Loki remarked. "Then I was almost in hysterics when Lucy fell out of the treehouse and broke _her_ arm."

"As was I with you. I nearly paced a hole in the floor."

Loki looked astonished. "Really? That must be where I get it from. Whenever one of my kids is hurt or sick I pace like a caged animal and drink ten hundred cups of coffee. I can't sit still because I'm worrying so much."

They saw Nate hand Rhiannon his tablet, and he showed her how it worked. She tapped at the screen, trying it out and smiling.

"When you fell from the Bifrost, I mourned you for the entirety of the two years you were gone. I nearly went to Midgard to fetch you when I heard from Heimdall you were there."

Loki stared at him in shock. "You did?"

"Yes. Not even Bors would have prevented me. Or so I believe. Why do you sound so surprised?"

"I thought myself unworthy of being loved." Loki admitted.

"Ah, Loki. That was not so. I was not the only one who mourned."

"Who else? Mother? My brothers?"

"Yes, and a certain healer that braided a ribbon of green into her golden hair."

"Rhiannon? MY Rhiannon?"

"Yes. She tried to hide it, but I saw it under her cap. I did not ask why, but I spoke to Heimdall about her. He said that your paths had crossed before and that you had helped her."

"I did. When we were younger. I found her hiding under a table in the library, reading a book. And I saved her from being beaten and thrown out. She had her hair chopped off because her father sold it for money to drink and go to the brothels. And I told her to hide back in the stacks where no one goes to read."

"I never asked the details of it, but now I see why Heimdall told me that she mourned."

"Astra came to me in a dream and she told me that the stars wrote our fates together long and long ago, and that is why we keep meeting. For I am her savior and she is mine."

"If you had not been so flippant, you would have seen her face among those gathered at your trial."

Loki sighed. "I am ashamed now she saw me at my worst."

"Don't be."

"The sword must be tempered in fire before it is strong enough to be wielded." Loki said wryly.

"Yes, because not long after her secrets were discovered. And she stood there where you once stood. She was shaking and begging for her life, promising that she would never misbehave. The people called for her death, and I saw you. She was the only person in that hall who saw good in you still. And I spared her, the only way I could. With limitations put upon her. The demon within me wished me to kill her, but I refused and that time I won." He shook his head.

Loki glanced at his father. "What else aren't you telling me, Father?"

"One day, after Frigga was attacked. I got word that a healer was needed in your cell. That you were bleeding, a bad cut. I sent for one, but they were all too afraid to go near you save one."

"I don't remember . . . so much of that time is fuzzy . . ."

"She tended your wound, the guards letting her into your cell and not wanting to enter themselves. She stood outside and reported how she moved slowly, kneeling in front of you and asking you if you wanted her help. She tended the wound, later sending the medicine that calmed you and kept you completely from madness. She also asked that you be allowed to walk in the gardens for an hour twice a day. I granted it."

"She never mentioned that to me. But then, we didn't really discuss that part of my life. I don't really like to talk about it."

"Perhaps she wants you to see yourself as the person you have become more."

"Yes. It isn't good to dwell on those memories. I locked them up in a box in my mind and they only escape once in awhile. Joanne warned me about it. She said you will never forget but you can shut them away."

"Very true. You are luckier than Thor or Balder in a way."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you were the first to find your true equal."

Loki gave him a small smile as Odin patted his youngest son's shoulder and nodded.

"How remarkable. Out of all your sons, who would have thought the rebel Trickster would be the first to find his true love? Not me."

"Be happy you did. Some are never so lucky."

"Oh I am. I thank the Norns every day for her and for my family." he glanced at his father. "You are different since Bors's spirit is gone from you. You are not angry and vengeful. Now you are at peace."

"I owe you gratitude for that."

"I didn't do it for that. I did it because you were enslaved and you deserved to be free. And because I could not stand by and let one I loved be tormented by that cruel bastard. He must have been a tyrant when he was alive."

"He was. Nothing my brothers or I did was good enough for him. I barely escaped his wrath many times myself. You will be a good king when you claim your throne." He said sincerely.

"I never thought to ever hear you say that." Loki said astonished.

"Well, hear this. Thor is not your equal, he never was. You were always the stronger son not physically but inside, the smarter one who wielded his power with great skill. You were never meant to be his equal, because you rose to become mine."

Loki remained stunned speechless.

There was a sudden stirring in the air and a chiming of bells and then Astra's spirit shimmered into view before them.

"Mom!"

"Loki, my son." She grinned at him the familiar grin they both shared. Then she turned to Odin. "Hello, old friend. So the prophecy I cited long ago has come to pass."

"It has."

"What prophecy?" Loki was flabbergasted.

"Perhaps you should tell him, my Wildcat."

"This one- _In the latter days of the reign of the Wanderer, a son of frost and fire shall rise to be his equal. And the realms shall know great change and turmoil but he shall usher in an age of peace and prosperity. And his line shall endure for all of time."_

"He never realized it until now." Odin smiled.

"When . . . when did you See this?" Loki asked.

"That was the first prophecy I Saw for Odin when he won his throne from Bors." Astra answered.

"Then she Saw one for you on the night you were born."

"What was that?" Loki queried.

"Astra?" Odin prompted.

 _"Born out of ice and fire, a son of two races and two kingdoms shall be the Wise Fool and the Champion of Asgard."_

"And it sounds right to me." Odin approved.

"I never knew . . ." Loki just stared at them.

"Loki, the subject of the prophecy never knows his own fate. For the events foretold must happen in their own time and by the choices one makes." Astra reminded him.

"Telling you would have been a terrible mistake, my son. Do you see that?" Odin asked.

"I do see that. It would have been a disaster. And you must have thought the prophecy false when I died."

"No. Because you must first know sacrifice in order to rule rightly. It is the final test of a ruler. Odin knows." Astra said.

"I do, all too well."

"The two of you have more in common than you know. More than your brothers have with him. They are good men, but they bear some of their grandsire's traits. And those you do not share."

"I see that now Astra, I hope he makes you as proud as he makes me." Odin smiled.

"I have always been proud of you, Loki. You were my greatest achievement. And I gave my most precious gift to my best friends to take care of."

"And I hope we did well by you, Astra. His bride will bear your crown."

"Aye, Spear Caster, you did. For he is what he was meant to be. And it is right your bride wear my crown. The Crown of Frost and Fire has come home and someday an heir of your blood shall sit upon the throne of Jotunheim and wear it upon her head."

"Her? Jotunheim will have a Queen?" Odin gasped.

"A Queen, yes. And her reign shall be bright and shining as the stars of her name. That much I See."

"What... What is her name?" Loki asked, still reeling from everything he had heard.

"She bears the same name I do. My name, as you know, means 'star'," his mother answered serenely.

"Perhaps one day Asgard will have a Queen." Odin mused.

"Someday, yes. And I tell you this- _The Lost Princess shall return the Valkyrie to the Throne and she shall inherit the wind_."

"A Valkyrie lives?!" Odin almost fell over.

"There is one remaining. But she is not in Asgard. But the spirit of the Valkyrie remain in all women. They simply have to discover it."

"Like Rhiannon has." Loki said.

"Yes," Astra agreed.

"I see. May she be a fair and just queen then, one who seeks peace over war."

"Indeed. May it be so. Now I must go, for I am only permitted to remain briefly in this form." She kissed Loki on the forehead. "My blessing go with thee, Loki. Remember, look at the stars and know that I am looking back at you. Farewell, Odin Wanderer! Your Wildcat watches from above!"

"Farewell, Astra."

"Farewell, Mother."

Then she faded in a burst of starfire.

Loki stood still. Not wanting to move or think. He had no idea such things had been fated for him and he silently thanked the Norns for their blessings.

"Loki? Are you all right?" Odin asked, concerned.

"Yes. I'm fine. Just overwhelmed," Loki said.

"I understand. When Astra first spoke those prophecies to me, I was too." Odin murmured.

"Did you ever have any doubts about them coming true?" Loki asked.

"No, but Bors tried his best to make sure they didn't. That is why he made me be so harsh to you. To make you feel inferior to Thor and that you would always be in his shadow," Odin said and Loki nodded. Loki thought for a few seconds when an impish grin spread across his face and Odin gave him a puzzled look.

"Can I tell Thor and Balder that I'm your favorite son now?" Loki asked and Odin burst out laughing.

Loki laughed with him, their joy mingling, identical twinkles in their eyes.

"I think we should rejoin the others now," Odin said after calming down and Loki nodded.

They walked along the shore, rejoining the group. Nate was still showing Rhiannon a puzzle game on his tablet.

Loki paused before coming up to them to pull off his tunic, trousers, and boots for the water looked cool and inviting. Wearing only his black silk boxers with small serpents on them he was about to approach the others when Odin touched his arm.

"Let me see," Odin whispered. Loki froze for a second then turned around and Odin felt his heart sink from seeing the scars which marked his son's back.

His eye traced the scars' path and was shocked to see they went as far as Loki's knees.

 _Father, I hope you are freezing in Hel for what you did to him,_ Odin thought.

"How did I never . . .?" He asked, shocled. Then he stopped, for he knew all too well just how good Loki was at casting glamour.

"Boda saw them once," Loki said. "She said I deserved them."

"No, you did not!"

"I know that now."

"Hold still."

Loki wondered what Odin was going to do when the Allfather held up his hands and a golden light streamed toward Loki. Loki felt a small ache as the golden light hit him and the scars faded until there was nothing but smooth skin.

"Father, what did you do?"

"I healed you," Odin said and Loki moved his hand around to touch his back. Some of the scars were deep enough for him to feel them, but all he felt was smooth skin and tears sparkled in his eyes.

"Thank you," he whispered. "Now I need not feel ashamed when I take my clothes off on my wedding night. Or any other night."

He turned then hugged his father and Odin lightly patted his back.

Loki thought about the scars on Max's back from the beatings Margot gave him with wire hangers and he thought how they matched the ones on his own. He had healed Max's back and, now, his own back was healed and he wiped the tears from his eyes.

Odin moved away as they returned to the others after Loki picked up his clothes and Bay smiled at him.

Nate looked up."Hey, Dad. Going swimming?"

"Yes. It's hot now." He walked over to them, his stride like a lion's all grace and power. Rhiannon's mouth went dry. "Bay, why don't you come in with me? I can teach you to swim. So next time someone throws you into the water you won't need rescuing."

"Yes, I don't enjoy swallowing half the lake." Bay said, she removed her shirt but left her pants on. He led her to the water, wading in slowly until the water was up to her waist and she faced him.

"The first thing I am going to do is teach you how to float."

"What should I do first?"

"You need to lean back against the water and relax."

"But . . . I will sink!"

"No, you won't."

He watched her lean back against the water until she was on her back and he placed his hands under her back and legs.

"Just relax and let the water hold you up."

"Your hands are holding me up," she teased and he smiled.

"Now, move your hands in small circles and lightly kick your feet."

He watched her move her hands and kick her feet and she was amazed that she was staying above water.

"Very good," he said.

"Don't let go."

"I just did," he said and raised his hands. She gasped and started sinking, but he caught her. "Sorry."

"That was mean," she said and lightly splashed him

"No splashing," he warned, wagging a finger at her and she giggled.

"Now what?"

"Now, you are going to float on your front and I will not move my hands until your ready."

"Loki! I will drown!" she squeaked.

"No, you will not. Just keep your head up."

Sighing, she went to float on her front and felt his hands holding her up. She kept her head up as she moved her hands and kicked her feet and he smiled.

"You're doing it!" he whispered.

"I am!"

"Shall I move my hands now?"

"Um... Yes," she said and he moved his hands away. She was amazed that she was still floating and he moved so he was facing her.

"Move your arms like this and kick your legs," he said and showed her how to move her arms.

"That looks silly," she said, giggling.

"It's called doggie paddling."

"Is that how a dog swims?"

"Yes. All animals can."

Rhiannon moved her arms and legs, swimming toward Loki and he held his hands out. She touched his hands and he fought the urge to pick her up and kiss her.

"Well done!" he said and Bay smiled.

"Do you know I was always told that it was not ladylike to learn how to swim? An old woman that lived nearby caught me once after my mother died wading and she spanked me for acting like a hooligan."

"That's ridiculous! Is it ladylike to drown?" Loki snorted.

"No, but that was why I never tried again."

Shaking his head, Loki sighed and rolled his eyes. "Some people . . .! I taught Nate how to swim too, though not without a safety vest on. My brothers and I all learned when we could toddle because Mother had a friend who drowned when she was a child from falling off a bridge."

"Did you learn how to doggie paddle?"

"Yes, I did and won a medal for being the best paddler in my class."

"Can you swim so well because you can shift also?

"Yes. I have to when I shift into a fish or water mammal."

"Show me."

Loki shifted into an otter as he swam around his student and Bay laughed. He started sinking when Loki changed back and caught him.

"I guess I need to teach you how to tread water," he teased and brushed the hair from Bay's eyes.

Suddenly the water behind Loki exploded when Jorgy appeared and dunked his father under the water.

"Something tells me you have bitten off more than you can chew, Jorgy!" Bay called then quickly doggie paddled to shore while Loki broke the surface and looked at his son.

"Is that how it's going to be?!" Loki said and dunked Jorgy.

"Ha! Do you think you can take me, Father?" his son smirked. "I hear that all that time behind one of your computers has made you slow as molasses!"

"In your dreams, Guppy!" Loki said.

"Prove it! We'll race across the lake and back!"

"Teach him some manners, Loki!" Balder hooted.

"Challenge accepted!" Loki said.

"Let's go use the diving boards," Jorgy said.

"Race! Race! Race!" chanted Hunter, Fenris, Nate, and Max.

Balder and Thor dragged out a large wooden platform with two wooden mounts. They placed this down close by the lake and anchored it with wooden stakes. Then Thor put two wooden boards on it like diving boards.

"What are those for?" Nate asked, wide-eyed.

Thor laughed. "You will see, nephew!"

"They need height for this. Watch!" Balder said gleefully.

Jorgy and Loki came out of the lake and climbed onto the platform and then onto the boards. They stood at the end of them, waiting.

Bay could not take his eyes off Loki, as water dripped down his tall frame, outlining his muscles and limbs. _Oh Norns!_

Jorgy flexed his muscles. "Go ahead, Uncle Thor! Give us the count!"

"One . . . two . . . three!"

On three the two shifters jumped into the air, going impossibly high and then diving towards the water. As they did so they blurred into their shift forms. Jorgy became the silvery sea serpent and Loki became a brilliant green and blue water dragon.

Bay watched them change, her eyes going wide at the sight and she watched them speed toward the far end of the lake. Mentally she cheered for Loki.

The two were like torpedoes, only their heads showing above the water. Loki had a wedge-shaped head with brilliant sparkling scales and two frills on each side of his eyes. He also had ivory horns.

"Catch me if you can!" Jorgy taunted, putting on a burst of speed.

"Save your breath, sassy brat!" Loki ducked beneath the surface and uses his tail to give him a surge of speed, overtaking his offspring as they go back across the lake. As they came near the shore, Loki twisted about and smacked the water with his tail.

"That's one! Go, brother!" Thor urged.

"Go Jorgy!" his brothers yelled.

Bay watched them fade into dots, seeing the silvery one shoot ahead. Before he knew it, he was screaming for Loki to swim, cheering and begging him forward.

On the far side of the lake, Jorgy smacked the water first with his frilled tail.

"I'm winning!" he trumpeted.

Loki just swam, concentrating on using his streamlined body and his powerful tail to propel himself through the water, shooting beneath the surface like a blue and green missile.

Halfway across the lake the two swimmers' heads bobbed to the surface and those watching begin screaming encouragement.

The green head was an inch ahead of the silver one, both swimming like lightning, the lake water frothing behind them.

"Come on, Loki! Show that young whelp who is boss!" Balder whooped.

"Go! Swim!" Bay yelled, standing in the sand.

"You almost got him, Jorgy! Hurry up!" Hunter called.

Jorgy inched up on the water dragon, cutting through the water like a silver dagger.

"Go!" Bay bellowed, his voice crackling again. But he paid it no heed.

Loki heard Bay cheer him on from the shore.

He put on one last burst of speed and his head passed his son's, touching the platform first.

Bay shrieked in excitement, laughing that he won

The two transformed back, dripping wet and laughing.

"I . . . almost had you there, Father!"

"You gave it a good try!" He slung an arm around his son, who was almost as tall as he was.

"Hunter, tell me you recorded it on your phone!"

"Sure I did, Bro! Got it all right here!" Hunter patted his pocket.

"Dad, what was that creature you turned into?" Nate queried.

"That was an Asgardian water dragon, Nate. It's the fastest creature in the ocean over here." Loki replied.

"Impressive!" Bay grinned at him.

"Thank you." Loki rubbed his hair dry with a towel Balder handed him. "Did you enjoy that?" he asked and she nodded.

"Maybe when I learn to swim better, I might challenge you to a race," she teased.

"I would look forward to it."

"Daddy! I want to race you!" Max said, running to him.

"You can't swim that far, Imp," Loki said.

"No, I mean to that rock," Max said, pointing.

"Alright," Loki said and they ran off. Loki knew he could run faster than Max as he let Max get ahead of him then he ran up, grabbed him and they fell laughing onto the sand.

Odin watched his son and grandson as he thought of all the hardship Loki had gone through, but he never lost sight of what was important. His family.

"Are you alright, Father?" Thor asked and Odin looked at him.

"Yes, I'm fine," he said and watched Loki laughing as his sons piled on top of him.

"Do you need help, My Prince?" Bay giggled

"No," Loki said, panting.

The boys moved off as Loki stood and picked Max up.

"Dad, I'm hungry," Vince said.

"Hey, daredevil, you finally got up to see the sunrise," Loki teased. Vince stuck his tongue out at him as Loki laughed and Vince rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

"Dad, my stomach says it's lunchtime!" Hunter remarked.

"Okay, starving Marvin, let's see what Kara packed for us," Loki said.

Loki went to the basket and looked inside.

"Looks like some fried chicken, ham sandwiches, pickles, a three bean salad, cookies and lemonade.

"Is that for all of us or just Thor?" Balder asked.

"You're asking for another fly by, brother!" Thor mock-growled.

The boys laughed while Loki set the picnic table and Rhiannon removed the food from the basket.

"Is it always this silly?" she whispered.

"Yes," Loki whispered, nodding.

After they sat down, the food was passed around the table and Rhiannon sat next to Loki. She watched him talk to his brothers as he laughed and she sipped on some lemonade.

 _This was the perfect day,_ she thought and basked in the warmth and love of her new family.


	54. Talia

**54**

 **Talia**

 _A child of grace and beauty but feisty and stubborn as ten goats!~ Loki_

After lunch was over, they all headed back to the palace, with Loki and Bay going to bring the rest of the fish to Kara so she and Jorsi could cook it for dinner. As soon as they were beyond sight of the others, Rhiannon shifted back. Loki swapped her boys clothing out for her day dress and said, "So what did you think about being a boy?"

"It was very interesting." Rhiannon admitted. "Shall we go and give the fish to Kara?"

They went to the kitchens and left the fish in Kara's capable hands, the chef winked at them before taking them. "So who caught that big sturgeon?"

"That would be your cousin, Bay," Rhiannon said, gesturing to herself.

Kara laughed. "Well doen't he have the luck!"

"True. And I cannot wait to taste it," Loki said. He turned to Rhiannon and said, "Want to take a nap before dinner?"

"Sure," Rhiannon agreed.

They headed upstairs, where they kissed before going to their separate rooms. As Loki lay down on the bed, Trickster jumped up on him and lay on his chest, purring.

"You smell like fish," Trickster said.

"I went fishing," Loki said, scratching the kitten's ear.

"Does that mean we're having fish for dinner?"

"Yes."

"Am I going to get any?"

"If you're good," Loki said with a yawn and closed his eyes.

Soon Loki was asleep as his mind drifted off into dreams, but what he saw was a nightmare.

 _The Avengers were spread out dead on the ground at his feet and the Hydra logo was on the walls. He heard screaming when he ran and saw someone standing over the bodies of his children, his brothers, his father and mother and Rhiannon. The figure was hooded as he turned and he heard a low laugh._

 _"Hello," a familiar voice said._

 _"Who are you?!" he demanded._

 _"Oh, you know who I am," the figure said and lowered the hood. His own face looked back at him, but the hair was longer and the emerald green eyes were filled the anger and death._

 _"You're... You're me!"_

 _"You have it half right," he said as the figure walked closer and stood face to face with him. "Daddy!"_

 _"No! You can't be Max!"_

 _"I am! This is who I will become! This is who I am! An unstoppable killer and the prize of Hydra!"_

 _"No! This isn't real!"_

 _"You should have told me sooner! You lied to me! You!"_

 _"I didn't lie! I was waiting until you were older so you'd understand...!"_

 _"Like you understood!?"_

 _"Imp, please..."_

 _"I am not your little imp anymore! In fact, I hate you! No! I loathe you!" the figure said then laughed. "You should have heard your pleading for me to stop as I killed you! You begged like the coward you are!"_

 _Loki moved back as the figure laughed and Loki closed his eyes._

"No!" Loki shouted as he sat up and Trickster jumped off his chest. Loki was sweating and breathing hard as his heart slammed in his chest and tears rolled down his face.

"Loki!" Rhiannon shouted as she ran into his room and he placed his face in his hands. She ran to the bed then sat next to him and gently rubbed his back. "Loki, are you alright?!"

"Sire," the guard said as he and his friend ran into the room and she looked at them.

"He's fine. It was just a nightmare," she said and they nodded, leaving the room.

Rhiannon moved Loki until he was sitting next to her and she placed her arms around him. His sobs were heartbreaking as she made soft hushing sounds and wait for him to calm down. Once he calmed down, she moved him back and Trickster hopped onto the bed. The kitten had a handkerchief in its mouth as she took the handkerchief and she gently wiped Loki's eyes.

"I . . . I'm all right now," he said softly, his voice sounding raspy. Then he thought _, some future king you are, allowing a stupid dream to turn you into a wreck like this._

"Do you wish to talk about it?"

He shivered, wrapping his arms about her. "Are you volunteering to listen?"

"I am always here to listen, my love." She hugged him, running her fingers through his silky ebony hair. "Tell me please what troubles you."

In fits and starts, Loki told her what his nightmare had been about.

He feared he sounded like a whiny baby babbling over some silly monster under the bed. He waited for her scorn or dismissal, and wished he had warded his chambers from anyone hearing what went on inside.

Instead, she kissed the side of his head and held him tighter.

"Why did you kiss me?"he asked.

"Because you needed it."

"I must have sounded like a frightened child."

"No, you sounded like someone in pain."

"And, as a healer, you could not ignore a cry of pain."

"I couldn't stand the thought of my heart being in pain," she said and placed her hand against his chest.

"The frightening thing is it felt so real. I felt the fear and pain of those who died. I felt his hatred and anger. More so, I felt the overwhelming guilt for not telling him the truth sooner."

"Did it feel like a vision?"

"No, it didn't feel like that."

She held him for a few minutes when the sound of running came from the hallway as the kids appeared in the doorway and they looked concerned.

"Dad, are you alright?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, one of the guards said you were screaming," Hunter said.

"Your father had a nightmare," Rhiannon said as Aleta and Max ran to the bed and crawled up onto the mattress.

"What was it about?" Aleta asked.

"It was about something bad happening to everyone I care about," Loki said and they gave him a shocked look.

"Whoa!" Vince said.

Belle wondered why she hadn't sensed anything being wrong with her dad as she sighed and he held his arms out. She climbed into the bed when he hugged her and kissed the side of her head.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I should have known," she whispered.

"No, Raven, it's fine," he whispered.

Max looked at him when he crawled onto Loki's lap then knelt on Loki's thighs and gently pulled on Loki's hair.

"What are you up to, imp?" he asked with a smile.

"I want to get rid of the nightmare and all the bad stuff," Max said and Loki lowered his head. Max pretended to unscrew the top of Loki's head when he put the top of his head on the bed, blew on Loki's hair then screwed the top of Loki's head back on and Loki lifted his head. "There. All gone!"

Loki looked at his son as he felt the fear, the worry, the regret melt away and his heart thumped in his chest.

 _Laufeyson, you are an idiot. There is no way this little boy would ever hate you or not understand why you waited to tell him the truth,_ he thought and hugged Max.

"Thank you," he whispered into Max' hair.

"You know, I think we should eat dinner in here tonight," Rhiannon suggested, brushing some hair behind Loki's ear.

"Sounds like a great idea," Sam said while Thor and Balder appeared in the doorway and Loki sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Did the guards inform you I was screaming?" Loki asked.

"Yes, Father ordered us to check on you," Balder said.

"Are you well, Brother?" Thor asked.

"Yes, I just had a nightmare," Loki said.

"And I made it go away," Max said with a grin and giggled after Loki tickled him.

"Sorry if I worried everyone."

"Loki?!" a voice called from the hallway and Odin, Frigga, Sleph, Fenris, Jorgy, Natasha and Bruce entered the room and Loki started to feel embarrassed.

"I had a nightmare," he said and Frigga walked to the bed. Rhiannon got up so she could snuggle next to her son and Frigga wrapped her arms around him.

"I am glad you are well," Odin said, walking to the bed and sat down. Aleta sat on Odin's lap as Loki looked at everyone and he blinked.

Later that evening, dinner was served in Loki's room as they enjoyed the fish, which had been served with a tangy lemon sauce, new potatoes and a vegetable medley, and Loki leaned back against the pillows. Frigga told him to stay in bed and he did admit he still felt a little tired.

Suddenly Rhiannon cleared her throat and said, "I have a confession to make."

Everyone looked at her.

"I went fishing too today—and I caught the big fish we are all eating." She announced.

"But that was Bay!" Hunter cried.

"Yes, how could-?" Balder began then he gasped. "YOU were Bay?"

Thor gaped like one witless. "No wonder you had trouble reeling that fish in! Loki, did you know?"

"Of course I did," Loki chuckled. "I showed her how to shift."

"That was a fine bit of fishing, Rhee!" Jorgy chuckled. "And a good trick too!"

"You two are going to have a strange marriage," Thor muttered. "The both of you can change roles whenever you like."

Loki laughed. "It's not strange if you're a shifter, brother."

"And I much prefer being a woman," Rhiannon added.

"That was most impressive!" Odin said, amused. "You are indeed the Trickster's Bride."

They all toasted her fishing victory.

Loki smiled and quietly sipped some frost wine, leaning against the pillows. He watched how Balder and Natasha were chatting and laughing as Loki arched his eyebrows.

"What are you thinking?" Rhiannon asked, sitting next to him.

"Have you seen how my brother is with Natasha?" he asked.

"Yes, I have. She told me she might have feelings for him, but isn't sure he feels the same."

"Why would she think that?"

"Perhaps because they are from two different worlds, much like Thor and Jane were, and she thinks he may not be interested in a mortal." Rhiannon speculated.

"While that is true, Tasha is nothing like Jane was," Loki pointed out. "She is focused on her career, yes, but it does not take precedence over a relationship any longer. She has spoken to me many times of finding someone that makes her happy, someone she would be willing to set aside the mantle of Black Widow for. It's not easy, being an Avenger for a long time. And before she was an Avenger, Natasha was a spy. That kind of life takes its toll on you. It's not something you can do forever."

"Do you think she would enjoy settling down with Balder?"

"If my brother is the right one for her, yes. He seems quite taken with her," Loki observed. "I haven't seen him this animated around a woman since before he married Karnilla."

"Didn't he love his first wife?"

"Oh, he might have once. But their relationship was always an odd one to my way of thinking. She was Queen of Nornkeep, a powerful magic user, and she kidnapped Balder and refused to release him unless he married her. So he did marry her, and even though Father argued and said that a forced marriage was not valid by our standards, Balder insisted that he really did have feelings for her." Loki coughed. "I think he might have fallen in love with the one face she showed him. But he never really knew her—and once their daughter was born she became obsessed with Jorunne, and the two of them doted on the girl, making her into a spoiled brat—and not just that—she was a psychopath. The rest you know."

"That doesn't sound like a good marriage," Rhiannon remarked softly.

"Well, it really wasn't," Loki agreed. "Afterwards, Thor told me Balder hasn't really even looked at another woman. He thinks that my brother suffers from guilt and a broken heart. But perhaps that's not so any longer."

Rhiannon watched the eldest Prince of Asgard and the red-haired mortal discussing various combat maneuvers and thought that Loki was right. Balder seemed to have found a confidant-and perhaps more than that-in Natasha.

The servants cleared the plates and goblets after they were finished eating and Loki and Rhiannon were left alone. She had gone to get the book he wrote then returned and snuggled on the bed next to him. She handed him the book. Smiling, Loki opened the book and started reading one of his poems while she smiled sweetly at him.

 _In the garden..._

Balder and Natasha walked along the path as she looked at the stars overhead and he watched her, enraptured as he never had been in all of his thousand plus years of life.

 _Stop being a boy and tell her,_ Balder thought and she saw the look on his face.

"Is there something wrong?" Natasha asked.

"I... I was wondering if you were seeing anyone," Balder said.

 _He's actually nervous,_ she thought and tried not to smile.

"No, I'm free. Why?"

"Then would you . . .allow me to court you?" he asked awkwardly. _Norns, I sound like a green boy!_

"Uh..."

 _Knock it off, Romanov. Say yes_ , she thought and lowered her head. He gently lifted her chin as she looked deeply into his eyes and sighed.

"Yes, I would like that," she finally said.

His smile of delight lit up the garden as if the sun had appeared in the sky. "You would?"

"Yes," she said, but wasn't sure if she should kiss him.

"Even with my past?"

"If you knew my full past, you might not want anything to do with me."

"Tell me."

"To start with, I am a spy."

"Really?!"

"You don't believe women can be spies?!" she asked, arching an auburn eyebrow.

"I believe a woman can be whatever she wishes."

"I'm one of the best, but there comes a time when things become boring. Like how many times can you break into a place without asking yourself why? Why do it?"

"Why do you do it?"

"At first, it was for the thrill. The rush of doing something no one knows about and getting away with it. Then I convinced myself it was necessary for my country and to be an Avenger. Now? Now, I feel burned out. Like I just can't do it anymore."

"Did you always want to be a spy?"

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "I wanted to be a ballerina."

"A what?"

"A dancer."

He looked at her when he stood back and smiled.

"Dance for me," he said and she gasped.

"No. You don't want to see me do that."

"Yes, I do," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I have not done this in many years but . . . I don't think I have forgotten everything . . ." She thought back to when she was a girl and attended the Russina ballet school, back when she was young and innocent and dreamed of only one thing. So long ago, yet in some way it felt like only yesterday. Suddenly she longed for that time again, and she thought, why should I not dance, and show him the ballerina I once was?

The slippers she was wearing felt like toe shoes and the skirt of her gown was flowing enough for her to move as she stood straighter and started dancing. He watched her moving with such grace that he was transfixed and she did a low curtsy as the end.

"Bravo!" he cheered while clapping and she smiled. He helped her stand as he leaned over to kiss her hand and Natasha was surprised at the fact she was blushing.

"You dance so gracefully it is like watching the wind come alive," he praised.

Natasha felt the tears in her eyes as she blinked and he brushed the tears away with the pad of his thumb.

"No one ever said that to me before," she said.

"Then they are fools."

She nodded as he took her hand and they started walking again.

"When did you decide to become an Avenger?" he finally asked.

"It wasn't something I thought I would be doing," she said, smiling. "if anything, Loki played a big part."

"You mean while he was under that monster's control?"

"Yeah, though we didn't know it at the time."

"I have always wondered why Father allowed Thanos to do that to him."

"I have no clue."

"Could it have been Bors?" Balder thought as they walked along in silence. "We now know how he influenced Father, but to allow such a thing..."

"After we captured Loki, he and I had a talk. I'm still a little angry with him calling me a mewling quim," she said and he laughed.

"That is how any of us would know that Loki was not acting like himself. Loki has always treated women politely. Like a true gentleman, as my mother taught him."

"After everything, I decided I liked hanging out with the others and decided to stay," she said and he nodded.

"You are an amazing woman, Natasha," he said as they sat down and he took her hand, lacing their fingers together.

"You can say that after everything you have seen?"

"Yes. It is because I have seen much and met many different kinds of people that I can say with utter certainty that you are a treasure, and unlike any woman I have ever known."

"And you are just as amazing."

"Me? I am my father's peacekeeper. And the son of his handfasting which proved my parents fertile and therefore a good king and queen for Asgard. I have no flashy powers like my brothers."

"I have seen those flashy powers and, even though they are impressive, I'm not interested. What I am interested in is this," she said and placed her hand against his chest. "There is a brave and loving heart in here and it has been broken. I know what that's like. So, if you're willing, I want to help you mend it. Who knows?! You might mend mine," she said and he gave her a sad smile.

"Perhaps you are right. Perhaps with you I can mend what was shattered and discover what it feels like to trust and love again. If the Norns are kind."

Natasha tilted her head up and Balder gently kissed her. This time she could not doubt it, for sparks flew between them, and she felt the fire of desire rekindled within her. She cupped his cheek in her hand, smiling at him. He brushed the hair from her eyes, laughing softly.

"O-oh," a little voice said and they turned to see someone behind them.

Malek stood in the shadows as he started shivering and wrapped his arms around his middle.

"I am s-s-s-s-s-so sorry," he said as his stutter worsened.

"There is no need to be sorry," Balder said with a smile.

"A-a-a-are you going to pu-punish me?"

"Why would we do that?" Natasha asked.

"You weren't disturbing us," Balder said.

 _Not really,_ Natasha thought, but saw the fear in Malek's eyes.

"A-a-are you sure?" he asked and Balder nodded.

"Did you need something?" Balder asked.

"N-no. I was ju-just walking back to the pa-palace when I s-saw you."

"Why are you out so late?" Natasha asked.

"I wa-was having trouble sl-sleeping."

"What is troubling you, lad?" Balder asked kindly and Malek slowly walked over to them.

"I k-keep thinking my cousin is g-going to show up and h-hurt me."

Balder felt his heart ache when he thought of how Adabiel had abused this fragile boy with the nervous stutter and brilliant amber eyes, whose ears poked up from his mop of moonbeam colored hair.

He wanted to take the boy in his arms and hug him, but was afraid he would scare him so he simply said, "No, Malek. Adabiel will never harm you or anyone again. No one shall. Because I will protect you."

"You wi-will?!"

"Yes!"

"So will I," Natasha said.

"Would you like to live with me?" Balder asked, recalling that the boy needed a family. "I promise I will care for you like my own son." He was astonished at the words that came out of his mouth, but he did not show it. Somehow those words felt entirely right.

Malek ran to him as Balder stood and Malek wrapped his arms around Balder's waist. He buried his face against him as the tears came and Balder slowly knelt. He held the sobbing boy, hushing him and Natasha felt her feelings grow for the prince.

Malek drew away as Balder gave him a handkerchief and the child wiped his eyes and nose.

"Let us go talk with my father and tell him you are now my ward," Balder said and Malek nodded. Natasha stood and followed them and Balder reached behind him. She took his hand as they headed down the path and Malek leaned his head against Balder's side.

The three walked leisurely back to the palace, almost, Balder thought, like a family returning from a late night stroll. Amused at his own whimsy, the Asgardian god grinned. But then he thought, and why can't it be true? He would be a fool to deny that he was attracted to Natasha and she with him, and Malek he felt a different attachment to—one of protectiveness and love. Balder thought he now understood what had compelled Loki to adopt all those orphans.

He smiled down at the small elfling, marvelling that he could feel so much for one not even of his own race. Then he recalled something Loki had said to him at Easter, that blood alone did not dictate the heart's love, and what made a family was love itself. Balder smiled. He could feel in Malek an intense desire to be wanted and loved again, as he had never felt from his own blood daughter, Jorunne. Balder had loved her, but Jorunne had never returned that love, only a facade to get what she desired. But Malek was different. Malek already displayed more love and affection to him than Jorunne ever had.

He paused as Natasha and Malek looked at him and Natasha eyed him with concern.

"Is there something wrong?" Natasha asked.

"No, everything is right," Balder said. "I know we just decided to court, but I was wondering if we should skip that? After all, we know our own minds, and I'm not likely to change mine."

"Whoa! Are you asking me to marry you?!"

"You find the idea repulsive?"

"No! Not at all!"

"Then you will marry me?!" he asked with a hurt look.

"Yes!" she laughed, and while one part of her was screaming that she was crazy to agree to a marriage proposal from a man she had only met a few months ago, her heart assured her that it was perfectly fine with that decision.

His heart was soaring when he looked down at Malek then knelt by him.

"What about you? Would you mind me being your father?" Balder asked and Malek's mouth fell open.

"I... Yes!" Malek said and hugged him. Balder lifted the elf boy off his feet as Malek slid his legs around him and placed his head on Balder's shoulder.

"But we need to keep this a secret. I don't wish to outshine my little brother's day," Balder said and Natasha smiled.

"And we need to tell Odin about you wanting to adopt Malek."

Nodding, they continued into the palace, Balder grinning like he had just found the horde of Fafnir.

While Balder and Natasha were speaking with Odin about adopting Malek, who had once been the heir to a large estate back on Svartalfheim, but after he was orphaned, Adabiel took the estate and sold it, leaving Malek penniless, Loki dozed, catching up on lost sleep.

But what he saw felt different than a normal dream or the nightmare.

 _He was in the Avengers HQ, but things looked different._

 _By his side was someone who looked like he did when he was sixteen or seventeen and the boy seemed a little uncomfortable about what he was wearing. He was wearing black leather boots with gold toe guards and gold bands at the top, black leather pants, a green hooded tunic with long sleeves, the sleeves were black at the top and green at the bottom and gold cuffs, black leather gloves, a gold belt, and a gold circlet with wings on the sides and what appeared to be a horn shape v on the front._

 _"Dad, why am I wearing this?" Max asked with a sigh._

 _"You'll see, Imp," he said when they came to the doors and the doors hissed open. Tony was standing at the center of the room and Loki saw gray hair streaking over his temples._

 _"Hey, you got him to show up!" Tony said with a grin._

 _"Uncle Tony, do I have to wear this!?" Max asked._

 _"Yes, you do," he said, wagging a finger at him._

 _"Where is everyone?" Loki asked._

 _"Right over there," Tony said and Loki looked at several young people to his right. "Ok, gang, come over here and say hi."_

 _The first to walk over was a blonde haired girl and she gave them a small smile._

 _"Hey. I'm Cassie Lang, but you can call me Stature," Cassie said._

 _"Hi," Max said, with a small nod._

 _The second to walk over was a dark skinned boy with a metal shield in his right hand and he gave them a questioning look._

 _"My name is Eli Bradley or Patriot," Eli said and Loki nodded._

 _Next were two boys, who Loki noticed looked alike except one boy had white hair and the other had black hair._

 _"Whoa! It's Loki Laufeyson!" the black-haired boy said with wide eyes._

 _"Chill, Bro!" the white-haired boy said and smiled. "Hi! I'm Tommy Shepherd and this is my twin brother, Billy."_

 _"Better known as Speed and Wiccan!" Billy said._

 _"Hello, boys," Loki said._

 _Next was a blonde boy and he seemed a little bit shy._

 _"That's Teddy Altman. We call him Hulkling."_

 _"Why do they call you that?" Loki asked._

 _"Because of this," Teddy said and shifted into the Hulk. The only difference was the blonde hair and Loki felt there was something more about the boy, but couldn't figure out what it was._

 _A dark-haired girl walked closer as she smiled and something about her reminded Loki of Clint._

 _"Hi! I'm Kate Bishop or Hawkeye," she said, holding her hand out and they shook hands._

 _"Pleased to meet you," Loki said with a nod._

 _"Now, I bet you're wondering who this is and why he's here. To start, we all know the Avengers have officially disbanded for one reason or another, but the world still needs avenging. That is why I decided to form a younger version and that's you," Tony said._

 _"You already told us that," Cassie said._

 _"Yeah, but now I'm telling him," he said, pointing to Max._

 _"And what can he do?" Eli asked._

 _"I can do this," Max said. He made a snowball then he tossed it at Eli and hit him in the face._

 _"Maximus Laufeyson," Loki sighed and Max scrunched up his face._

 _"Sorry."_

 _"He can make snow?" Kate asked._

 _"He can do more than that. He's magic!" Tony said._

 _"That's what I do," Billy said._

 _"Yeah, but it's a different kind of magic. He's also our Asgardian member."_

 _"Like Thor?!" Tommy asked._

 _"Yep."_

 _"Does he even know Thor?" Eli asked and Loki began to dislike him._

 _"Yep, he's my uncle," Max said and Billy and Tommy's eyes widened._

 _"Whoa!" they said together._

 _"So, what do you say? Can he join up?" Tony asked._

 _"It's up to him," Loki said. He looked at Max while Max looked at them then at his outfit and blinked. "Do you want to be a part of... What are they called?"_

 _"We're the Young Avengers," Teddy said._

 _"Ah," he said with a nod._

 _"If I do this," Max began and Loki saw the look in his eyes. "I want to do this on my own. No coming to the rescue unless it's absolutely necessary."_

 _"Fine," Loki said with his hands up in surrender._

 _"Then, yeah, I'll join," Max said and Billy and Tommy cheered._

 _"What's your name?" Cassie asked and Loki noticed how shy Max was when he looked at her._

 _"I'm Max."_

 _"We can't call you that in public. What's your made-up name?" Teddy asked._

 _"Oh!" Max said then smiled, looking at his father. "I'm Kid Loki."_

Loki's eyes snapped open as he looked at the ceiling then rolled over onto his side and blinked.

"That was no dream," he thought as the image of Kid Loki appeared in his mind again and he saw Max fighting alongside the Young Avengers. "No, it was a vision."

A sense of relief moved through him as he got up and walked to the balcony. He looked up at the stars as he felt the cool wind blow about him and he brushed some hair from his eyes.

"Mother, please let that vision come true," he whispered then walked back in the room and the stars twinkled in the night sky.

He was about to seek out his bed again, and began to remove his green robe when a knock came at the door.

"Loki?" It was Balder. "Oh Norns, please be awake!"

"I'm up. Come in, brother." He turned towards the door and unlocked it with a wave of his hand.

Balder came in, looking harried, one tunic sleeve torn and a bandage over his left arm. He was limping slightly.

"What happened? You and Thor get into a fight? Or did Natasha do that to you?"

"No. And I wasn't assaulted either." Balder coughed awkwardly. "It-it's easier if you just come with me."

"Come where?"

"To my chambers. She is in there."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "She? Balder, Natasha isn't—"

"No, no! Nastasha is sleeping." Balder hastily reassured him. "Thor is there now trying to coax her out but . . . he's not having much success." He turned and limped towards the door.

"Balder, why are you limping?"

Balder froze. "I . . . will explain later. Just come on!"

Loki frowned. "If you're hurt and don't wish me to tend it than maybe Stef can . . ."

"No! I will let you see it later." Balder said a red flush creeping up the back of his neck. "Please, Loki, no more questions."

Loki followed but he didn't stop asking questions. "Is this some kind of wild animal you have in there?"

"Umm . . . she's wild all right," sighed his brother as they made their way down the hall.

"Where is she?

"Under my bed."

"And you want me to talk to her?

"Hopefully, yes. She doesn't seem to respond well to me or Thor."

They reached Balder's chambers and they walked in quietly. Loki gaped. A chair was overturned and it looked like someone had thrown all the books from Balder's small bookshelf around. A lamp was tilted at an odd angle and there were crumbs from an overturned plate on the rug.

"Looks like a tornade came through here." Loki observed.

"She grew excited when I went to give her a bath." Balder said.

"Balder, is Loki here?" called Thor.

"I'm here," Loki answered. "Where's the wild thing?"

Thor pointed beneath Balder's blue canopied bed.

Loki sighed and knelt, going almost prone. He summoned a ball of witchlight and sent it flitting under the bed, illuminating all the corners. But what he found was not a frightened cat or a wolf cub or other wild creature.

It was a little girl, with huge sea green eyes and curly strawberry blonde hair.

"By the Nine! That's not a wild creature! That's a little girl!"

The little girl hissed at him after Loki reached for her and he moved his hand back.

"Where did you find her?" Loki asked as he sat on the floor and peeked under the bed.

"In the midden. I went out to see if I had dropped my money pouch there when I heard a sound and saw this little girl digging in the trash heap for scraps. I know she's filthy but I can't get her to take a bath. She fought me like a wildcat when I tried to get her into the tub—will you quit laughing, Thor?! It's _not_ funny, by Yggdrasil's Roots!" a disgruntled Balder snapped.

"But brother, you couldn't have picked her up and put her in the water?" Thor chortled.

Balder glared at him. "I tried! But she's quicker than a greased pig. And she kept saying something in some language that I sort of recognize but I was never very good at memorizing languages, that was always your forte, Loki. Which is why Father made you his Ambassador to Jotunheim and not me."

"So that's why you look like Hel," Loki chuckled. "Let me see if I can get her to speak to me." She looked like a Vanir child, so he would try that language first. He laid down on the floor and said softly in Vanir, "Hello. My name is Loki. Don't be afraid."

There was a stirring from under the bed. Finally a small voice spoke. "Big man scawy."

Loki hid a smile. "My brother Balder didn't mean to scare you. Will you come out, darling?"

There came a shake of the head and then she sneezed.

"No? It's awfully dusty under there." Loki said. He conjured some candy from his pocket. "Would you like a peppermint?"

"I wike!" the child lisped and then scuttled forward like a crab and snatched the candy from his outstretched hand.

Loki noticed she was dusty and grimy but that didn't stop her from cramming the candy in her mouth.

He smiled at her. "What's your name, ladybug?"

"I Talia," she said around the peppermint. Her sea green eyes stared at him. "You no huwt me?"

"No, darling. No one here will hurt you."

"Big man twied to frow me in water!" she said indignantly.

"I see," Loki said, trying not laugh. "That water was a bath. Have you never had one before?"

She nodded vigorously. "Uh huh. Wit bubbles!"

"Ah, of course with bubbles!" He leaned in towards her. "Silly Balder forgot the bubbles, didn't he?"

"Uh huh!"

"Well . . . how about if I give you a bath, Talia? I won't forget the bubbles," Loki coaxed.

She wrinkled her brow, considering. Loki waited patiently. Behind him, Balder shuffled his boots and said, "Loki, what are you doing under there?"

"I'm trying to convince her to come out," Loki replied. "Now hush!"

"Looks like you're not having much success," his brother muttered.

Loki rolled his eyes.

Thor settled against the wall. "Let Loki work his magic, Balder."

"Do you haf pink bubbles?" queried Talia.

"I do. I have all kinds of bubbles. Want to see?"

"Yes! Kwoki show!" she crawled towards him.

He raised an eyebrow. "Can you say Loki?" He rolled the L.

"Kwoki!" she repeated.

He grinned. "Okay then." He backed slowly out from beneath the bed and allowed the tiny girl to come out.

 _She's Vanir,_ he observed. _But what is she doing here?_ he wondered.

Cautiously, Talia came out, looking about warily. Thor and Balder stayed quiet and still and Talia crept over to Loki and whispered, "Where the bubbles, Kwoki?"

"Did she just call you . . . _Kwoki_?" Thor asked, smothering a laugh.

"It's how she says my name."

Talia spun and glared at Thor. "Kwoki nice!"

"Yes, my brother is very nice," Thor grinned. "I'm Thor."

"This is Talia," Loki introduced her. "She comes from Vanaheim."

"I knew I recognized the language a little," Balder explained.

"Why is she roaming around wthout any parents?" Thor asked.

"I don't know," Loki answered. He turned to the child.

"Where are your mommy and daddy?"

"Gone."

"Do you mean they're in Valhalla?"

Talia nodded.

"Her parents are dead."

"When did they die?" Balder asked.

"When did they go away?" Loki asked, looking at Talia.

"Summer. Mama sick."

"Then Daddy got sick?"

"Yeah."

"Her parents got ill then died."

"Did she get ill ask well?" Balder asked.

"Talia, did you get sick?"

"Wittle bit. Mama give charm." She showed Loki her wrist, on which there was a delicate gold link bracelet. On it was a golden charm for health.

"She did get sick, but her mother used a health charm," Loki said and pointed to the bracelet.

"How did she get here?" Thor asked.

Loki asked her and Talia replied, "Scawy man bwung me. Say bad Talia, no want you. Then he weave." She shivered and threw her arms about Loki.

"She said some man brought her here then left," Lok said while hugging her.

"Ask her what the man looked like," Balder said.

"Talia, can you tell us what the scary man looked like?" Loki asked.

"Man scawy. Big. Wif shiny cwothes."

"He was big and was wearing shiny clothes."

"He was wearing armor?" Thor asked.

"Sounds like."

"I hate to ask, but could you use your magic to see what he looked like?" Balder asked.

Loki sighed. "Yes, but when she's asleep is best. it's traumatic to make her remember when she's awake."

"Kwoki, I want bubbles," she said and he smiled.

"Right," he said and picked her off the floor. He approached the tub and he checked the water to see if it was still warm then waved his hand. Pink bubbles appeared as she giggled and he lowered her to the floor.

He fingered the now grimy dress she wore, even torn and dirty he could tell it had once been very good quality, there was still some lace dangling in threads from the hem and sleeves. "Let's get undressed, ladybug."

She held her arms up and he pulled the dress off.

Once she was undressed, he picked her up and slid her into the water. She started playing with the bubbles then he made a plastic duck and a plastic frog appear in the water.

"Mine!" she said, pulling the toys to her.

"Yes, those are yours," he laughed.

Balder came to stand in the doorway and gaped at him. "How did you _do_ that? She _bit_ me, Loki!"

"She was scared," Loki said and Balder slowly walked over. "And she couldn't understand you." Talia looked at him suspiciously. Balder knelt next to the tub and smiled at her.

"I do apologize for scaring you," he said and Loki translated.

"Silly," she said and tossed the plastic frog at him.

"No, don't do that," Loki said.

"Sowwy, Kwoki."

"It's okay, ladybug," Loki told her. He looked at his brother. "She bit you? Where?"

"Here," Balder said and showed Loki the bite mark on his right wrist.

"Boo-boo," she said with a sad look.

"Yes, but I can fix it," Loki said and waved his hand over Balder's wrist, healing the wound.

He eyed his brother knowingly. "You were limping. She bite you anywhere else?"

Balder went scarlet. "Umm . . ."

"She bit him on the ass!" Thor reported gleefully, and doubled over laughing.

"Thank you for telling him that, Thor!" Balder huffed, blushing. Loki chuckled. Thor walked to the tub then he knelt next to Loki and Balder rolled his eyes.

"Stand up," Loki said. Balder stood and Loki walked to Balder. "Which side did she bite?"

"The left side," Balder said. Nodding, Loki waved his hand over the left side of his brother's bottom and healed the wound.

"Thank you, Brother," he said then sat back down.

"Watch her for a moment," Loki said then vanished and they looked at Talia. She eyed Balder when she held up the plastic frog and he took it. She handed the plastic duck to Thor as he smiled. Loki appeared with some of Aleta's bath toiletries and a pink hooded towel and sat down next to the tub.

"All right, ladybug. Now we're going to use this fruit shampoo and wash your hair." He made sure he wet her hair down and then lathered up the shampoo. Since this was tearless, Loki didn't worry about Talia getting it in her eyes.

He sang as he washed her. "Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high, there's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby . . ."

As he scrubbed the child's back, he noticed an odd shaped mark on her. When he washed the soap off he realized it wasn't a mark, but a tattoo. Of a flame within a crown. Loki's mouth fell open. "Thor! Look!" he cried, pointing to the tattoo.

His brother leaned in to see it. "Loki! That tattoo . . . only those of the Vanir royal house wear that tattoo."

Balder gasped. "Does that mean what I think it does?"

Loki nodded. "She must be related to King Vanmarrion."

"It's not a fake?" Thor queried.

Loki shook his head. "No. I can tell by the fact it was magically applied. Only royalty could afford to do it that way. Plus her dress and that bracelet mean that she comes from a high ranking Vanir family. No crofter's child would have such a bracelet."

"But . . . what relation could she be? King Vanmarrion has only one son and his eldest daughter married and only bore sons." Thor remarked.

"Didn't he have a younger daughter?" Balder asked.

"Yes. Her name was Ayla. But Vanmarrion cut her off because she married against his wishes," Loki recalled. "She married an Asgardian soldier named Ragnar."

"Did they have any children?"

"I . . . don't know. If they did, no one said anything. But I do know Ayla was a Vanir mystic. She could have made that bracelet for Talia."

"Didn't they pass away?"

Loki nodded. "Yes . . .several months ago,"

"Then . . . Talia could be a lost princess!" Balder exclaimed.

"Maybe. But why was there no one looking for her?" Loki pondered. "It's almost as if they did not want her." He scowled. "What an awful thing to do to her."

Thor looked thoughtful. "I had heard rumors that old King Vanmarrion did not speak with Ayla once he disowned her. Perhaps he cut all ties to her and did not wish to acknowledge his granddaughter?"

Loki looked down at the little girl happily singing and playing in the bathwater. "I have known kings to do worse. And she might be of his blood, but she cannot inherit the throne since he disowned her mother. I will know more when I see who the man was that brought her here."

"That's a good idea," Balder agreed.

"I'd better cast a spell on her so she can speak and understand Old Norse and English," Loki said, and drew runes over her head and waited for the spell to take effect. Then he asked her in Norse, "Talia, do you want to put a nightie on?"

"Yes, Kwoki! An' my big girl panties!" the little girl declared proudly.

"You better not forget those!" Balder chuckled. "I take it she is toilet trained."

"Perhaps not all the way," Loki said, then he asked the little girl, "Talia, do you use the potty?"

"Yes!" She looked about and saw it. "I go!"

"Okay, scamp!" Loki said and helped her.

"She sure isn't shy about anything," Balder mused. "Jorunne would never have let me do that."

Thor rolled his eyes. "I hate to say this, brother, but your daughter was a spoilt brat."

"You're right," Balder admitted. "And that was my fault for allowing it."

"No sense crying over spilt milk, as they say on Midgard," Loki commented. "Good job, darling!" he praised the little girl. Then he fished a sticker from his pocket and gave it to her. "That's a reward for being a big girl."

Talia squealed over the shiny unicorn sticker.

"You do think of everything, don't you, Loki?" Balder remarked.

His brother stood and put a Pull-Up on Talia. "Balder, I've been there and done this before. Twice. So I do what worked for me with Max and Aleta."

He helped the little girl with the nightgown, which was one of Aleta's with Apple Jack and Celestia from My Little Pony on it. "Horsies!" Talia cried, pointing to them.

"Yes, there are ponies on there," Loki agreed, drying her hair with magic. Then he used more magic to detangle her long hair and brushed it smooth. "There! Now you look ravishing, darling!"

"She is very pretty," Thor observed. "Just wait until Mother sees her."

"She will want to keep her," Balder predicted.

Loki nodded. "You are probably right. And if what I assume is correct, Vanmarrion won't care at all."

Loki put wee pink socks on Talia's feet then said, "Are you hungry, ladybug?"

She nodded. "I hungwy, Kwoki!" she lisped adorably in Norse.

"What shall we have sent up for her?" Balder asked.

"Nothing heavy. We don't know how long it's been since she had eaten. So . . . maybe some soup and bread with butter? Or eggs and a small amount of ham with toast?" Loki said. He looked at the child, then asked her what she wanted.

"Eggs n' ham, Kwoki!" Then she paused as if recalling something. "Pwease!"

"Very good!" Loki praised. _She's been taught manners._ His estimation of her parents went up a notch.

Balder summoned his page and sent him off with the order. Then he turned to his brother and said, "Uh, I know this is very sudden and maybe you will both think I have gone out of my mind but . . . I proposed to Natasha tonight. And I am going to adopt little Malek."

His brothers looked shocked.

"By the Nine!" Thor cried. "You _have_ been busy, Balder!"

"I'll say!" Loki agreed. "Did you speak with Father?"

Balder nodded. "We did, and he approves. I have been . . . wishing for a family ever since Karnilla and Jorunne were gone from my life. A real family—like yours, Loki. I never thought one would come and find me, but the Norns weave as they will."

"I am happy for you, brother," Thor declared.

"So am I," Loki said, clapping his brother on the back. "For all of you. I'll admit, I had been worried about someone taking care of Malek, but now I have nothing more to worry about."

Balder nodded, then asked, "You weren't thinking of adopting him, were you?"

"No, I was hoping someone else would. You will be good for the boy, Balder. Perhaps now he can relax and his stammer will get better. I think it mostly stems from nervousness and fear." Loki said.

"Aye, and if he wishes, I can get a speech tutor to help him," Balder said.

"That is sound thinking," Thor agreed.

"How about you, brother?" Loki asked mischievously. "How goes your courtship with Lady Sif?"

Now it was Thor's turn to blush. "I think it is going well. We are taking it slowly and discovering new things about each other each day . . . because even though I have been by her side for years, there are still things I didn't know and she can still surprise me."

"That's good, Thor. You don't need to rush, especially after you just broke up with Jane," Loki said. "You want to build trust with Sif. Which is what Rhee and I are doing. Every couple is different and you need to do what feels right for you."

Talia looked from one to the other when she yawned and rubbed her eye with her fist.

"Sleepy, Kwoki," she said, putting her thumb in her mouth.

"I just thought of this. Where is she going to sleep?" Balder asked.

"I'll put her in with Max and Aleta," Loki said.

"How are you going to explain where she came from?" Thor asked.

"I will tell them the truth," Loki said.

"I'll come with you," Balder said when his page returned with a tray and placed the tray on the table. "Thank you."

"Nummies?!" Talia asked.

"Yes. You can have some nummies then bed, ladybug," Loki said and carried her over to the table.

"Sit on your wap!" she said then paused. "Pwease."

Smiling, Loki sat down then placed her on his lap and she eyed the scrambled eggs and ham.

Loki handed her the spoon and she quickly scooped up some and ate it. She was clearly starved but Loki watched carefully and said, "Chew it first, darling. I don't want you choking."

"Chew," she said as she nodded and slowed down. A mug with goat's milk was on the tray. She lifted the mug with both hands and took a drink.

"She has a hearty appetite," Thor teased.

"Just like you," Balder teased and they laughed.

"I think she hasn't seen real food in awhile," Loki muttered and silently cursed whoever had left her alone to die.

"I agree," Balder said and she held out the mug.

"Mowe pwease," she said.

"Of course," Loki said, pouring more milk into the mug.

"At least she didn't smash the mug onto the floor," Balder said and Thor rolled his eyes.

"Am I never going to live that down?" Thor asked.

"No!" his brothers said at the same time and Talia giggled.

The child finished what was on her plate, then curled up on Loki, yawning. "Me sleepy. Kwoki sing?"

"Yes, brother, sing her your lullaby," Thor encouraged.

Loki wrapped his arms around her while Talia placed her head against his chest and Loki started singing.

He sang the lullaby Astra had sung to him as a newborn, and then the one he recalled Frigga singing to him as well. His mellifluous voice filled the room with its beautiful refrain.

Thor and Balder fought hard to stay awake when they lowered their heads on their arms and drifted off to sleep. Loki looked at his brothers then at the sleeping child in his arms and he carefully stood up.

"Time for all little girls to be in bed," he whispered the same thing he always said to Aleta and carried her out of the room to the nursery. He carried the child to the small bed with the pink and gold quilt and pillows, the same bed Eirunn had slept in when Tavi was away,

"Good evening, My Prince," he heard Joy say as she came out of her room adjoining the nursery.

"Good evening, Joy," he said.

"Who is this?"

"This is Talia," Loki told her about the little girl.

"By the Nine! How could someone do that to a child?!"

"That is what I wish to find out," Loki said, removing the wee pink socks, he placed the socks on the night table and pulled the blanket down. Joy watched him slide Talia under the covers, kissed the top of Talia's head, and waved his hand. A plush ladybug appeared as he slid the toy under Talia's arm and she smiled, hugging it.

"Mine," Talia mumbled, but didn't wake and Loki carefully sat on the edge of the bed.

"She seems exhausted, poor little thing!" Joy said, and smiled down at the child while clasping her hands over her belly.

"Joy?" he asked, but she shook her head.

"I'm fine. Just wondering if I will be a good mother."

"You will be. You shouldn't worry about that. I think you are a natural," Loki reassured her.

"Thank you, Sire," she said as Max and Aleta ran in the room, stopping at the bed.

"Daddy, where did she come from?" Max asked.

"Is she our new sister?" Aleta asked.

"No, spark, she's not," Loki said and told them about Talia.

"That was mean."

"Yeah," Max agreed.

"Let's get ready for bed," Joy said as she led them to the other side of the room and Loki looked at Talia.

"Let's see what happened to you," he murmured and placed his hand on her head.

His telepathy allowed him to view past memories in a person, and that was what he did now, calling up the day when the Scary Man had taken Talia away.

 _He focused on the Scary Man when he noticed the royal insignia on the jacket and it was from the house of King Vanmarrion._

 _The man was wearing the armor of the king's royal guard, and was huge-to a two-year-old-with long blonde hair in a braid and piercing gray eyes and a goatee._

 _"Come here, you little wretch!" he ordered, and his large hands swooped down and picked her up. "We're going on a little trip-to a place where bad girls go!"_

 _"No!" Talia screamed, struggling._

 _"Stop!" he snapped. "Now you listen here, you little witchling! Good girls go to the Blessed Realms, bad girls go to Asgard! And you are a very bad girl, understand?" He shook her._

 _Loki watched as the man headed for his horse when he placed Talia in a wooden cage that was strapped to the saddle and slammed the small hatch. Talia screeched as the man got on the horse and rode off._

 _The guard rode towards a shuttle hangar after entering the city, his small captive sobbing. People stared and looked the other way. He boarded a small space craft and ordered the pilot to take off, that the cargo was on board._

 _"You bad!" Talia howled. "Wemme go!"_

 _The guard laughed. "I will let you go, you little pest! You can go drop dead for all I care! By orders of His Majesty!"_

 _The shuttle landed after a long flight then the ramp lowered and the guard walked down the ramp. The cage rattled when Talia shook the bars and the guard scowled._

 _"The sooner I am rid of you the better," he growled._

 _It was dark and the stars shone overhead in the Asgardian sky. The guard muttered to himself in Vanir and walked through the landing strip and into the city. When he came to an area that was rundown and looking abandoned, he opened the cage._

 _"Your new home, Princess!"_

 _"No!" she said as he shook the cage and she tumbled out._

 _"Good-bye," he said. "No one wants you, you bad girl!"_

 _Slightly stunned, she watched him leave then curled up into a ball and cried._

Loki moved his hand back as he felt his anger building and the air in the room started to grow colder.

 _Calm down, Laufeyson,_ he thought as the toddlers and Joy approached and Joy was shivering.

"Is there a window open?" she asked.

"I'll go check," he said, getting up and walking to the window. He stood at the window, breathing softly and slowly calmed down.

The temperature returned to normal and he turned to gaze again at the small girl asleep in the bed. _They left you to die, but you were too stubborn. So be it. You won't go back. You are Asgard's princess now!_

He walked to the bed then he sat down and Max and Aleta climbed up to sit next to him.

"Daddy, why do you look angry?" Aleta asked.

"I just saw what happened to her, spark," he said in a soft voice.

"Did someone hurt her?" Max asked.

"Yes, imp, someone did."

"Whoever did must be a bad person," Max said. "Like my mean mommy."

"You're right, imp, they were bad," Loki said.

"Do you know who it was?" Joy asked.

"Yes, I do," he said as he stood, kissed the toddlers goodnight, got up and headed for the door.

"Daddy is really mad," Aleta said.

"Yeah," Max said with a nod.

"I agree," Joy said and the toddlers got off Talia's bed. Joy put them to bed then looked over at Talia and sent a prayer for her to have pleasant dreams.

Loki stormed back to Balder's room and shook his sleeping brothers awake.

"What's wrong?" Thor asked sleepily.

"I learned what happened to Talia," Loki said and they saw his eyes glint crimson for a brief instant before he regained control.

"Go on," Balder said.

Loki told them what he had seen. Thor growled and Balder balled his hands into fists. Both Odinsons looked like they wanted to beat something.

"And you are sure this man was from Vanmarrion's house?" Balder asked.

"Yes. I know all the insignia of all the royal houses of each of the Nine. He wore the flame and the crown."

"We need to tell Father!" Thor said, standing.

"You're right," Balder said.

"Come!"

Loki and Balder followed Thor as the Thunderer went towards Odin's study and the guards outside it came to attention.

"Open the door," Thor said and the guard obeyed.

Odin looked up from his paperwork as he saw his sons entering and he frowned.

"Is there something wrong?" Odin asked.

"Yes, Father, there is," Balder said and told him about Talia.

"And you are sure about what you saw?" Odin asked Loki.

"Yes, Father, I'm sure," Loki said.

"I knew Vanmarrion was cruel, but this?!"

"It was lucky I found her when I did," Balder said. "Though she's a tough little scrap."

"Not luck, fate," Thor corrected.

"Where is the child?" Odin asked,

"She is in the nursery," Loki said.

"She is half-Asgardian," Odin mused. "Does her father still have kin living here?"

"No," Loki answered. "I remember well the scandal in the news. It was said that Ragnar's parents died and he was their only child."

"Then we need someone to claim her."

"Would you like to see her, Father?" Loki asked, some sudden inspiration urging him on.

"Yes, I would."

They hurried out of the room and down the hallway. Loki quietly opened the door to the nursery as they silently walked to the bed where Talia slept holding the stuffed ladybug.

The king stared down at the sleeping babe and though this child was older than his Lanie had been when he had lost her, he recalled keenly how she used to sleep just that way, with her thumb in her mouth, her rosebud lips smiling sweetly.

"Father?" Loki asked at the sight of the strange look on Odin's face.

"Does she remind you of anyone?" Odin whispered and Loki peered at her. The way she held onto the ladybug reminded him of how Lanie used to hold the Lokitty he had given her.

"My little sister," he whispered.

"Yes," Odin said with a nod.

"Is she alright?" Balder whispered. "She looks like a little angel now."

"Indeed," Odin murmured, a strange thought occurring to him. _Perhaps she is an angel returned to us._

"Father, what are you thinking?" Loki queried.

"Do you think your mother would mind if I claimed her?"

Loki shook his head. "Not at all. Halgran told me she wanted to adopt another child-well here is what the Norns have sent-a little girl which is what she wanted."

"I agree," Thor said after walking to stand next to Loki.

"Mother will love her to pieces," Balder predicted. "Just look at her!"

"Then I shall go fetch her," Odin said, departing. Loki looked at Talia then he looked over at Max and Aleta and went to check them.

"Daddy?" Max mumbled.

"Yes, imp?" he asked.

"We're keeping Talia?"

"Yes, we're keeping her."

"Good," he said then drifted back to sleep as Loki carded the top of his head.

"Very good," Loki said.

"Our family just keeps growing," Thor chuckled.

"Yes, it does," Balder said.

"Lucky for us, we have a large palace," Loki chuckled.

A few minutes later, Odin and Frigga entered the nursery. The queen's robe swished about her ankles as she approached the sleeping babe, an odd look of hope in her blue eyes.

Frigga was struck immediately by how much the way the child slept reminded her of her lost daughter. But she knew that many children often sucked their thumb and slept with stuffed toys.

But then she recalled that Lanie had a habit of sleeping with one knee pulled up to her chest, an odd little quirk she never recalled seeing on any of her sons.

It was when Talia rolled onto her back and her tiny fingers curled into a small fist and she moved the ladybug up near her head that Frigga's heart thumped hard in her chest.

"Just like Lanie," she whispered.

"Darling?" Odin asked.

"Lanie used to do this," she said and Odin looked at the sleeping babe.

"You're right," he said in a soft voice.

Suddenly Talia made a soft sound as she exhaled, it sounded almost like "Mama", Frigga's hand went to her heart.

"That... That is how Lanie said it," she said and tears appeared in her eyes.

Balder nudged Loki. "Do you think . . .?"

"It is possible," Loki murmured.

"You would know, right?"

"Well, I'm not a priest but I know there are four possibilities when we die. One our spirits go to Valhalla and dwell there. Two they go to Hel. Three they are chosen to become Star Watchers. And four they are reborn as someone else to begin their life anew."

"How can we know for sure?" Thor whispered.

Suddenly a golden light appeared in the room like motes of twinkling stardust and Astra appeared.

"Daddy?" Aleta asked as she woke up and Max also sat up.

"Who's that?" Max asked, getting out of bed. Loki picked him up while Aleta ran to him and Astra smiled at them.

"This is Astra. My mother," Loki said.

"She looks like an angel," Aleta said.

"In a way, she is, spark."

"Astra, come see!" Frigga said and Astra walked to the bed. She looked down at Talia, then grinned and turned to Odin and Frigga.

"She is beautiful, your daughter," the StarWatcher whispered.

"Then I am right," Loki murmured. "She is Lanie reborn."

"Yes, she is."

Frigga gasped. "Oh! Are you sure?"

"Yes, darling. I am a Star Watcher. We always know," Astra replied serenely. "The Norns have chosen to gift your daughter back to you. A rare thing."

"Oh!" Frigga gasped and Odin placed his hand on her shoulder.

Astra gave them a brilliant smile, just like Loki's. "Rejoice, my friends. Your daughter has come home again. What is loved shall always return."

Loki understood that most of all as he handed Max to Thor then hugged her.

"Thank you," he whispered and she gently rubbed his back.

"I have to go now," she whispered as he drew back and she vanished into stardust and moonshine.

"Where did she go?" Max cried.

"She went back to Valhalla," Loki answered. "She can only stay a little while when she comes here."

"Why?" asked Aleta.

"Because the Norns wish it so," Thor answered.

"Let's get you back to bed," Loki said as he and Thor placed the toddlers back in bed and Max looked up at him.

"Daddy, does that make Talia my aunt?" he asked.

"Yep."

"Cool!" he said then yawned and closed his eyes. Loki watched his son fall asleep when he looked over at his parents and Odin was holding Frigga. Nodding his head toward the door, he, Balder, and Thor left the nursery.

As they did so, Loki turned to Thor and said, "I think what once was broken is now made whole again. With our baby sister returned our family is now complete."

"Until you add to it again," Thor smirked.

"Not for awhile, Thor. Not for awhile," Loki laughed huskily.

 **a/n: Just an FYI-in MCU there is no AllSpeak like in the comics so Asgardians learn languages when they are young. Royals speak several fluently.**


	55. Rhiannon's Secret

**55**

 **Rhiannon's Secret**

 _Beware of rousing a dragon's wrath, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup! ~ Loki_

Morning came with Loki being woken to the feeling of being jumped on and he opened his eyes to see Aleta, Max, and Talia on top of him.

"Morning, Daddy!" Aleta said.

"Morning, Daddy!" Max said.

"Kwoki!" Talia said.

"Good morning," he said and they moved so he could sit up. He spread his arms as they went in for a snuggle and he wrapped his arms around them.

"Shall we get dressed and have breakfast?" the Master of Mischief asked.

"Yes! Yes!" all three shouted, nearly making him deaf.

"By the Nine! Inside voices please," he told his two scamps. "That means no shouting because you're making me deaf," he explained to Talia.

He shooed them off the bed so he could get up and said, "Go have Halgran and Joy get you dressed, darlings. Aleta, let Talia borrow one of your dresses, okay? Bestemor will make her clothes but until then you can share like a big girl, right?"

Aleta nodded. "Sharing is caring."

"That's right, spark. Now shoo, I need to get dressed," he said. "You can come back in fifteen minutes and we'll go see what Kara made us for breakfast today."

Loki hurried to get dressed, knowing that three impatient toddlers would soon be banging on his door again. He wondered how Rhiannon and the rest of his children would react to learning about Talia, and how she was his new baby sister.

Soon enough, there came a knock at his door and he heard little giggles.

He pulled open the door and yelled, "Surprise!"

The three children squealed.

"Daddy, you're silly!" Aleta laughed.

"Kwoki funny!" Talia grinned.

"Dad, I'm hungry," Max said. "And so is Trickster." He was holding the striped kitten carefully.

"Okay, imps, I'm coming!" Loki chuckled.

As he walked out of his chambers, Talia held up her arms. "Kwoki, cawwy me!" she said. Then added. "Pwease!"

Loki picked her up, then glanced at his twin troublemakers. "Do you want to be carried?"

Max shook his head. "Nope! I'm gonna race Aleta to the dining room!" He set Trickster down.

The two took off down the hallway, and Loki followed at a more sedate pace with Talia. He noticed the little girl was wearing Aleta's turquoise dress and it looked adorable on her. "That's a pretty dress you've got on," he told her.

"I wike blue," Talia said.

Trickster mewoed and Loki knelt so the kitten could jump onto his shoulder.

Rhiannon came out of her chambers in a lovely lavender ensemble and grinned when she saw Loki with Trickster and a little girl coming towards her. "Good morning, Loki! Who's your little friend?"

"Rhee, meet Talia. She's my new little sister. My parents adopted her last night," he said and Talia waved at her.

Rhiannon looked startled. "They did? My, that was quick!"

"I'll explain over breakfast." Loki said. "I would give you my arm but . . ." he shrugged, indicating the two-year-old and the kitten.

"That's all right," Rhiannon demurred. "She is adorable!"

They reached the dining room and found Aleta and Max sitting at the table waiting for Loki. "Good morning, Rhee!" they chorused.

"Good morning, scamps!" she grinned, taking her place beside Loki.

Loki sat down with Talia on his lap.

"Hungwy, Kwoki!"

Rhiannon giggled softly at the way the child pronounced "Loki", finding it adorable.

"All right. Give Artos a minute to serve us," Loki explained.

Artos approached and brought Loki two plates. One had bacon, blueberry pancakes, and scrambled eggs and he set it before Loki.

He set a smaller plate of the same thing in front of Talia along with a small fork. Another server brought Loki coffee and Rhiannon tea. The server brought milk for all the children.

Inbetween bites of his breakfast, Loki told his betrothed about Balder finding Talia in the midden and how he had been called to help coax her from under the bed. He explained how Talia had been speaking Vanir, and what her origins were. He sent to her about Astra appearing to them and telling his parents that Talia was Lanie reborn.

"Amazing," Rhiannon said when Jewel appeared on the table and Trickster ran to her.

"Sister, look, we have a new friend!" Trickster said.

"This is Jewel," Rhiannon said as the kitten walked to Talia and Talia gently patted the kitten's head.

"Pwetty," Talia said.

Soon, the rest of the children arrived and sat down.

"Uh, Dad, who's this?" Sam asked, pointing at Talia.

"Kids, this is Talia. My little sister. Your grandparents adopted her last night." Loki told them. He had the rest of his children come and say hello to their new family member one by one.

He told them how their uncle had found Talia abandoned and digging for scraps in the castle trash heap and brought her inside. Upon finding out she was an orphan, Frigga and Odin had adopted her.

He didn't tell them about Astra's declaration because he wasn't sure if that should become common knowledge. He didn't wish more gossip to surround the family or to confuse the little girl. Normally most people never even knew about their reincarnated selves, which was how it was supposed to be. He suspected the only reason why Astra had been permitted to reveal that truth was because the Norns wished to bring peace to Frigga and Odin, who had grieved for their lost daughter for over a thousand years.

Soon the rest of the family arrived, with their felines in tow.

"Big kitty," Talia said and Brutus stood with his paws on the edge of the chair so she could reach him.

"This is Brutus."

"Bwutus."

"Greetings," Brutus said and allowed her to scratch his ear.

The next cat to come over was Whisperpaw. She sniffed Talia's foot then hopped onto the table and sat.

"This is Whisperpaw," Loki said and Talia gently patted the cat's head.

"Greetings," Whisperpaw said in a soft voice and a nod.

"She pwetty," Talia said.

Next came Valiant and Talia gave him a frightened look.

"Why is she afraid of me?" Valiant asked.

"Talia, why are you afraid of Valiant?" Loki asked.

"Bad kitty," she whispered.

"No, he isn't bad."

"See kitty."

"You saw a bad kitty who looks like him?"

"Yes. Hiss."

"Was this when you were looking for food?"

"Yes," she said with a nod.

"Valiant, do you know of any cats who look like you? She encountered one who might have been feral," Loki explained and Valiant thought for a few moments.

"Yes, I have seen a few which look the same as me. They are the Wildz. Feral cats who live in the woods near here. I have fought a few in my time," Valiant said.

"He isn't a bad kitty," Loki explained and Valiant hopped onto the table. The cat rolled onto his back as she watched Valiant paw at the air and she giggled. She gently patted Valiant's chest as the cat purred and his tail moved back and forth.

"She certainly isn't shy about meeting new people and animals," Odin said, sounding delighted.

"Did you think she would be, dear?" Frigga asked, beaming at her new child. "None of our sons were."

"True. But I have seen that some children, especially girls, can be shy around strangers," Odin remarked.

Tyra hopped onto the table as she walked to Valiant and Loki smiled at her.

"Greetings," Tyra said with a nod.

"This is Tyra," Loki said and Talia patted the kitten's head.

"Tywa," Talia repeated when Snowpaw appeared and hopped onto Loki's lap.

"Introduce me," the kitten demanded and Loki sighed, rolling his eyes.

"This is Lady Snowpaw Crystalshine," Loki said and Talia blinked.

"Snow," she said and Loki nodded.

"I will allow that," Snowpaw said then hopped off his lap.

"Her Highness is in a mood," Valiant said and Tyra nudged him.

Smidgen appeared next to the chair as Loki lifted him off the floor and held him on his lap.

"Hello," Smidgen said.

"Hello, Little One," Loki said then looked at Talia. "This is Smidgen."

"Mine!" Talia said and held out her arms. He carefully placed the kitten in her lap as she patted the kitten's head and Smidgen purred.

"She smells like the Flower Queen," the kitten said and purred.

"You might have just lost your cat," Odin teased.

"If I have then it's fine. She needs a pet," Frigga said.

Finally, RumpleBumple strolled over as the large tabby looked at Talia and Loki noticed the look in the cat's eyes.

"So, you found the little scrap finder," RumpleBumple said.

"You know her?" Loki asked.

"I have seen her now and then. The first time was in an alley. Someone tossed her out of a cage."

Loki wondered if this was the guard he had seen in Talia's mind.

"Do you think you can identify him if you saw him again?"

"Of course!" RumpleBumple said with a smug look.

"Boo!" Talia said when she saw the large cat and the other cats and kittens looked at him.

"That is what she used to call me. We used to play Boo," the cat said with a sigh and Loki ruffled the top of the cat's head.

RumpleBumple hopped onto the table so she could pat his head and his tail moved back and forth.

Odin looked speculatively at his wife. "Shall we hold the adoption ceremony this evening before dinner?"

"That would be wonderful!" Frigga agreed. "Balder can formally adopt Malek then too."

"Yes," he said with a nod. She knew he felt sad for not formally adopting Loki as she patted his hand and Odin gave her a small smile.

The kittens and cats went to eat from the bowls the servants had placed on top of the stairs to the balcony and Loki noticed how Odin was looking at him. Getting up, Loki walked to him when he made a small bow and Odin nodded.

"Father, is there something wrong?" Loki asked.

"I was just talking with your mother and we wish to have an adoption ceremony for Talia and Malek," Odin said.

"I see."

"I was also thinking of a ceremony for you."

"What sort of ceremony?"

"Something which I should have done long ago," Odin murmured. The Asgardian religion was not a separate thing from the kingship, in fact the king was the High Priest and the Queen the Priestess of the Norns, and could perform marriages, funerals, and blessings of the land, crops, children, and animals. This also included adoption ceremonies and a baby's first dedication to the Norns.

"Father..."

Loki knew what he was talking about, but felt it wasn't necessary now.

"Will you allow this?"

"Yes, I will allow it," he said with a grin and Odin smiled.

"Then we will have the ceremony before dinner."

"As you wish," Loki said with a nod then went to sit down.

Talia suddenly climbed on Frigga's lap and pointed to Odin's ravens who were perched on the window sill. "Mama, see birds!" Max and Aleta had told her that Frigga was her new mommy and Odin was her daddy, and Talia accepted the fact with the ease of a child who was accustomed to changes coming swiftly and without warning.

"Yes, those are my birds," Odin said then made a small whistle to summon them.

Huginn and Muninn flew down to sit on the back of the chair as Talia smiled and the ravens titled their heads side to side.

"Who is this?" Muninn asked.

"This is our daughter, Talia," Odin said.

"Greetings, Princess," Huginn said with a nod.

"Hewwo," she said.

Odin lifted her off Frigga's lap so Talia could stand on his thighs and the ravens lowered their heads so she could touch them.

"Big birdies, Daddy!" she said.

"Yes," Odin said and handed her a small herring. "Would you like to feed them?"

"Yes!" she said, taking the herring and held it up to Muninn. Muninn took the small fish from her then started eating and Odin handed her another herring. She held it to Huginn as the raven took the small fish and ate it.

"Daddy?" Talia asked and he looked at her.

"Yes?" Odin asked.

"Why have boo-boo?" she asked and pointed to the eyepatch.

"I lost my eye fighting some bad people."

"Kwoki fix?" she asked, looking at Loki.

"Ah, I'm afraid not, ladybug." Loki shook his head.

"Why?" she asked as she placed her head against Odin's shoulder.

"My magic can do a lot, but somethings even I can't do," Loki explained.

"Oh," she said with a pout and patted Odin's cheek.

"She doesn't miss a trick," Bruce mused. "Just like her brother." He nodded towards Loki.

"That's for certain!" Thor smirked. "She's very bright."

"Who must have been a handful at that age," Bruce remarked.

"Yes, Thor and Loki were, but I was an angel." Balder stated.

Thor and Loki nearly choked to death on their coffee and mead.

"What was that, Balder?" Frigga asked and he looked at her.

"We were discussing who was a handful at Talia's age."

"He said Loki and I were, but he was an angel," Thor said.

"Really?!" Odin said, arching an eyebrow.

"Then who was it who would have a tantrum if he didn't get a cookie before dinner?!" Frigga asked and laughter echoed around the room.

A soft blush moved across Balder's cheeks as he lowered his head and Natasha smiled.

"Mother!" he protested. "Thor was worse! And Loki touched everything."

"He is right about Thor," Loki said as he thought back to when Thor was changed into a toddler. "But what is the harm of touching things?"

"You broke Mother's favorite vase."

"Wait! You said I broke it!" Thor shouted.

"I was protecting Loki."

"I got spanked!"

Natasha, Rhiannon, Sif and the kids started laughing when Odin raised his hand to silence them and Talia copied his movement.

"All of you were handfuls," he said and Talia wagged a finger at them.

"Bad," she said.

"She is definitely our sister," Loki whispered and Thor and Balder nodded.

"Dad says there is no such thing as a perfect child and anybody who says they have one is trying to impress people," Vince said.

"Yeah, like that one lady who visited Laufeyson Tech with her little boy and told Dad and Derek that her son was a perfect angel and two seconds later Dad caught him peeing on the plant in his office." Lucy snorted.

"I never heard that story!" Bruce said.

"You must have been away then," Loki sighed. "I thought Mrs. Wilder was going to keel over right there. But at least she replaced my staghorn fern."

"Other people's kids!" Sam rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Dad, can you change into Toothless today?" asked Hunter.

"Please?" the rest of his kids chorused.

Rhiannon was puzzled. "What are they talking about, Loki?"

"Toothless is a black dragon on a movie they all love," Loki explained. "I promised I would shift into him if the kids helped at the farm. Which, by the way, has been bought by another farmer who needed more pasture for his sheep." He pulled out a black leather bag that clinked. "This is yours, darling. The sale brought in five thousand gold."

Rhiannon's mouth fell open. "That much?"

"Apparently the land was worth a lot more than your father ever knew," Loki said. Then he sent _Of course that doesn't include the gem mine, which was not on the property. We need to speak with my father about that still._

 _Of course,_ she replied. She picked up the bag of gold. "I need to put this in our vault."

Loki waved a hand and the bag was transported to his vault, which was now Rhiannon's as well. "Done. Anything else I can help with?"

"I would like to come and see this . . . Toothless. Why is he called that?"

"You'll see," Loki said mysteriously.

Rhiannon nodded then said, "I shall. And I have a surprise for you too." _It's time for me to reveal it,_ she thought. _The need for secrecy is past and I am done hiding who I really am. Let people judge me truly or else hold their tongues!_

"Will I like the surprise?" Loki queried.

"You'll see," she laughed. "Now quit trying to wheedle it out of me, Mistokin!"

"But I _like_ trying to wheedle it out of you," he teased, grinning.

"Not listening!" she clamped her hands over her ears, making him laugh.

"Da-a-a-d!" Lucy said, enunciating his name. "Can you?"

"Yes, Valkyrie, I can," Loki agreed.

The kids all whooped like they had been told no school for a year.

Talia scurried off Odin's knee and ran to Loki. "Kwoki, I see dwagon!" she begged, climbing on him.

Loki thought for a moment. He didn't mind her seeing him as Toothless, but he wasn't sure she ought to ride on him, she was too small and he knew it wasn't fair to have her see his kids riding him and not be allowed to.

Luckily, Frigga came to his rescue and said, "Perhaps you can see Loki be a dragon later, Talia? Because I have some fun things for you and Mama to do today—like go shopping for dresses and have a tea party with your new tea set and dolls."

"Yay!" the toddler clapped and Frigga smiled.

 _Thank you, Mother!_ Loki thought in relief.

"So what is everyone doing today?" Odin queried.

"Thor and I are going riding," Sif said, giving Thor a quiet smile which he returned.

"I'm going to show Natasha around the city with Bruce and Malek," Balder replied.

"After I visit your infirmary and speak with Healer Stefan about the diagnostic beds," Bruce said eagerly.

"You may just have to leave him there while you go sightsee," Loki chuckled. "Bruce gets obsessed with new medical technology."

"Hey, you would too if you had a chance to see something like this. Nothing like this even exists on Earth," the doctor replied, looking very excited.

"They are a marvel," Rhiannon agreed.

"See? She agrees with me."

"Naturally," Loki nodded.

After everyone had finished breakfast, Loki and Rhiannon led the kids outside and down the winding path of succulent shrubs and a small cobblestone wall to the beach. The children were joking and laughing, obviously very excited to see Loki become Toothless. Loki smiled at their enthusiasm, happy to be surrounded by his family, with no urgent obligations thrust upon him, free to enjoy the day.

Rhiannon was carefree also, happy to be away from the preparations for the wedding for the morning at least, and to simply enjoy herself with her new family. So much had happened in the last two months that she felt as if she had been at the center of a whirlwind, her world turned upside down and then right side up again. In a good way, but still rather unsettling. Yet now she could concentrate on nothing but being with Loki and the children, which was what she wanted most at this time. Her diamond ring flashed like a fallen star as the sun struck it, and she gazed at it and smiled at the promise it represented of things to come.

The kids gathered around as Loki stood back and Rhiannon watched him shift into a dragon with black scales. He slashed the sand with his tail as she approached and he lowered his head.

"No, you have to do this," Serena said as she walked to Loki, held out her hand, turned her head and closed her eyes. Loki sniffed her hand when he nuzzled her palm and placed his nose against her palm. Serena opened her eyes as he moved his head back and panted.

Rhiannon noticed there were no teeth in his mouth as she walked up to him.

"Can you talk without teeth?" she asked.

"Yes, I can talk just fine," he said and she did what Serena did.

He nuzzled her palm as she smiled and opened her eyes.

"Where are your teeth?" she asked and he smiled, the teeth popping out of the gums. Rhiannon giggled as he shrugged and nudged her.

"Would you like to ride first?" he asked. Rhiannon wanted to tell him her secret as she sighed then stood a little straighter.

"No, but I do need to show you something," she said and stood back. Loki and the kids were surprised when she shifted into a snow white dragon with little gray spots forming a triangle on the corners of her lavender eyes.

"Whoa!" Hunter said.

"She's so pretty!" Aleta said.

"You're a Frost Dragon!" Fenris exclaimed. "That's a very rare form for a Jotun to shift into. In fact, only the royal house could shift into them."

"One of my ancestors was a prince of House Icefyre," Rhiannon replied. "Or so my mother's journals told me. She always stressed I needed to keep this shape a secret so I would not be hunted down and killed for my scales."

"Why would hunters want your scales?" asked Vince.

"Because Frost Dragon scales are used in potions of cold immunity and protection," answered Loki.

She turned her head, her eyes a luminous unearthly purple and said apologetically to Loki, "I am sorry I didn't tell you before this but my keeping that shape a secret has become habit after so long."

"I understand," Loki said, thinking back to how she had been reviled by her father for her shifting and called monster by the maids and Malius. He lifted his ebony head and looked at her admiringly. "You are gorgeous in that shape."

She dipped her head, her white scales tinting a soft rose. "Why thank you, Mistokin. You are quite handsome yourself."

"Thanks," Loki said. He conjured a special saddle, similar to the one in the movie, but with shoulder restraints like those on an upside-down rollercoaster, for him and for Rhiannon. "Okay, who wants to ride us first?"

"Me!" Max cried, jumping up and down.

"I wanna ride Rhee!" Aleta said.

Fenris and Sam helped the toddlers into the saddles as they placed the safety harnesses across their laps and Max patted the black scales. Aleta patted the white scales as Loki glanced at Rhiannon then nodded.

"Hang on!" Loki said and they sprang into the air and the toddlers giggled. The dragons soared in the air as they dipped and turned and Max held tightly onto the saddle horn.

 _Having fun, Imp?_ Loki thought.

 _Yeah!_ Max thought and lifted his arms out to his sides.

"Hi, Daddy!" Aleta said as she waved and Loki nodded his head.

Rhiannon flew a little ahead of him as Loki flapped his wings then appeared in front of her.

"You think you are faster than I am?" she challenged.

"Male dragons usually are faster then females," Loki teased and she snorted.

"Night Furies rule and Light Furies drool!" Max said with a laugh.

"Shall we show them?" Rhiannon asked, looking back at Aleta.

"Yeah!" Aleta said and Rhiannon flew faster, her wings catching an updraft and soared past Loki.

Loki cast a spell to prevent Max from falling off as he soared up then over Rhiannon and was flying upside down.

"Boo!" Loki said as she smiled and Aleta's eyes went wide. Loki turned right side up as they circled the beach then came in for a landing.

"That was so cool! We were upside down!" Max crowed. "Like on a rollercoaster."

"Not quite," Loki grinned, showing all three sets of teeth.

"Look how small everybody is!" Aleta, said pointing at her siblings on the beach.

"We're going to get crushed!" Hunter yelled and the kids laughed.

"Funny," Loki said as they landed and only a small amount of sand blew through the air.

"Could you imagine if a dragon really DID land on someone?" Vince remarked, his blue eyes glittering. "They'd be like a pancake!

"Yeah! Guts all over! Like roadkill!" Hunter added.

"Gross!" Serena yelled. "Boys!"

"Yuck!" Belle said.

"Right, who wants to go for a ride?" Loki said after Sam and Fenris removed the toddles from the saddles.

"I do!" Vince said.

"I want to ride on Rhiannon," Serena said.

"Have Fenris help you, dear," Rhiannon said to Serena.

Fenris helped Serena onto the saddle as Sam helped Vince when Vince stood up in the saddle and smiled.

"Let's go!" he said with his foot on the saddle horn and pointed upward.

"Not until you sit down, Daredevil," Loki said.

"But, Dad, this is how Hiccup does it."

"That's a cartoon."

"Who is Hiccup?" Rhiannon asked.

"He's the one who rides Toothless," Loki explained then looked back at his son. "Sit down!"

"Ma-a-a-a-a-an!" Vince said and sat down.

"Now don't pout," Loki scolded. "I'm not going to have another kid of mine hurt and in the infirmary if I can prevent it. Okay?" He breathed upon his son and Vince's head was surrounded by a wreath of smoke.

Vince coughed as he swatted the smoke away and nodded. Loki launched into the air as Rhiannon followed and Vince pumped his arm in the air.

"Cool!" he shouted as Loki smiled and cast a spell to prevent him from falling off the saddle. Vince yelped as they did some barrel rolls then he laughed and Loki made a smug look. "That was wild!"

"Do you want to do that?" Rhiannon asked.

"No, thank you," Serena said as she enjoyed the view and smiled.

They could see the ocean spread below them like a shimmering carpet of azure and white. Serena laughed and cried, "Look, Rhee! Dolphins!"

Nodding, Rhiannon moved downward as they skimmed over the dolphins and the dolphins called out in greeting. Rhiannon whirled to go back up to Loki as he hovered and his wings moved up and down.

"Daddy, did you see them?" Serena asked.

"Yes, I did, but they tend to scatter when I show up," Loki replied.

"Why? You're not scary."

"They don't know that, moonpi."

"Dragons eat large fish and whales," Rhiannon explained. "When they can catch them. Especially the water dragons." She thought back to when Loki was a water dragon at the lake.

"Then why weren't they scared of you?" Serena asked.

"Frost Dragons are so rare that they may not have noticed."

"Or they knew she wouldn't harm them," Loki said.

"Hey, Dad, can you fly through those rocks?" Vince asked as he pointed to the arched rocks and Loki lifted his head.

"Yes, I can." Loki said and they flew toward the rocks.

"Be careful!" Rhiannon shouted. She became concerned as she watched Loki sailing around and through the rocks as Vince cheered and Serena shook her head. They returned a few minutes later as Vince wiggled in the saddle and Loki gave Rhiannon a wink.

"That was awesome!" Vince said.

Next up were Abby and Nate.

After being strapped in, Nate signaled he was ready by tapping Loki's shoulder. "Let's go!  
Nodding, Loki soared into the air while Abby and Rhiannon followed and Nate grinned. He knew his father was worried about what he could do as Nate patted the soft scales and Loki turned to look at him.

"Are you ok?" Loki asked.

"Yeah. I just want to do what Vince did," Nate said.

"Right," Loki said, casting the spell then did a few barrel rolls. They soared for the rocks while Rhiannon and Abby watched then Abby smiled.

"Let's show them the proper way to do that," she said and Rhiannon nodded. She soared through the air as she passed Loki and Nate and Loki was impressed with how she flew by the rocks.

"Amazing!" Loki cheered.

"Wow!" Nate gasped.

Loki flew upward as they headed into a cloud bank and Nate looked around. The mist moved over them as he saw the lightning crackling around them and the cool air blew through his hair.

"This is amazing," he whispered and Loki nodded. They watched the lightning when something moved through the clouds and Loki growled. Suddenly, Rhiannon soared through the clouds as Abby laughed and Loki sighed.

"Oh!" Rhiannon said as they looked at the lightning and she hovered next to him. Loki made a note to come back into the clouds with her alone and they sailed out of them.

Rhiannon did some corkscrews and Abby laughed. "I wish I could fly too."

Rhiannon nodded as they landed and Lucy and Belle ran to them.

"Our turn!" Lucy said as Sam helped her onto the saddle and she patted the white scales. Fenris helped Belle into the saddle as Loki turned to look at her and Belle smiled.

"Ready, Raven?" he asked.

"Yeah!" Belle said.

Loki and Rhiannon sailed into the air as the girls laughed and lifted their arms up.

"So, Daddy, who's faster? You are Rhee?" Lucy asked.

"I have no idea," Loki said, glancing at Rhiannon.

"Shall we have a race?" Rhiannon asked.

"Yes," he said with a nod.

"To the rocks then back?"

Nodding, Loki lined up with her as they looked at the rocks and his tail moved back and forth.

"On your mark... Get set... Go!" Belle shouted and they flew off.

"Go, Dad!" Hunter shouted.

"Rhee!" the toddlers cheered, jumping up and down.

The air screamed around them as Rhiannon and Loki headed for the rocks and he noticed she was a little faster than he was. Lucy was cheering as Belle laughed and Loki pushed himself a little faster. They soared around the rocks as he dipped and turned and Rhiannon swerved and turned and he laughed.

"Faster, Dad!" Belle shouted and he began to catch up to Rhiannon.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared over him as he looked up and a large gray scaleD dragon looked down at him.

"Who are you?" Loki demanded.

"I am your death!" the dragon growled.

"Whoa, where did that dragon come from?!" Vince asked.

"It came from that way!" Serena said as she pointed to the cliffs.

"Loki!" Rhiannon cried and he looked at her.

"Stay where you are! Guard the children!" Loki told her and she nodded.

"We mean you no harm." Loki said and the dragon laughed.

"But I mean harm to you!" the dragon said.

"Why?!"

"Since magic has failed, dragon fire will avail."

"Amora!" Loki thought and growled.

The dragon flew around in circles then it dived at him, but, after casting a spell, Loki rolled out of the way. He soared to Rhiannon when he deposited Belle onto the saddle and nodded his head toward the beach. Rhiannon flew to the beach and landed. Belle and Lucy got off the saddle.

"What's going on?!" Hunter asked.

"I don't know. It just came out of nowhere," Rhiannon said and gazed up at Loki.

Once he was sure the girls and Rhiannon were safe, Loki spun on the gray dragon and growled.

"Be gone!" Loki shouted and the dragon laughed.

"Do you really think you can stop me!?" the dragon asked.

Loki soared after it as the gray beast went straight for the beach where his children and betrothed were.

"No!" he shouted and dove at the other drake. Loki slashed his claws deep into the dragon's side. The dragon screeched while black blood rolled down its side and Loki attacked again.

"You will pay for that!" the dragon growled, avoiding his return strike. Its jaws gaped and dragon fire exploded from its mouth, strafing the beach.

"Daddy!" Max and Aleta shouted while Rhiannon and Sam moved to cover them and the dragon fire spread over them.

Loki felt his heart stop as the dragon laughed triumphantly and then halted when it looked down and saw, not charred ash, but unharmed children.

Rhiannon and the kids gazeded up at them as Loki smiled and let go of the breath he was holding. He had forgotten the dragon scales he had given them and the pendants shimmered on the cords around their necks.

"No!" the dragon roared then turned and glared at Loki. Before the dragon could dodge, Loki opened his jaws and blue fire erupted from his mouth. The dragon screamed as the blue fire hit its face and Loki spun, bringing his tail about to slam the gray beast in the head.

Stunned, the gray shook its head, flying backwards.

Suddenly Rhiannon shifted and soared into the sky. Her children were safe and her mate needed her.

 _What are you doing?!_ Loki sent.

"Helping you," she replied and a blast of ice slammed into the dragon's side.

The dragon screeched as it tried to grab hold of Rhiannon, but she flew out of the way and slashed the dragon's neck with her claws. Black blood flew hissing into the air.

Loki lunged at the behemoth, his fangs shredding the other's back, talons covered in black blood.

The gray dragon writhed under the twin assault, sensing it would be killed unless it could retreat. It snapped at Rhiannon's leg but she was too quick and darted away.

"Go, Dad!" Hunter called.

"Get him, Rhee!" Serena cheered.

The dragon bucked and thrashed while trying to stay in the air, but Loki would not let go. The dragon rose into the air then did a death roll.

"Loki!" Rhiannon shouted as they fell and Loki dug his claws deeper into the scales. He climbed toward the other's neck as the ground came closer and he sank his fangs into the great vein, tasting the hot blood.

The dragon screeched then went silent after its neck snapped and Loki felt his enemy going limp beneath him.

He knew there was no time to move away as he positioned himself for impact and he and the gray wyrm hit the ground.

"No!" Rhiannon and the kids screamed. They ran to where Loki and the dragon had crashed, Rhiannon landing beside them and shifting back.

A large scar marred the sand as the dragon lay still and Loki was lying on his side. Even though the dragon took the brunt of impact, Loki had felt a sharp pain and knew he had broken something. His form blurred and then he shifted back.

"Loki!" sounded muffled and far away as he tried to move, but his body would not obey him.

"Fenris, take the children back to the palace and get help!" Rhiannon shouted as she changed and knelt next to Loki. She could see he was breathing as she gently rolled him onto his back and Fenris led the children away.

Blood trickled from his bottom lip where he had bitten it from hitting his chin when they crashed.

"Can you hear me?!" Rhiannon asked, placing her hand on his chest. A little moan was her answer and she brushed some hair from his face.

She put two fingers on his wrist and found his pulse was strong. She could feel his heart beat beneath her fingers and she prayed to the Norns he was not seriously injured. She wanted to cry but she suppressed the tears. _Now is not the time to weep. Now is the time to heal,_ she reminded herself.

She gently felt him over, noting that his glorious ebony hair was full of sand and she swiped some granules away before reminding herself to quit worrying about silly things and just check him for broken bones.

She found that he had probably cracked a few ribs and his wrist was swollen, indicating a possible sprain or break. She felt his head and neck over, relieved to find no injuries to either, he must have passed out from the pain however.

She held his hand, murmuring, "Come back to me, my heart. Loki, come back to me. I will make you better." She looked up the beach, her knees aching from kneeling on the packed sand, but she ignored the discomfort. Nothing mattered except making Loki well.

Soon she saw what looked like an army of medics running down the path to the beach, carrying a hover stretcher. The hover stretcher would hover after the patient was placed on it, then float gently through the air, resulting in a comfortable ride that did not jar a patient. She waited for them to arrive, recalling suddenly that Loki was one of them, had served as Chief Medic during the Vanaheim campaign. And now they were here to save their own.

They reached the comatose prince and his betrothed and one medic with floofy platinum hair said kindly, "Excuse me, my lady, but we need to check him over."

"I've done so," Rhiannon replied, telling them her findings.

The medic did his own check, however, as she would have, and concurred. "All right, lads. Let's get him on the stretcher."

They slid the unconscious Archmage on the stretcher and Platinum Hair pushed a button and the stretcher lifted into the air. "Come, my lady. We shall bring him to Stefan and his new mortal friend Dr. Banner."

~0~0~0~0~

Stefan was demonstrating how to use the diagnostic bed to scan someone when the medics returned with Loki on the stretcher, Rhiannon walking beside it. "Healer Stefan! Loki has been injured!"

Stefan turned. "Norns! Bring him here, Justus!" he ordered the platinum haired medic.

Justus brought the stretcher over and he and another medic slid Loki onto the diagnostic bed. Stefan turned it on and the scans snapped on above their heads.

"How bad is he?" asked Bruce.

Stefan adjusted some knobs and typed in a few things at the keyboard. "Not too bad considering. Rhee, what happened?"

Rhiannon told him about their outing with the children and how Loki had been in dragon form when attacked. "We fought the beast together," she said quietly. "Once I made sure the children were safe. But Loki killed it and then it crashed. That was how he got hurt."

Bruce examined the scans and muttered, "Looks like he has a sprained wrist and three cracked ribs. Lungs are good. No head trauma, except for that cut lip. Vitals are stable." He looked at his Asgardian mentor. "Did I miss anything?"

Stefan examined the scans and nodded. "No, you were thorough. Let's wrap these ribs with a compression bandage and ice the sprain and then put a soft splint on it."

"How about pain meds?"

Stefan nodded. "Yes. I will give him a shot of atrazodone—that's one of our best pain killers and it has no side effects." He turned to Rhiannon. "Healer Lyr, will you—" he stopped when he saw her with the syringe on a tray. "Thank you, dear. Would you like to give it to him? You're probably gentler than I am."

"Yes." Rhiannon said. She rolled up the sleeve of Loki's tunic and gently injected him. He never stirred.

"I shall fetch the splint for you while you wrap his ribs," Rhiannon said, and hurried down to the storage closet.

Bruce helped Stefan remove Loki's clothes and then he summoned one of his assistants to bring the compression wrap. That was a gel like bandage that flexed easily and cushioned ribs and backs that had been injured. Once they had done so, Stefan showed Bruce how to apply it and Bruce marveled at how easy it was.

"That sure beats our old-fashioned gauze and tape," he remarked.

Stefan nodded and his assistant placed Loki in a short sleeved wraparound hospital tunic of a mint green color.

Rhiannon returned with the splint just as they were icing Loki's wrist. After ten minutes the ice was removed and Rhiannon applied the splint. Then they moved Loki to a private room and Stefan stressed that only family could visit him.

No sooner had Rhiannon sat down in the chair beside Loki's bed, then the children plus Balder and Thor came into the room.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Hunter asked.

"Sam said something about a dragon attacking you," Thor began, eyeing his brother with concern.

"That's true. A dragon did attack us." Rhiannon affirmed. She told Thor and Balder what had happened.

Max tugged on her sleeve, his green eyes alarmed in his pale little face. "Is Daddy gonna be okay?"

She hugged the child. "Yes, Max, he's going to be fine. He just needs to rest. He has a sprained wrist and three cracked ribs."

Thor raised an eyebrow. "Not bad for going head to head with a dragon."

At that moment Frigga and Talia entered the room.

"How is he, dear?" the queen asked softly, eyeing her sleeping son with concern.

Rhiannon opened her mouth to tell Frigga Loki was going to recover when Talia ran to the bed and scrambled onto it, sobbing, "My Kwoki! Wake up!"

Rhiannon's heart nearly cracked in two.

Frigga went to pick up her daughter. "Come here, darling. Loki is sleeping. He got hurt and needs his rest."

"Want Kwoki!" Talia wept, nearly inconsolable.

"Shhh!" Max frowned. "Don't wake Daddy!"

Talia sniffed. "Kwoki sleep?"

"Yes, little sister, our brother is sleeping," Thor said, kneeling by her. "But he will wake up soon. He wouldn't want to see you cry, ladybug."

Talia nodded. Then she said firmly, "Tor, you no caw me wadybug! Only Kwoki!"

Thor raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "I see. Little minx!"

Sam chuckled. "Guess you've been told!"

When Frigga went to take her from Loki's side, however, she grabbed his hand and shook her head. "No! Stay!"

Frigga sighed. "You are as stubborn as any of your brothers, Talia."

"It's all right," Rhiannon soothed, laying her hand on the queen's arm. "She can stay."

Talia relaxed, her face unscrunching. She patted Loki's hand, which lay on her lap.

"Very well. I shall go and tell Odin. Before he paces a hole in his study floor," Frigga smiled.

Talia waved a hand. "Yes. See Daddy, Mama!"

Frigga laughed and hurried from the room.

Balder snorted. "She's not even three and she behaves like a queen, giving everyone orders."

Thor chuckled softly. "Why brother, don't you know? All women behave like that!"

"I pity the poor man who marries her," Balder said.

"So do I," Rhiannon agreed. "Because he will have to deal with you, your father, Thor, and Norns help us all, Loki too."

"Now that we know he's alright, do you know why the dragon attacked?" Balder asked.

"It said something about since magic has failed, dragon fire will avail," Rhiannon said.

"What does that mean?" Thor asked.

"I don't know. All I know is that thing wanted to kill us."

"We are having the corpse brought to the palace. Maybe we can find something which will tell us who sent it," Balder said.

"Have Mr. Gold examine it," she said and Balder nodded.

"Yes. Dad says Mr. Gold is second only to him with enchantments. If anyone can find out who sent it and why, he can," Belle seconded.

Balder and Thor left the room while Rhiannon checked the screens on the bed and put the information in the chart.

"What do you want us to do?" Fenris asked.

"You should all have something to eat. I can have trays brought here if you want to stay in the room with your father. Or you can go eat in the hall and then return here. But make sure the House Guards accompany you."

"I want to stay with Daddy," Max said and Aleta nodded.

"We all do," Sam said.

"Alright," she said then asked an orderly to go to the kitchen and get some food. She walked to the bed when a small blur of fur moved by her then Trickster ran to the bed. The kitten hopped onto the mattress, pawing at Loki's shoulder and mewing.

"Kitty sad. Cwy," Talia said, petting him.

"Yes. He knows something is wrong with Loki," Rhiannon said as she picked up the kitten and held him in her arms.

"Do you think Dad can hear us?" Nate asked.

"Yes, I believe he can."

~0~0~0~

Loki didn't know where he was.

The last thing he remembered was falling then pain.

"Loki," made him open his eyes and he looked at the stars shimmering above him.

"Where am I?" Loki asked as he slowly stood up and looked around.

"You are in the Dreaming," made him look to the left and Laufey smiled at him.

"Father, what are you doing here?"

"I am protecting you," he said and Loki walked closer.

"You're protecting me?"

"Yes. We both know Amora can enter the Dreaming. I am here to prevent such a thing from happening and to prevent you becoming ensnared by an Astral Lurker."

The Astral Lurkers were swirls of midnight shadow, creatures who had no form but fed off the sorrow and depression of dreamers and could spin nightmare webs that would trap the dreamer inside them in an endless circle of terror until they died.

"I am glad you're here," Loki said.

"Your mother told me to tell you she is watching over your body as well as your family and Rhiannon,"

"That is good to know."

"I cannot believe Amora would risk angering the Norns by having that beast kill you."

Loki noticed Laufey was wearing Jotun frost armor and carried a Celestial Spear, which was a weapon only Star Watchers could wield, and it would slay any dark foe. His father's head was covered with a helm that had dragon horns upon it. "She dares much. She believes she is above the laws. Both those of Asgard and of Valhalla."

Laufey nodded when something slithered around one of the stone benches and they both stood.

"It appears we are being spied upon," Laufey said.

"She must have sent it once news of my accident spread through the kingdom," Loki said, summoning some magic around his hands.

The shadow moved slowly around the benches as a soft hissing came from all around them and Laufey stood with his back against Loki's back.

"We see you, puny god!" hissed a shadow. "Our mistress bids us end your threat forever!"

"It is _you_ who shall be ended, foul creeper!" Laufey snapped. "On the tip of my spear! You dare to threaten the future King of the Nine?"

"I dare, Former King," the shadow hissed and slithered closer.

Laufey's spear glowed with a bright holy light and he thrust it at the shadow. It flared as it struck, and the shadow screeched and vanished. "Tell your mistress that Those Who Watch are ever vigilant!"

"Do you really think she sent just one of us?!" another shadow hissed and shot out from under the bench. Loki fired white light at the shadow as it hissed and reached for his feet.

"Aiiee!" the shadows wailed as it burnt up. "Curse you, Trickster!"

"Tell Amora she will never win," Loki growled.

~0~0~0~

In the infirmary, the alarms sounds as Loki's vital signs spiked and Rhiannon looked at the screens. She had noticed he looked pained or angry and she walked to his side, carding his hair.

"Hush now. Whatever your seeing is not real," she said and the kids looked at her.

"Kwoki!" Talia shouted and Rhiannon picked her up.

"He just had a bad dream." she said and hushed her. Rhiannon hoped she was right as she sighed and blinked the tears from her eyes.

Loki thought he had heard Rhiannon and Talia's voices as he frowned and Laufey placed his hand on his shoulder.

"You need to keep calm, son. Your body reacts to your emotions and they might think something is wrong," Laufey said.

"I wish I could tell them what's happening," Loki said.

"Have you tried mentally contacting her?"

"My head hurts too much."

"Try something else."

Loki thought for a few seconds when he smiled and he half closed his eyes.

The orderly had brought in the cart with food on it, but no one really wanted to eat and Rhiannon looked at Loki. He looked so peaceful and she reached for his hand. She moved back as his fingers gestured and a green light shimmered over them. She watched as little green butterflies flew through the room and the kids giggled.

"Bubbyfwies!" Talia said, trying to reach for them.

The tiny green butterflies flew around the room when they formed I AM FINE then vanished. Rhiannon looked at Loki when she leaned down, careful not to drop Talia, and kissed his cheek.

"Did you see that?" Lucy gasped.

"That's Dad telling us not to worry," Belle said knowingly. "Butteflies are messengers of hope and renewal."

"Cool," Vince said.

Loki gave a little smile as he sighed and wiggled his fingers. Little green hearts floated from his fingers, soared around them, then vanished.

"That's him telling us he loves us," Belle said.

"Wuv Kwoki!" Talia said.

"We all do," Rhiannon said as Loki's fingers went still and she checked the screens. "He's gone back to sleep."

Loki opened his eyes as he shook out his sore wrist and Laufey noticed the look in his eyes.

"Did they hear you?" he asked.

"More like they saw me," Loki said and told his father what he had done.

"Very clever."

"What I want to know is where that witch is."

"You will find her," his father assured him and he sighed.

"How long do you think I'll be here?"

"For some time."

In the Dreaming, Loki smiled. He turned to Laufey. "I don't think she will send anymore right now. How is it you are allowed to come to me so often? Usually a Star Watcher does not do so."

"True. We are usually permitted to observe and not directly advise the living, except in dreams. But you are a special case, son. The future king has Spirit Advisors and thus we are allowed to protect and guide you."

"Is it just you and Mother?"

"No. There are two others besides us. They will come to you in time," Laufey answered. "Four for the four major elements-earth, air, water, and fire."

"I see."

"Is there anything else you wish to ask me?"

"If you were supposed to guide me, why were you not there when I was imprisoned and going mad?" Loki queried.

"Because that task was given to Rhiannon to do. Understand, the Norns weave as they will, and the path of the king is often filled with rocks and rough patches, for to be a ruler is to know sacrifice and pain. Only then can one rule with the heart and not just the head. The trials build strength and that was what happened in your first life."

Loki found truth in his words as he nodded and looked at the stars.

"And what is this life?"

"This is the Life of Renewal and Enlightenment." Laufey answered.

"Like finding out about Max and what those monsters did to me?"

"Yes."

"All things occur in the proper time," Loki quoted a maxim often spoken by the temple priests.

"Yes," Laufey said and Loki looked at him.

"And all this will make me a good king?"

"You already are."

"Then these tests are not to prove my worth?"

"No. They are to temper the blade and make sure it does not break in battle. And to make you see your worth for yourself. You were born a king, and your destiny was written in the stars."

Loki then thought about Odin's "You were destined to die as a child on a cold rock!". He understood that it was Bors who said that and not Odin.

"And Rhiannon too?"

Laufey nodded again. "Yes. She was tested in the same fashion. For such hardship breeds compassion and understanding as well as strength. She will be queen of the Nine beside you. But in order to be so, she has to know her own worth. You have helped her see that."

A black dragon and a white dragon. Fire and Ice. Yin and Yang.

It all made sense now.

"When will I become king of the Nine?"

"You will know the right time. When Odin passes the mantle to you."

"You mean he has to die?" Loki queried, upset.

"No. Not in the sense you mean. He needs to pass his power as Allfather to you, and Frigga gives hers to Rhiannon. But he does not have to die physically."

"I understand. But that time is not yet," Loki sensed. Nor would it be for a long time.

"No, it is not."

"Will I have more tests?"

"All kings are tested everyday."

"May I share this with my queen?"

"Yes, you will know when. Everything in its proper time."

Loki sat on the stone bench as he thought about everything when he felt tired and blinked.

"What is happening?" he asked, looking at Laufey.

"You're waking up," Laufey said then everything went black.

Slowly, Loki blinked his eyes, his coal-black lashes fluttering over his emerald orbs.

He couldn't really see at first as he blinked then heard a soft purring sound. He moved his eyes to the right when he saw Trickster sleeping near his shoulder and Loki sighed.

"Loki?!" Rhiannon said as his eyes moved to look at her and she smiled down at him.

His head hurt a little as a small pain moved over his ribs and wrist and he felt like he was floating.

She started examining him as his eyes scanned the room and he blinked. Sleeping children were spread over the floor on some cots, but Talia had been taken back to the palace to sleep in Odin and Frigga's room and the light in the room was dim. He glanced at the window as he saw the start of the sunrise and he wondered how long he had been sleeping.

"Rhee," he whispered, but she hushed him and checked the screens.

He wondered if this were the same day and he looked down at himself and saw the familiar mint green hospital wrap. He noticed the soft gel splint on his wrist and felt the gel wrap about his torso.

"How...bad?" Loki whispered.

"You have three cracked ribs and a sprained wrist. It could have been much worse. I think the other dragon cushioned your fall."

"Dead?"

"Yes, it's dead. Though your father is having it brought here to see if we can find out who sent it."

"I know who sent it. It was the Enchantress," Loki murmured.

Rhiannon's eyes slightly widened as she brushed some hair from his eyes and he made a small sigh.

"I will tell your father later. Now, I want you to stop talking and go back to sleep."

"How long have I slept?"

"It's been a few hours. You've missed lunch and dinner."

 _The adoption ceremony!_ Loki thought then frowned.

"Father was going to have an adoption ceremony for Malek and Talia before dinner. "

"I think he was more worried about you."

Trickster heard voices when the kitten opened its eyes and looked at Loki.

"You're awake," Trickster mewed and Loki smiled.

"Yes, I am." Loki mewed and Trickster sniffed his ear then carefully crawled onto his chest. The kitten gently walked over him as it sniffed the gel cast and his wrist then walked back up to his shoulder.

"I was so scared."

"I'm sorry for scaring you," Loki said and Trickster licked his cheek.

"Go back to sleep. I'll protect you," Trickster mewed and Loki tried hard not to laugh.

 _That would hurt,_ Loki thought.

He smiled slightly and licked his lips, which felt dry. "May I have some water?"

Rhiannon poured some water into a glass as she lifted his head and helped him take a few sips of water.

She lowered his head and he looked up at her and she took his hand, wrapping their fingers together.

"I will be right here. Now sleep," she ordered.

"Sleep is good," Trickster mewed.

Loki yawned, not inclined to argue. His healing factor worked best when sleeping.

His eyes slowly closed as he squeezed her fingers then he drifted off to sleep.

Rhiannon sat in the reclining chair, her hand clasped firmly in Loki's and pulled a blanket over herself and dozed, her ears attuned to the humming of the monitors on the bed.

That was how the intern found them early the next morning, and tiptoed in to check the monitors, being careful not to wake anyone. Heidel smiled to see such devotion and noted a few things down on Loki's chart before slipping from the room. _Perhaps_ , she thought, _someday I shall find a love like that._


	56. Family, Love, Home

**56**

 **Family, Love, Home**

 _The three best words are love, home, family. ~Loki_

The next morning Loki was much improved, able to get out of bed for a short time and sit in the recliner. He ate breakfast with his family, after which he had a visit from Stefan, who pronounced him well enough to leave. "However, you are not to do any kind of heavy lifting and stress your ribs out, because they are still healing," his friend admonished. "That means no picking up your kids, Loki."

"Yes, I know," Loki shook his head. "I've had cracked ribs before, Stef. I know the protocol.'

"Yes, you may know it, but you don't always follow it," the Healer snorted. "We healers make the worst patients." Then he leaned in and whispered in Loki's ear. "I know about you and Max. I saw the scans Rhee did."

Loki startled, nearly falling off the bed. "How? She erased them!" he hissed.

"Yes, but the program automatically saves a copy and sends it to my database, since I am Head Healer. So I know." Stefan replied.

Loki eyed him worriedly. "Did you tell anyone?"

His friend shook his head. "I know better. Patient confidentiality. I just wanted you to know that I knew, and will keep your secret. How did it happen?"

Loki sent to him telling Stefan what had occurred when he was a prisoner of Shield.

"That's barbaric!" Stefan hissed.

 _Yes. But I want those files erased,_ Loki sent. _You carry the knowledge only in your head. I don't want anyone else being able to get ahold of it and use it against me._

"Very well," the Healer acquiesced. "I will do that."

"One other thing,' Loki said, and placed his hand on Stefan's head. He used his telepathy to seal the knowledge away so no other telepath or mind magic could pull the knowledge from Stefan's head.

"What did you do?" his friend asked.

"Prevented anyone from accessing your knowledge. The secret will die with you," the Archmage answered.

 _Who else knows?_

 _Besides me?_ Loki sent. _Rhee, Odin, Frigga, Thor, Balder, and my Avenger friends plus Captain Fury. All of them have mind blocks on them too._

 _Max doesn't know?_

 _Not yet. I will tell him when he is thirteen. Until then, that secret is ours to keep._

"Understood." Stefan put away his mini scanner. "You're cleared to go, Loki. Now I don't want to see you back here unless you're bringing me an invitation to your wedding," he laughed.

"By the Nine, I forgot!" Loki joked. "Just kidding."

"Funny, Laufeyson," Stefan rolled his eyes. Then he left, returning to his other patients.

Loki smiled at his beloved. "Thank you for defending the children and for assisting me in fighting the dragon."

"I'm sorry I shocked you by attacking the beast like that. But I couldn't bear the thought of you being killed."

"You were very brave, just like a Valkyrie," Loki praised.

Rhiannon glanced away, embarrassed. "You are my heart, along with the children."

"As you are mine." Loki looked about for his clothes. "Where are my clothes?" he asked Rhiannon, who had been watching quietly as Stefam examined him.

"They are in the storage locker, I will fetch them," she said. As she hurried out of the room, Jewel sauntered in and jumped on the bed. She sat next to Loki on one side while Trickster sat by his head.

As if that were a signal, the other castle cats streamed inside. Brutus lay by his feet, Tyra took up sentry by his elbow, and Whisperpaw walked up and lay on top of his pillow. Snowpaw trotted in and lay by his knees. Then Valiant came and sat by his chest. RumpleBumple appeared with Smidgen, and the two lay on Loki's other side.

"What are you all doing here?" Loki queried.

"We are guarding you," replied Valiant. "None shall harm you while we watch, Prince of Cats!"

Loki laughed softly. "I am honored to have such a fierce army."

Suddenly two more kittens appeared. "We are Lavender and Honey," mewed the light lavender-blue kitten. Her sister was a pale golden color. "Stefan belongs to us and we help at the infirmary." They promptly sat on the bed posts.

Loki smiled and relaxed on the bed, waiting for Rhiannon to return, surrounded by his furry feline army.

Rhiannon returned, her arms full of his clothing, and almost dropped it on the floor. "By the Nine! Loki, where did all these cats come from?"

"They are guarding me," he grinned.

"Oh Norns!" she chuckled.

Just then Sam entered with Talia, Sam holding the toddler's hand. "See, here's your Loki." She shook her head in amusement. "That's all she kept asking me, when can we go see Loki." They stopped dead. "Whoa! What's with all the cats?"

Talia's sea green eyes went wide. "Kwoki! Lotsa kitties!"

"What is this—a cat convention?" Sam giggled. "I have your phone, Dad." She fished it out of her pocket and snapped a few pictures.

"No, it's your father's army," Rhiannon giggled.

Sam started laughing. "It's the Crazy Cat Man!"

Talia ran to pet the cats, saying, "Kitties nice!"

"You all need to move so Loki can get dressed," Rhiannon said, showing the cats and kittens his clothes.

"But we're comfortable," Snowpaw said.

"If you move, I will see to it that all of you will have fresh fish for dinner," Loki said and the cats and kittens looked at each other.

"We will hold you to your word, Prince of Cats," RumpleBumple said and the cats and kittens hopped off of the bed except for Trickster.

"Kitties go bye-bye," Talia said then carefully climbed onto the bed. She looked pensive about sitting on Loki's lap as he held his hands out and she crawled closer. He helped her sit against him as she patted the cast on his wrist and looked up at him. "Boo-boo hurt?"

"I'm getting better, ladybug. You just can't jump all over me yet. And I can't pick you up either until I heal."

"Otay," she said with a nod. "Hug Kwoki?"

"Only if you're really careful."

Talia stood on the bed when she leaned over to slide her arms around Loki's neck and hugged him. Though a little painful, Loki wrapped his arms around her and she placed her head against his.

"Missed you."

"I missed you, too."

"No do again."

"I won't," he said and kissed the side of her head.

Rhiannon smiled delightedly at the adorable picture the two made and she thought this would be what it would be like when they had their own babies someday.

"Too cute. Let's let him get dressed," Sam said after taking a photo and lifted Talia off the bed.

Loki went into the adjoining bathroom, removing the wrap and using his magic to put on his clothes and boots. This was one time he was very grateful to be able to do so because then he didn't need help getting dressed.

He walked out of the bathroom, smiling, and Rhiannon held the sling in her hands. Sighing, he watched her placed the strap for the sling over his head after he had slowly leaned over and she slid his lower arm into the sling.

"Just wear it for today," she whispered.

With a small eye roll, he held out his other hand and she took it. They left the room with the cats and kittens surrounding them and they headed back to the palace.

Captain Bjarten and three of Loki's House Guard fell in to either side of them. "I am glad to see you are feeling better, My Prince." the Captain said.

"Thank you, Bjarten. I should be healed in a few days." Loki replied.

One of Odin's pages, Vidarr, ran up to Loki, doffing his cap. "My Prince, your father wishes to see you at your earliest convenience."

Knowing that meant "now" Loki told Vidarr, "Tell the king I shall be there directly."

"Yes, sir, he is in his study," Vidarr said and then raced off.

"I guess he is anxious to see me," Loki said to Rhiannon. Here was the perfect opportunity to discuss Amora with Odin.

Loki knocked on the door of Odin's study and then entered when the king admitted him, Rhiannon following. "You wished to see me, Father?"

Odin smiled. "Yes. First to ask how you are feeling?"

"I am a bit sore," Loki admitted. "But otherwise I am feeling well."

"Good. I was worried," the old king said. "Please sit down."

Loki did so while Odin greeted Rhiannon.

Then the king turned to his son and said, "I had the dragon's corpse brought here so we could examine it. Your old tutor Gold used some kind of magic and said that Amora was behind this."

"Yes, the dragon said as much before I killed it," Loki replied.

"What can we do to stop her?" Rhiannon asked, concerned.

"We need to find her first. That is the trouble. She is good at hiding," Odin said. "The Gatekeeper cannot see or hear her due to some kind of magic she weilds. And I have been sending my spies and trackers throughout the realms, but so far they have had no success in pinning her down. She seems to be in one place but by the time they search there she has gone." The king looked frustrated. "But I shall keep searching. She must be eliminated. I will see to it."

Loki nodded. "She is sneaky. And she will not confront me directly unless she has no other choice. Because she knows that as a Rogue Mage I would judge her as a lawbreaker and she would face me in a Duel Arcane. She doesn't want that, because she knows she would die."

"Agreed," Odin said with a nod.

"I would search for her myself, but I dare not leave my family unprotected." Loki began with gesture towards Rhiannon.

"Amora is my problem, Loki. I should have dealt with her long ago," Odin sighed. "But I was not myself and so she was allowed to flourish, like a poisonous mushroom. But no longer. No matter where she hides, eventually I shall find her."

"Did she really believe a dragon could kill you?" Rhiannon asked.

"Either she did or she wanted me distracted enough to go for her real target," Loki said.

"Me and the children," she said instead of asking.

"Yes. I will need to strengthen the protections on you and the children. And put wards around the palace and your rooms. Mr. Gold can assist me, he is a match for her and any ward he sets she cannot break, anymore than she can mine."

"Why does she hate you so?" Rhiannon queried.

Loki shook his head. "I really don't know. Except perhaps because I am a stronger mage than she is. Perhaps that sticks in her craw. Or perhaps some other reason. Whatever her motive, what matters now is protecting ourselves from her minions. One thing I do know, Amora prefers to strike from the shadows, she rarely confronts a stronger opponent. She sends others to do that while she watches."

"The problem is we don't know if she controling any of the palace staff or guards," Odin said. "I will use a magical scan to check them."

Loki nodded. "That would be best, Father. You can do an inspection and see then. Anyone under her enchantment Gold or I can free. I am not worried about my household, because anyone who wears my sigil is warded against magical control. So is Kara and Loki."

"What about our guests? How do we check them?" Rhiannon asked. Loki knew there were some guests who haven't arrived yet as he sighed and Odin paced for a few minutes.

"I can scan them when they arrive by shaking hands," Odin said. "As for those who are already here, I can walk among them during meals."

"Good idea," Loki said with a nod when his wrist started aching and he sighed.

"Are you in pain?" Rhiannon asked.

"Just a little."

"Then go and rest," Odin said.

Nodding, Loki and Rhiannon left the room when the guards, cats and kittens moved to surround them and they walked down the hallway.

After they had gotten to Loki's room, he reset the wards there and upon his betrothed. Afterwards she helped him take his coat off and get under the covers and the cats and kittens hopped on the bed.

The kittens and cats settled around and on the bed as Rhiannon sat down next to Loki and he made a small yawn.

"Rest," she said and placed his hands on his stomach.

"I will if you give me your word to get some rest as well," Loki said.

"Can't she rest in here?" Jewel asked.

Loki gave Rhiannon a sad look as she smiled then removed her slippers and slid onto the bed. She turned onto her side to look at him as he smiled then closed his eyes and she placed her hand on his shoulder.

The guards looked in as they smiled then quietly closed the doors and nodded at each other.

Rhiannon watched Loki sleep, thinking that she had never felt so safe when she was with him. He was unlike any man she had ever known. Before Loki, the only two men she had close contact with-Rurik and Malius-had hurt and degraded her. But she was determined to put them behind her. Brunhilde had told her once "Your past shapes you but never let it control you." Her teacher had been wise. Rhiannon would follow her advice. Her past would NOT control her any longer. She refused to allow her father's deeds or Malius' deeds to taint the new life she would have with Loki. They were ghosts, they could not harm her ever again. And she was a survivor. She would look forward, not back. She was the mistress of her fears, they did not master her.

Smiling, she slid into sleep.

In her dreams, she faced her father again, and he taunted her and sneered at her, calling her unclean harlot and other names.

She spat in his face. "You are the unclean one, Father! And now you are dead! Get thee hence, specter and trouble me no more!"

She drew a sword and ran the mocking ghost through and it vanished.

Then Malius approached with his whip and she spun on him. "You also, bastard!" Her first strike took his hand off her next his head.

Next was Boda as she laughed and told her Loki would never love anyone like her.

"He loves me more than he loved you!" Rhiannon shouted and ran her through.

Victorious, she stood, the wind whipping her hair.

"Killing your fears, child?" a soft voice said.

Rhiannon turned to see a tall woman who reminded her of Loki standing behind her. The woman glittered like starshine and her smile was infectious.

"Who are you?" Rhiannon asked.

"I am Astra, Loki's mother," Astra said.

"You are a Star Watcher."

"Yes, I am."

"Why are you here?"

"I am here to tell you how glad I am that you and Loki have found each other. It has been a long time in coming. Both of you had suffered so much."

"Yes, we have."

"Once I was like you-a daughter of noble and commoner. And one who dared to follow her heart and love a man who was not of her station." Astra grinned. "We are catalysts, my darling. Those who dare-and win."

Rhiannon smiled at her words and placed the sword away.

"It wasn't easy."

"It never is."

"But it is worth it."

"Yes," Astra said with a nod.

"You know, you shall have to fight off the fears that plague you over and over. And lay them to rest again. But once you face them and know them for what they are, they will never have power over you again."

"Did you have do fight them?"

"Oh, yes."

Astra led her to a soft fur spread upon the ground and seated her on it before sitting beside her. She waved a hand and steaming cup of hot cocoa with peppermint appeared in both their hands. "Everyone does. Whether or not they defeat them depends on the strength of will they have. You are strong, even when you believe you are not. Like Loki, you are a survivor. And you have one other thing to help you-love. Love is the greatest magic. It heals all wounds. ALL wounds, within and without. There is no substitute for a loving heart. It can mend what once was broken."

"I have felt it working. Once I thought all men were like my father-hard and cruel and selfish. But then I met Loki-and I realized that not only were all men not my father, he was not like all men. And he taught me to love-not just love him, but to love myself again."

"He had to learn how to do that as well. He believed himself nothing more than a monster. Once he learned the truth, he was able to love and accept himself."

"Who helped him?"

"Thor, Odin, Frigga, Balder and his friends. His children. Most of all, you. You helped him when he was locked away and nearly mad. You showed him compassion and love to heal and come out of the darkness."

"I feel like I didn't do much." Rhiannon protested.

"You are wrong. The light of a single candle can illuminate the darkest night. And the single touch of a hand can bring light into a depressed spirit. You were his light when all other lights went out."

Rhiannon took a sip of the hot cocoa as she nodded and Astra patted her leg.

"And you helped his brothers as well. Balder was sinking into the darkness where his wife and daughter were concerned, but you helped the woman who has won his heart find the courage to tell him. Thor was blind where Sif was concerned, but you helped him see her for the woman she is instead of just seeing her as a comrade in arms."

"Those were small things though."

"Little hawk, do you not see? Little things make up bigger things and sometimes the smallest thing can turn the tide of fate." Astra laughed. "Your words were wise and heeded. They helped where they were needed. The right word at the right time can change a life. Like you did with Loki-and he did with you."

"Like tossing a small stone into a still pond causes a large ripple."

"Yes."

Rhiannon thought for a few seconds then smiled and sipped on the hot cocoa.

"I just hope I don't disappoint him," Rhiannon said with a sigh.

"He fears the same thing. What you have to do, both of you, is to be there when the bad things happen. To support and love each other. Take what has just happened. You could have panicked and fallen to pieces. Instead, you protected the children then went to aide him in battle. You took control when he was unconscious and stayed with him until help arrived. You became a mother to the children and stayed while he was sleeping. He would have done the same for you."

"I was doing my job as a healer."

"No, you were more."

Rhiannon thought as she sipped on the hot cocoa then smiled."You are right."

"And you will become even more over time."

"I believe you."

"And, if it matters, both his father and I are proud of you, Daughter."

"Thank you. That means a lot to hear you say that," Rhiannon said sincerely.

"Now, I think you need to wake," Astra said as they stood and hugged. "Tell him I am proud of him as well."

"I will," Rhiannon said, letting go and started waking up. When she opened her eyes, she saw a pair of sleepy green orbs looking at her and Loki smiled.

"Hello," he whispered and she brushed some hair out of his eyes.

"Hello. Did you sleep well?" she asked.

"Yes, I did. When I woke, you had this interesting smile on your face," he said and she told him about seeing Astra.

"Your love makes me stronger," He said quietly.

"As yours does to me," she responded.

"And, together, we can weather anything."

She blushed as he ran his thumb along her jawline and she leaned up to kiss his cheek.

A sudden knock on the door broke the mood as Loki rolled his eyes and watched the door open.

"My Prince, it is time for dinner," the guard said.

"Give us a moment then we'll go," he said. Nodding, the guard closed the door and Loki smiled at Rhiannon.

"I guess we better get up," he said.

"I will go get the sling," she said then got off the bed. After placing the sling on, Loki led her to the door and they left the room with the guards following close behind them.

Once they had reached the dining hall, Loki saw that Odin had a small table brought in front of the hall. It was draped with an indigo cloth, indigo being the color of welcome. On the table were two lighted tapers, a plate with some raisin cake, and what looked like three pieces of jewelry, two necklaces and an arm ring. Before the table stood Balder with his hands on Malek's shoulders and Frigga holding Talia. Odin stood behind it, and looked up when his son and soon-to-be-daughter entered.

"Loki, glad you could join us!" Odin said, his bearded face splitting into a grin. "Please come over here by your mother."

Loki obeyed, walking to stand beside Frigga and Talia.

"Kwoki!" Talia crowed.

"I'm here," he said to her, then put a finger to his lips. "Hush now, Father is speaking."

Talia nodded and grew quiet but nothing could dim the sparkle in her eyes when she gazed at her beloved older brother.

Odin lifted his hands and the hall hushed. "My lords and ladies, I wish to perform a few adoptions before we dine this evening." He inclined his head toward Frigga. "My Queen, please bring our new daughter forward."

Frigga approached the table and then halted. Odin smiled at them. "Queen Frigga, does the child you wish to adopt into the royal house stand before me?"

"She does, My King." Frigga replied calmly.

"And what is her name?"

"Talia."

Odin brought forward a colored vial of a golden oil. "This is oil from the sacred rowan tree. With it I shall perform a binding adoption upon thee, Talia." He shook some of the oil onto his palm then dipped his left finger into it and drew the rune for "family" upon her brow.

"You are bound by family."

The rune glowed blue and vanished.

Odin dipped his finger in again and drew the rune for love upon her brow.

"You are bound by love."

Again the rune glowed blue and the vanished.

He dipped his finger a last time and drew the rune for "home."

"My home is now yours."

Once more the rune glowed blue and vanished.

"I now claim thee Talia Elayne Odinsdottir, Princess of Asgard!"

Then Frigga kissed Talia on one cheek and Odin the other, sealing the adoption as was traditional.

"To welcome my new daughter, I give her this necklace." Odin picked up a glowing milky stone with the rune for "family" on one side and the crown and Yggdrasil crest of the Royal House on the other. He put the moonstone necklace on Talia.

"Pwetty!" she clapped. "Fank you!"

Everyone laughed and smiled.

Frigga chuckled. "Come, little daughter. Let's go sit down at the table."

She brought Talia to the table, where she placed the new princess into a wooden booster chair. Then she sat beside her and watched Malek's adoption.

Odin beckoned Malek and Balder forward. "Who brings this child thus to be claimed?" he asked Balder.

"I do. Prince Balder Odinson," Balder replied.

"That is well." Odin looked over at Malek. "As you are of age to voice consent, I ask thee, is it your will that you become Prince Balder's son?"

"Aye, My King," Malek replied, concentrating hard so he wouldn't stammer.

Odin smiled at him. He shook oil into his palm and repeated the same ritual on Malek that he had on Talia.

Once the three runes were drawn, Balder spoke. "I now claim thee Malek Ragnar Balderson, Prince of Asgard!"

He knelt and kissed Malek on the forehead. Malek hugged his new father.

"To welcome my new son, I give him the gift of this rune pendant." Balder said and took the second necklace from the table. Like Talia's it bore the rune for "Family" and Balder's House crest—a blue sword over a gray shield and a crown above it.

Malek smiled proudly and grinned. "Thank you, Father!"

Everyone clapped and cheered and raised their glasses in a toast.

Then Frigga stood and escorted Loki forward to stand in front of the table.

The cheering in the room died down to a dull mutter, as people wondered what was going on.

Odin lifted a hand for silence. At the table, Talia imitated him, making her nieces and nephews smother giggles into their napkins.

"I ask your attention, good lords and ladies. Here before you is my son. Prince Loki. However, though he has long been acknowledged my son, I never performed a formal adoption, and so I intend to remedy that today, with this slightly altered ceremony."

His good eye fixed upon his tall son. "Loki Laufeyson, is it your wish that you become part of the royal family?"

"It is," Loki replied.

"My Queen, is it your wish to sponsor Loki as your son?"

"It is," Frigga answered firmly.

"Then I grant both requests, as is my right as both King of Asgard and the head of the royal house," Odin intoned.

He dipped his finger into the oil and Loki knelt so his father could draw the runes for "family", "love" and "home" upon his forehead.

"My family is your family, you will dwel always in my home and my heart, forever." Odin said, smiling at Loki. "I claim you thus, Loki Laufeyson Odinson, Prince of Asgard!"

Then he and Frigga gave Loki the kiss of welcome.

Loki felt himself blink back tears. This simple ceremony erased the last nagging doubt he had that he belonged in Asgard.

"Welcome now , my son! And wear this arm ring with my blessing." Odin picked up the beautiful golden arm ring which bore his house sigil on one side, Loki's name in runes on the obverse along with Loki's sigil and slid it on Loki's uninjured arm. Then he raised Loki's arm into the air and everyone cheered and raised their mead horns and tankards in a toast.

Loki's smile lit up the hall and Rhiannon was on her feet, cheering, and grinning at him, blinking back tears of her own, Loki's joy became hers.

Loki looked at her then at his children, Thor, Talia, and Balder. If a heart could burst from joy, his would have.

"Thank you, Father," Loki said with a slight crack to his voice and hugged both monarchs.

Then he took his seat , amid cheers from the rest of the diners.

He knew the two children probably did not realize that the adoption ceremony, while giving them a home and a family, also gave them inheritance rights according to Asgardian law.

Dinner that night was special fare, honey-glazed pork loin stuffed with apple and walnut stuffing, a red wine roast in pastry with peas, carrots, and pearl onions, small onion tarts, potatoes roasted with herbs to a golden crisp, and frost wine and honey mead for the adults, and pear juice for the children.

"Kara and Jorsi have outdone themselves," he remarked to Rhiannon, as he ate a tender piece of roast beef in pastry, which practically melted on his tongue.

"This pork is so tender, Loki, I can cut it with my fork. And the stuffing . . !" Rhiannon sighed rapturously. "Let's have this for our wedding feast! And the beef in the pastry!" She licked her lips.

"I wouldn't mind," Loki grinned. "We can just add more appetizers."

Loki glanced over at Odin and Frigga when he saw Talia was sitting on Odin's lap and she was using her small spoon to feed Odin some carrots. Odin opened his mouth as she fed him and he kissed her cheek, making her giggle.

 _And the noble heart heals,_ Loki thought as he sipped his frost wine and Odin nodded his head toward him.

~0~0~0~

 _Elsewhere:_

The Seeing globe trembled as Amora gnashed her teeth and spat curse that sizzled the air. Not that the air here needed help in that department. "That bloody damn Trickster and his endless lives!" she swore. "Why won't you just die already, you stupid cockroach!?"

Her eyes glowed with magic and passion as she glared at the simple globe she had constructed to give her access to the Nine Realms in her self=imposed exile. Only when Loki was dead or incapacitated would she show herself. But now, knowing that yet again her machinations and plotting had failed, she would sit back and wait. She had time, for an immortal had nothing if not that, and she could play the waiting game. Loki had won the first two rounds of the tournament. But the next one would be hers. She would see the House of Odin destroyed, for only then could she make Thor her willing slave. _For only then will he be mine, as it was meant to be! But first the rest of those idiots must be gotten rid of. Starting with Loki and his Jotun bitch and then all his unnatural offspring._ For only Loki had the power to thwart her carefully laid plans. Thus, the Master of Mischief must die. A final death. But how?

Pursing her lips, she stalked away from the globe. She needed to study on it. It would take time. But then, the best revenge was always served cold.

 **A/N: Today is Tom Hiddleston's birthday so I decided to publish this chapter as a tribute to him and to Loki! Hope you all liked!**


	57. A Shifter's Solution

**57**

 **A Shifter's Solution**

 _Sometimes the best solution is one that is right under your nose. ~ Loki_

Bruce stood on the balcony as he looked out at the golden city spreading out before him and sighed.

"The city is pretty at night," the Hulk said in his head.

"Yeah, it is," Bruce thought.

"We could be safe here."

"True, but I'd miss Earth."

"Why? They just hunt us and make us angry."

"I'd miss Betty."

"Her father hates us and wants us dead."

"I see your point, but..."

"Bruce?" Loki asked while walking closer and came to stand next to him. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. I was just admiring the city. It's peaceful here." the doctor said. "Calm. Is it always like this?"

"Most times, yes. My father's laws keep it so." Loki answered. "Especially now, since we reworked them since he was possessed by the revenant."

"Possessed? Like by a demon?"

"Not a demon. An unquiet vengeful spirit. In Norse they were known as draugr. He was once my grandfather, Bors." Loki explained how Bors had come to be a revenant and possess Odin for much of his life, and how he and Belle had freed him of it.

Bruce whistled. "You _have_ been busy, haven't you? And Tony thought you were just relaxing on some beach and drinking margaritas."

Loki laughed. "I wish. It's been a very . . . unusual vacation. But I'm not complaining." He looked out at the golden spires and smiled.

"I wouldn't. Seeing as how you found the love of your life here," Bruce remarked wistfully.

"That most of all. But I have also made peace with my past. My father and I have reconciled and I am content now with who and what I am."

"I can see that." Bruce said, and then sighed.

"You seem pensive. Is there something troubling you?" Loki asked, concerned.

Bruce heaved a sigh. It seemed a crime to be so dissatisfied with all of this tranquility surrounding him. "It's just . . .I . . . I'm not sane when I transform. I can barely think. I just feel rage. Loki, I've been talking with your sons Jorgy and Fenris."

"You have? What about?"

"It's about how to control my transformations. They told me you shifters have a bracelet that you use sometimes. Especially when your shift form is dangerous-like a dragon or a boar. Jorgy said he used it a couple of times when he first shifted so he could keep his mind when he turned into the sea serpent. And Fenris wore it too when he became a huge wolf."

Loki nodded. "Yes. The Bracelet of Altered Beings."

"What exactly does this bracelet do? Is it magic?"

"Yes, it is shifter magic. Made by shifters to help new shifters control themselves when they shift into a predator form." Loki explained. "You see, that's the danger when you have a predator form. The instincts are very strong and can overwhelm you if you don't know how to control your emotions. So we invented the bracelet to help a young shifter keep their own mind and control him or herself."

"Have you ever used one?"

"Yes, a few times when I was young." Loki nodded. "But I really didn't need it."

"Why is that?"

"I am a master shifter. That means that I always keep my mind when I change in whatever form I choose to become. But in the beginning I used the bracelet because if I lost concentration the animal mind could take over. But I have been doing this for over a thousand years and now that no longer happens. Except once. That time Hunter was attacked by that drug dealer and got a concussion. I was in wolf form then and I lost it. But that has never happened to me before. Thor believes it has to do with the fact that it was my son in danger."

"Yeah I remember," Bruce recalled. "But Thor didn't blame you, Loki. That would have happened to anyone."

"It still shouldn't have happened to me," Loki frowned. "But that is neither here nor there. I can give you my shifter cuff, Bruce, and then we can see if it works for you."

"Thanks, buddy. I just hope it works. Do you think it will?" Bruce asked hopefully.

"We won't know until we try it. But the bracelet is meant to contain the urges of dangerous shifter forms. If it does you'll know immediately because you will be able to respond as Bruce."

"Really? Maybe you'd better call Thor when we do this experiment?" Bruce suggested nervously. "Just in case it doesn't work."

"It should. But if you wish, I shall ask my brother to come here." Loki acquiesced.

"It would make me feel better. I don't want to hurt you." Bruce said. "Especially not now." He indicated Loki's sling. "When can we test this bracelet?"

"Let me fetch it," Loki said, and concentrated and soon a cuff made of gold and silver with magical runes all over it and three green beryls set in it appeared in his hand. Inbetween the runes were the faces of animals of all kinds. "Here it is." He showed Bruce the bracelet.

"Wow!" Bruce cried in admiration and gently picked up the cuff to examine it. "This is beautiful!"

"My people tend to combine art and functionality," Loki said modestly. "Let me call Thor." He sent to his brother. _Thor, Bruce and I wish to conduct an experiment with my shifter cuff and see if he can control the Hulk with it on. Would you mind coming and observing, just in case?_

 _No, Brother. I shall bring Sif with me also._ Thor replied.

Loki blinked, thens aid, "Thor is coming along with Lady Sif. Sif is Thor's girlfriend. Since he broke up with Jane. Only this time, I think he will stay with her, if you know what I mean."

"He's that serious?" Bruce queried.

"Yes. You'll see." Loki smiled.

 _Thor, we are on the west balcony facing the city,_ Loki told him.

Soon the blond Thunder God and the warrior goddess arrived, and Bruce saw immediately what Loki meant. Thor and Sif were relaxed, like old friends, but there was a spark between them, a certain look in their eyes when they looked at one another, that was definitely that of a lover more than a friend.

"Hello," Thor greeted his friend. "So where are we holding this—experiment?"

"I thought it best to use one of the sparring arenas," Loki said. "One that's not being used at this time of night."

"That would be the second one," Thor replied and led the way to the arena.

Once they entered, lights went on, illuminating the sand circle and the benches where you could rest ot wait until your sparring partner was ready to enter the arena. Bruce walked to the center of the arena and stood there, holding the bracelet. Thor and Sif stood outside the circle.

Loki made several gestures and drew a few runes in the air.

 _"_ I spelled the doors closed, just in case some guard tries to enter. So we're safe. Bruce, when you put this on, you'll feel an aura of calmness envelop you. And the three green stones-they're elven beryls-will glow. The bracelet will shift with you."

"I was going to ask about that." He pulled his shirt off over his head. "Did you guys bring extra pants?"

"I did, unless you want to show Sif and half the palace what you are proud of." Loki chuckled and indicated the pile of clothing.

"Thanks." Bruce looked at the bracelet.

"Go ahead, put it on," Loki urged.

The cuff and slipped easily on over Bruce's wrist. Then it shrank to fit.

Bruce was startled. "Is that supposed to happen?"

"Yes," Loki replied.

"I also feel weirdly calm. This thing is amazing."

"All right, Bruce. Now I want you to try something with me. This is how I teach new shifters. I want you to picture the Hulk in your mind. But not the rage accompanying him." Loki instructed.

"But he is rage."

"Bruce, that's because that is how you first transformed. But the Hulk is part of you. Which means you need a different way to trigger the transformation."

"Like a different focus?"

" Yes."

"What then?"

"Think of something that makes you protective, yet not angry. Because emotion is what triggers the shift. But we're going to put a different emotion there. I tell my shifters to think of someone they want to protect."

Bruce thought. "Like kids or something?"

"Whatever you feel comfortable with."

"Okay." Bruce nodded.

"Another thing. When you transform, it hurts doesn't it?"

"Yeah, because my bones strech."

Thor grimaced. "That sounds painful, friend Banner."

"It is," Bruce sighed, wincing.

"Well, when you transform using a different focus, that won't happen. When I shift it doesn't hurt. The anger makes your transformation put stress on your body." Loki explained.

Loki moved back a few feet. "Okay, Bruce. Concentrate and change!"

"Okay, Loki." He closed his eyes and concentrated, waiting to change.

"It is not working." Bruce frowned.

The bracelet glowed stridently. Bruce gasped then started to shift.

"Good! You have it!" Loki said in approval.

Then where Bruce had stood, the Hulk appeared, towering over him in all his green glory, wearing nothing but the shredded pants Bruce had on.

Hulk roared. "This help." He pointed at the cuff, which was still on his wrist, having shifted to fit the larger bulkier frame.

The bracelet glowed again and the Hulk frowned.

Loki had to fight with himself not to flee, since he still recalled what had happened when the Hulk had gone crazy on him when he was controlled by the scepter. He took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm.

"Banner? Are you there?" Thor called.

"Yeah, it is making it easier to hold control."

"Bruce, is that you?" Loki asked.

"It's me, Loki, I'm doing it!"

Loki grinned. "How do you feel?"

"This is amazing! I am so in control, and my senses are enhanced. I can finally describe what comes with Hulk!" The Hulk's gravelly voice sounded odd speaking in full sentences, but that was how Loki could know that Bruce was in control.

"See? No anger. You have control." Swallowing hard, he made himself approach the green behemoth and hold out his hand. He sensed that this would be the final test of the shifter cuff and forced himself to remain still while the Hulk leaned over and gently high fived him.

Loki smiled, some of his visceral fear leaving him. "Now what do you sense?"

The Hulk looked about. "Hulk hears—I can hear people walking past the arena. And I can smell things—very sharply, like I have a nose like a bloodhound."

He sniffed the air, smelling the scents of baking bread, cake, and sweat from the sand in the arena. He smelled the strange electric and ozone scent Thor always seemed to give off. Sif smelled like leather and roses. Loki had a scent of mint, ice, and very faintly of nervousness.

The Hulk padded about the arena, feeling the sand beneath his feet. It felt pleasant, if a bit soft for his taste.

"It looks like he has mastered the shift," Sif observed,

"Aye," Thor agreed. "Banner, do you feel like punching anything?"

The Hulk shook his head. "No. The rage . . . it's gone."

"Good. Then we're making progress." Loki said, hiding his relief. He had not been entirely sure the magic would work, since Bruce was not a magical shifter. But it appeared his gamble had paid off.

Inside his head, Bruce heard the Hulk's voice, but it wasn't angry.

"You ok, Pal?" Bruce thought.

"Yes. Hulk fine," the Hulk said.

"Want to give me some pointers? I'm new at this."

The Hulk laughed as Bruce smiled and flexed his fingers.

"What's so funny?" Loki asked.

"I was just talking to my other half. Asked him for some pointers," Bruce said, flexing his fingers.

"Let's trying some lifting," Thor said as he pointed to the stone pillars and Bruce walked to them.

"Just grab hold and bend at the knees," he said as he took hold of the first pillar, but the pillar crumbed. "Ooops."

"Focus," Loki said as he nodded and Bruce placed his hands on the second pillar. He bent his knees as he took a few deep breaths then lifted the pillar. The ground exploded as he smiled and the Hulk made a snort in his head.

"Good," the Hulk said and Bruce lifted the pillar over his head. Dirt and smaller rocks fell as he smiled and they applauded. Thor then picked up a stone when he tossed it at Bruce and Bruce got out of the way.

"Hey!" Bruce said when Sif tossed a rock at him and he growled.

"Calm," the Hulk said as Bruce sighed and arched his eyebrows up.

"Let's see how they like this," Bruce thought when he got a better grip on the pillar then tossed it toward Sif and Thor.

"Dodge!" Thor shouted as he went one way and Sif went the other way. The pillar slammed into the ground as the pillar exploded and dust rose in the air. They slowly got up as they looked at Bruce and Bruce broke out laughing.

"You should have seen your faces," he said and Loki snickered.

"You did ask for it, Brother," Loki agreed.

Loki pointed to what looked like a large manmade mountain. "Can you climb that?"

"Easy!" Bruce said as he headed for the large manmade mountain and looked up at the top.

"Hand holds," the Hulk reminded him as Bruce nodded as he looked for hand holds and places where he could put his feet and smiled. He started climbing when Loki waved his uninjured hand and ice appeared on the ledges.

"Still think it's easy?" Loki asked and Bruce sighed. He slammed his fingers into the rock then his toes and kept climbing.

He was half way up when his fingers slipped and he slid down the side of the manmade mountain. Bruce dug in his fingers when he slowed down and started climbing again. Suddenly, he heard a rumbling sound and some rocks started falling.

"You have got to be kidding me!" he said as he dodged, but was starting to get angry.

When he found a ledge, Bruce ducked into a small alcove and sat down, waiting for the rocks to stop falling.

"Cheating," the Hulk said with a growl.

"No, they're not cheating. Just making it so I have to keep calm and do this at the same time."

After the rocks stopped falling, Bruce looked out and waved at them.

"He is handling this very well," Sif said.

Bruce looked up when he noticed the ledge was sturdy enough to hold his weight when he smiled and shook his head.

"Why climb when you can jump," he whispered and he leaped into the air. He wasn't sure how high to leap as his eyes went wide and he was higher then he calculated. "Uh-oh."

"Crash," the Hulk said.

"Yeah," he said with a crack in his voice and started flailing his arms and legs. "Help!"

"Hang on!" Thor said when he started swinging his hammer and a whirlwind appeared. The whirlwind swirled higher and higher until it went under Bruce and he made a small grunt. The whirlwind lowered him to the ground as he stood up, made a bow and they laughed.

"Ta-dah!" Bruce said.

"Nice one, Thor!" Loki said.

Thanks," Bruce said and Thor nodded. Bruce looked at the bracelet and he sighed then turned to Loki. "I think I have had enough for one day."

"Okay. Shift back." Loki said calmly.

Bruce concentrated as he shifted back to his normal self and Loki handed him his clothes.

"Did good," the Hulk said in his head and Bruce smiled.

'Keep the bracelet and practice every day. Because practice makes perfect," Loki told him.

"Right," Bruce said with a nod then lightly grunted when Thor lightly patted his back.

"Well done, Friend Bruce," Thor said.

"Yes, you did very well," Sif said and Bruce blushed.

Loki cancelled his spell over the door and no sooner had he done so then there came the sound of tapping and a tiny voice called, "Kwoki! Want my Kwoki!"

"Is that Talia?" Thor asked. Loki walked to the door when he opened the door and Talia ran to him.

"Hey, ladybug! What are you doing out of bed?" Loki asked, kneeling. "You're supposed to be asleep."

"Had bad dweam!" she said with tears in her eyes.

"Oh," he said as he carefully stood and she held onto his leg.

"Want up, pwease!"

"I can't pick you up."

He knew a tantrum was coming as he sighed and led her to a stone bench. Once he sat down, she climbed onto the bench then onto his lap and he slid his uninjured arm around around her.

"Looks like somebody sneaked out of bed." Sif chuckled. "Norns, is that familiar."

"It is?" Bruce asked, sitting next to Loki on the bench.

"Pwetty," Talia said, pointing at the bracelet and he smiled.

"Oh, yes. It is well known that Loki and Thor used to sneak out of bed when they were younger."

"It was Loki, mostly," Thor protested.

"I beg your pardon? Who was it that wanted cookies in the middle of the night but wasn't going to walk through the hall when it was pitch dark and woke me up?" Loki snorted.

"You didn't mind when you got your share."

"True, but it was you who said it was my idea when we got caught."

Talia shook her finger at Thor. "You no tell on Kwoki!"

"You tell him, darling!" Loki snickered.

"He told on me when we got caught sneaking into the stable to go for a midnight ride," Thor said in his defense.

"I wanted to see the new colts," Loki said.

"Whose idea was it to come into my room and soak my hand in ice water until I peed the bed?!" Sif asked, arching an eyebrow.

"That was my idea."

"That was funny," Thor said, snickering.

"Now I see why your kids are such good pranksters," Bruce said.

Loki raised an eyebrow. "Oh don't give me that. I bet you got into mischief too as a kid."

"Nope. I was a perfect angel," Bruce refuted. Then he added, "When I was sleeping."

"And you are no different, Miss," Loki said as he pointed his finger at Sif. "Who was it who crept into Fandral's room and glued all of his shoes to the floor?"

"That was you!" Sif said.

"No, I had gone with my mother on a diplomatic visit."

"He went insane," Thor said as he laughed and shook his head.

"What about the time you and Balder woke me up to sample the pies for a Wintertide feast?"

"It was worth the stomach ache," he said with a sigh.

"Man, you make my childhood look boring," Bruce said with a laugh.

"I wanna pie!" Talia announced.

"Now look what you've done," Loki said.

"Is there any pie in the kitchen?" Sif asked.

"Let's go find out," Thor said as he walked to Loki and held his hands out while looking at Talia. "May I carry you?"

"No! Kwoki cawwy!" Talia said, shaking her head.

"I can't, ladybug," Loki said.

"Please?" Thor said with a sad face.

"Otey," she said and he lifted her up.

"She's like your biggest fan, Loki." Bruce smirked.

"Until she gets in trouble with him," Sif predicted.

"Verily," Thor said with a nod and they headed out of the arena.

They slipped through the halls and Loki led them down the back stairs to the kitchen.

"Sh...!" Talia said while holding a finger to her lips and they smiled.

Loki looked around the doorway as he watched the kitchen staff cleaning the dishes, preparing the dough for the morning baking, or sweeping the floor then saw three pies on the table.

 _Jackpot_! he thought.

 _There are three pies on the table,_ he sent to Thor and Sif and they looked around the corner of the doorway.

 _How are we going to get them?_ Sif thought.

Loki looked at the first pie, using his telekinetic powers to raise the first pie into the air and checked before moving the pie to him. Sif took the pie as she nodded and he hushed Talia when she opened her mouth to say something. After checking again, he used his telekinesis to move the second pie off the table. The third pie rose into the air just as the maid turned and screamed.

"Run!" Loki said as they ran and laughed. He turned to see some of the maids running after them as he ran faster and they ducked into an alcove. He used his illusion powers to make them look like statues as the maids ran by then he waved his hand.

"I still got it," Loki said and they headed down the hallway toward his chambers.

"Yay, Kwoki!" Talia whispered.

They walked to the table when they placed the pies on the table then Bruce noticed something.

"We forgot forks," Bruce said.

"We don't need them," Thor said and scooped up a large handful.

"Apple pie." he said as he chewed.

"Me do!" Talia said and he leaned over so she could scoop up some pie. She placed the gooey apple pastry in her mouth then chewed and smiled. "Good pie!"

Bruce scooped up some blueberry pie, popped it into his mouth and licked his fingers.

"That is good!" Bruce said.

Loki and Sif shared the cherry pie as they smiled when Rhiannon walked in the room and gasped.

"What are you doing?!" she asked and Loki rose.

"Pie!" Talia said.

"Yes, I see that. Where did they come from?" she asked, looking at Loki.

"We got them from the kitchen," Loki said as he leaned over and kissed her lips. She did admit she liked the cherry taste to his lips, but knew he had done something wrong and frowned.

"You stole them?!"

"We were taste testing them. To see if they were fit to eat," he teased.

"No tell," Talia said when Odin and some maids appeared in the doorway and Odin gave them the Look. "Uh-oh. Daddy mad."

Odin frowned at them and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I am going to ask this just once. Whose idea was this?"

"Tor!" Talia said, pointing at her older brother and Thor's eyes went wide.

"Oh! She ratted you out, Thor!" Bruce said and laughed.

"You were the one who wanted pie," Thor began, but Talia just folded her arms over her chest and shook her head.

"For shame, Thor. Blaming your baby sister for one of your pranks," Odin scolded as he took Talia out of his arms.

"Father..."

"And getting your injured brother to help you."

"Yes, I am a poor victim in all this," Loki said with a hurt look.

"Loki," Thor growled.

Odin then started laughing as Rhiannon handed him a handkerchief to wipe Talia's face and he nodded.

"Heimdall informed me about what happened in the arena," Odin said as he looked at Talia and she pouted.

"Sowwy, Daddy," she said.

"You are forgiven, but you are still in trouble."

"Yes, someone needs a time out," Loki said.

"Maybe she should sit in the corner for a few minutes in the morning," Odin said as he headed for the door. He stopped and turned to look at them and smiled. "You four, on the other hand, need to go to the kitchen and make new pies."

"Even me?!" Loki asked, pointing to the sling.

"Even you!" he said as he left the room and Talia waved at them.

"I don't know how to bake a pie!" Thor muttered.

"I do. I can tell you how." Loki replied.

"Then we better get going," Bruce said. When they entered the kitchen, someone was waiting for them and she was not happy.

"Well, you're up early, Kara." Thor began, eyeing her warily.

"Apparently not early enough to catch some pie thieves, My Prince!" she snorted, tapping her spoon against the counter.

"Uh well . . . we wanted to taste test them," Thor said.

Kara gave him a Look. "Shame on you, teaching your baby sister how to sneak pies!"

Loki rolled his eyes. "Look who's talking! I recall a certain cook's daughter stealing cookies off a tray with me when we were kids."

"That was different. I wasn't making the pies then," she retorted. "You could have just asked, me, Loki! I always have one or two set aside."

"And ruin all our fun?" Loki chuckled.

"Well now you can make your own, Master Mischief," Kara smirked, waving the spoon at Loki.

"Keep away from me with that," Thor muttered.

Sif started laughing.

"Aprons on. Now!"

Nodding, Thor, Sif and Bruce put the aprons on while Kara helped Loki then she pointed to the table.

"Now, we're missing one apple, one cherry and one blueberry," she said and placed the bowls on the table.

"I don't know about this," Bruce said.

"I'll show you what to do," Loki said as he moved the rolling pin closer then picked up a small amount of dough from the cool bowl.

Kara placed the pie tins in front of Thor, Sif and Bruce as Loki looked at the rolling pin then realized he couldn't roll the dough out.

"Let me do that," Kara said and showed the threesome how to roll out the dough.

"This is fun," Sif said with a grin. "I haven't done this since I visited my grandmother as a child."

"You made pies with your grannie?" Bruce asked.

"Oh, yes, she taught me how to cook."

Loki placed the dough in the pie tin in front of him and Kara examined their work. Sif and Bruce's pie tins were perfect, but Thor's pie tin looked like he had pounded the dough with his hammer and she sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Having trouble, Brother?" Loki teased and Thor glared at him.

"Try again," Kara said as she rolled the dough back into a ball and watched Thor use the rolling pin.

"I can not believe this," Balder said, strolling into the kitchen and leaned against the table. 'You go on a pie raid and forgot me."

"Don't you start," Kara said as she wagged the spoon at him.

Loki looked at the chopped apples then he started making the filling and added a little more cinnamon and sugar. He used a small spoon to taste the filling then nodded and slid the bowl toward Bruce.

"Smells good," Bruce said as he scooped the filling into the dough and placed the dough on the top. Kara showed him how to crimp the sides of the crust as he nodded then used the egg wash. He made some small vent holes in the dough with a fork as she led him to the oven and he slid the pie tin inside.

"Good," the Hulk said in his head and Bruce smiled.

Loki made the cherry filling as he slid the bowl to Sif and she placed the filling in the dough. She placed the dough on top then used some strips of dough to make a crisscross pattern and Loki's eyes widened as he arched his eyebrows up.

"Told you I could do this," she teased then walked to the oven, placing the pie tin inside.

"Better watch out, Brother. If she's that good of a cook, you might end up with the same girth as Volstagg," Balder teased.

"Don't know how Loki stays so skinny with the way he cooks."

"Nine kids, a cat and a dog," Loki said, playfully tossing some blueberries at him.

"No fighting in my kitchen!" Kara said then laughed.

"Plus working magic burns off energy and calories better than working out for three hours in full armor," Loki added. "Which is why whenever I'm working a lot of magic at once you will see me eat like Thor. Because otherwise magic's price will take so much of my energy I will pass out. It's also why after a Great Working a mage is as ravenous as a dragon."

He made the blueberry filling and handed the bowl to Thor. Kara showed the prince how to roll out a top crust and place it on, using an egg wash, then cutting slits in the top crust and sprinkling sugar over the top. "That's how I tell which pie is which once they bake," she explained. "The blueberry always has a sugared crust.

"That's smart," Bruce approved.

Kara shrugged. "Common sense, really."

"Of which she has an abundance," Loki grinned.

They put the other two pies into the oven.

"How long until they are done?" Thor asked.

"About 45 minutes," Loki and Kara replied together.

"Is there an echo in here?" Balder teased.

Both the Head Pastry Chef and her best friend rolled their eyes, laughing.

Rhiannon padded into the kitchen, holding a small vial in her hand. "Loki, you forgot to take your pain medication."

"I was going to take it before I went to bed," he replied. "It always makes me drowsy."

"Go on and go to bed," Thor told him. "Bruce and Sif and I can finish up here. You need your rest, brother."

"He is right," Rhiannon said.

Loki sighed. "Okay. Good night." He followed Rhiannon back up the stairs. His arm was throbbing now and so were his ribs.

"Do you need help getting undressed?" she asked once they had reached his chambers.

"No, love. My magic will take care of that," he reassured her. He took the vial of pain medicine and drank it down. "Hey, this doesn't taste bad. Usually it tastes bitter."

"I added some mint and honey to it," Rhiannon told him.

"That was clever. You improved the taste."

Rhiannon smiled. "Thank you, Loki." She stood on tiptoe. "Good night, _alskling._ Tomorrow you can tell me about this pie raid."

"That and Bruce's experiment," Loki agreed, then his mouth claimed hers briefly for a sweet kiss. "Good night, Goldenwing."

She kissed him back. "Sweet dreams, my heart."

"And you," he called before going into his chambers and swapping his clothes for his pajamas. He went and lay down on the bed, Trickster appearing from behind the pillows and lying on his stomach. Loki fell asleep to his kitten's purring.


	58. The Perfect Gift

**58**

 **The Perfect Gift**

 _The perfect gift is one which is given with love. ~ Loki_

It was three weeks till the wedding, and Rhiannon still had not figured out what to give to Loki as a morning gift. This was traditionally given to one's husband or wife the morning after the wedding. It was usually something personal, and Rhiannon was trying to figure out something Loki didn't have that he would like from her.

She found the children in the garden as Max ran to her and smiled at her.

"Hi, Rhee!" he said.

Every time she saw Max, she saw what Loki looked like as a child and she smiled back.

"Hello, Max," she said and he took her hand. They walked to the other children when Sam noticed the look on Rhiannon's face and frowned.

"Is there something wrong?" Sam asked.

"Well, I have been trying to figure out what to give your father for his morning gift," Rhiannon said, sitting on a bench and Max sat on her lap.

"That is the traditional gift one gives to his or her betrothed on their wedding day," Belle said and Rhiannon nodded.

"The trouble is I cannot think of anything that he doesn't already have or would like."

"Dad likes a lot of things," Belle said.

"And he'll love anything you give him because it comes from you." Lucy said and Max nodded.

"I understand, but it still doesn't make this any easier," Rhiannon said.

"We could go do some shopping in the city,"Abby suggested.

"Yeah. Maybe we can find something there," Vince said.

Rhiannon nodded as she lifted Max off her lap and they walked down the path.

~0~0~0~

The silver bell rang over the door to Gold's shop as Rhiannon led the children inside the shop, waiting at the counter.

"Ah, hello," Mr. Gold said as he walked out from the back room and walked to the counter. "What do I owe the pleasure?"

"First, I want to ask if you found out anything about the dragon," Rhiannon said.

"Aye, I did."

"We did find out Amora sent it."

"You're right. She did. I was able to sense her magic, but there wasn't enough to trace it back to her."

"Do you know what kind of dragon it was?" Belle asked.

"That's the interesting thing. It wasn't a dragon."

"It wasn't?" Vince asked.

"No, it wasn't. From what I found out, it was one of her minions."

"Whoa!" Lucy said.

"What happened to the remains?" Nate asked.

"After I made my findings, I used dragon fire to destroy it," Mr. Gold said then looked at Rhiannon. "Now, what was the other reason for visiting me?"

"We need your help," Rhiannon said.

"What sort of help?"

"I am looking for a present to give Loki for the morning gift after our wedding."

"Let's see if we can't find something," he said as he looked down at the items in the counter then looked at her. "How fares the Prince?"

"He is healing, but it's going to take time."

"If I know Loki, he will be healed before the wedding," he said while she looked at the items and nodded.

"Mr. Gold, I like this!" Max said, pointing to a gold ring with a snake etched in the gold and the eyes of the snake were small emerald chips. Mr. Gold walked to Max when he looked at the ring and frowned.

"That is odd," Mr. Gold said, removing the ring. He held the ring up to look inside the band then his eyes widened. "No, it can't be!"

He walked to the back room as they looked at each other then he returned with a large ledger. He placed the ledger on the counter, flipping through the pages and he moved a finger down the page. He found the entry for the ring when he growled and slammed the ledger closed.

"Is there something wrong?" Rhiannon asked.

"I buy things as well as sell and this was brought in by a servant shortly after Loki divorced Boda. She said her mistress was selling some of her dead husband's things and my assistant at the time bought them."

"Are you saying those things were Loki's?"

"Aye, that's is exactly what I am saying."

"Do you still have his things?" Sam asked.

"No. There is a notation that Loki had come to the shop and demanded his things back, but my assistant told him he had sold the ring."

"And this is that ring?" Rhiannon asked.

"Yes, I would know it anywhere. I made it myself for Loki's graduation and had his name etched inside the band."

Mr. Gold walked to Max when he carefully knelt down and held out the ring to Max. As he did, he noticed a familiar look in Max's eyes.

"Max, will you return this to your papa for me?" he asked.

"Yeah, I will," he said and Mr. Gold handed him the ring. Carefully standing up, Mr. Gold walked to Rhiannon and she saw a knowing look in his eyes.

"Now, have you seen anything you think he'd like?"

"I'm afraid not," Rhiannon said.

"I have a feeling you will...in time," he said as they headed for the door when Rhiannon turned and he wiggled a finger for her to come closer.

"Wait for me outside," she said and the kids left the shop. She walked to Mr. Gold as he leaned against the counter and brushed the hair out of his eyes.

"Max is Loki, isn't he?" he suddenly asked and her eyes widened. "Don't act so surprised, dearie. I had a feeling Max was Loki's biological son, but Max being drawn to that ring set off bells in my head. Only Loki would feel a connection to the ring."

Rhiannon wasn't sure if she should tell him the truth, but Loki trusted him and she lowered her head.

"Yes, he is Loki," she said and told him about Max.

"Hel," he whispered and she looked at him. "Don't worry, dearie, I won't tell."

"I am glad to hear that."

"Will Loki tell the lad at some point?"

"Yes, when he's older."

"Good."

"I need to go."

"Goodbye then."

She nodded then the left the shop. Gold shook his head then he picked up the ledger and headed for the back room.

~0~0~0~

 _Back at the palace:_

"Daddy, what's this?" Talia asked.

Odin loked up from his corresponance to see his daughter standing on the sofa trying to grab a silver chased very ornate mead horn from the wall. "Talia, don't touch that!" he reprimanded.

"But I wanna see it!" came the intrepid reply.

"Yes, but you could break it."Odin remonstrated. "Now come down from there before you fall."

His daughter gave him a stubborn mule look, reminding him of Thor.

"Talia Elayne!" Odin rebuked. "Get down! Now!"

"Mean!" the child cried, sniffling. Then she got down off the sofa.

"Thank you," her father sighed. "Why don't you play with your ladybug and your teaset?"

Talia sulked. Odin thought, _why doesn't Frigga have these problems?_

He went back to writing a letter to the King of Alfheim, adding an invitation to the wedding. Two seconds later, a small voice asked, "Daddy, can I play with this?"

"Talia, go and play with-by the Nine!" Odin yelled as his container of quill pens spilled all over the floor. "Talia!"

"Uh oh!"

Odin groaned. _Norns grant me patience!_

Loki poked his head into the study, recognizing the sound of a toddler driving someone crazy. "Hello, Father. Need some help?"

"Loki!" Odin cried in relief. "Thank the Norns!"

"My Kwoki!" Talia screamed as if she hadn't seen him in a month of Sundays. She dropped the quills in her hand and ran to greet Loki.

He knelt so she could hug him. "Miss me, ladybug?"

"Uh huh. Miss my Kwoki!" his baby sister cried, hugging him about the neck and beaming like he hung the moon.

Odin chuckled then sent Loki a silent pleading look.

Loki gave him a nod and then said, "What have you been doing, little mischief maker?"

"Nuffin!" his little sister replied.

"Nothing?" he raised an eyebrow. "Then did Nothing knock all those quills over?"

"Uh huh! Nuffin did that!"

"I see. I'll have to have a talk with Little Miss Nothing." Loki said seriously. He tapped her nose. "However, Somebody needs to help me pick those up."

"Awwww..."

"Please?" he asked with a sad look.

"I help."

Odin hid his shock behind the letter as Loki got his daughter to help him pick up all the quills and put them back on the desk in the holder. _How does he DO that?_ he wondered.

"Thank you," Odin said.

"Welcome, Daddy," she said, grinning.

"It looks like you are busy, Father," his son observed. "Talia, why don't you and I go and visit the kennels? Thor's setter Stormy just had a litter of puppies. Want to come and see them?" he asked excitedly.

His sister jumped up and down. "Yes! See puppies!" She grabbed her brother's good hand. "Kwoki, come!"

Odin's "Thank you" smile made Loki smirk as he led Talia out of the room then down the hallway. They left the palace walking towards the kennels and Loki swung her hand back and forth.

"Puppies," Talia sang while they walked toward the gate to the kennels and Loki smiled down at her.

"Yes, we'e going to see the puppies," the God of Mischief told her, opening the gate and leading his small sister to the whelping pen where Stormy was ensconced upon a thick bed of straw with a soft blanket over it inside a large wooden box. The setter had food and water bowls on a platform, but was currently nursing her six offspring.

Stormy was a lovely silver and white dog and her puppies were of the same snow white and silver hue.

"Hello, girl," Loki said and Stormy wagged her tail. Karl, the kennel keeper, approached and stood next to Loki and Loki glanced at him. He was a thin man with curly blond hair and dancing blue eyes in a kindly face wearing the royal livery and a leather apron over it. He had been Head Keeper since Loki was a boy. "Hello, Karl."

"Hello, My Prince," Karl said with a nod then looked down. "Is this Princess Talia?"

"Yes," he said and Talia looked at Karl. "Say hello to Karl."

"Hewwo. I wanna see the puppies, pwease," Talia said.

"Of course. Just let your big brother introduce you first. Stormy is normally gentle around children, but sometimes a mother can be a wee bit overprotective with her pups."

Loki opened the gate to the whelping pen as he led her inside and Stormy looked at Talia with liquid brown eyes.

"This is my little sister, Talia," he said as Talia walked closer and Stormy sniffed her shoe then her hand. Talia carefully patted Stormy's silvery head as the setter's tail moved back and forth and Talia smiled.

"She wikes me!" she said.

"Sure she does," Loki smiled. The setter licked his hand and he scratched her ears. "You have a fine family, my friend." He knelt to see how many puppies there were.

There were three boy and three girl puppies and all of them still had their eyes closed.

"Cute! Kwoki, I pet?" Talia asked, her small hand reaching to stroke a puppy.

Loki caught her hand. "No, darling. They're too little."

"Babies?"

"Yes, they're tiny babies."

"Oh," she said as she watched the puppies feed when one of the puppies stopped and sniffed the air. She watched as the puppy scooted toward her and Stormy noticed how he seemed drawn to Talia.

"My son likes her," Stormy barked and Loki nodded.

"Looks like this one likes you, ladybug," he said.

"Mine!" Talia said.

"He could be when he's older," Loki said when he carefully leaned down and moved the puppy back toward its mother.

They left the whelping pen as Loki closed the gate while Karl walked up and had Holly, Odin's tricolor beagle, on a leash.

"Doggie!" Talia said with wide eyes.

"Yes, this is Holly. She is Daddy's dog," Loki said. Holly was also the many times great granddaughter of Loki's finest hunting beagle, Clarion.

Holly wagged her tail and grinned. "Hello! Hello!" she bayed.

"Hello," Loki said as he carefully knelt down and patted her head. Holly ran over to Talia, sniffing her and wagging her tail like a metronome. "This is my little sister, Talia."

"Talia want to play with me?"

"Do you want to play with Holly?"

"Yes!" Talia cheered.

"They can play in the yard, sir," Karl said. "Run off all that energy."

Holly bayed happily. "Play now!"

"Let's go play with Holly in the yard," Loki said, and led Talia to the fenced-in stretch of grass.

Talia ran into the yard after he opened the gate and Karl released Holly from the leash. Loki watched her play with the dog as he leaned against the fence and smiled.

"Brings back memories, aye, my lord?" Karl chuckled.

"Good ones,' Loki replied, recalling how he used to play with Clarion as a boy, teaching the beagle how to come when he blew his silver chased hunting horn.

He watched as the two raced about, Holly's long ears flopping and Talia giggling as the hound swiped her hand with her long pink tongue. Occasionally, Holly would stop and sniff the ground and give her distinctive bay. Talia imitated it, making Karl and Loki laugh.

Suddenly, Talia tumbled to the ground. Loki's heart jumped in his chest and he opened the gate, running to her. Holly was whimpering and nudging her as Talia cried and Loki knelt beside her.

"Kwoki! Owie!" Talia cried.

"Let me see, ladybug," he said as he gently helped her sit up. He saw her knee was bloody and covered in grass and dirt. "Oh."

"Hurts!" Talia bawled.

"I know. I know." he murmured soothingly when he waved his hand and his emergency kit appeared. It was a soft leather satchel with an appliqued red cross on it and his last name on it.

"Is she alright, My Prince?" Karl asked.

"Yes. She just skinned her knee."

Huge tears rolled down his baby sister's cheeks.

"Kwoki fix," she said, sniffing.

"I will," he said as he opened the emergency kit then made a handkerchief appear to wipe her eyes and nose.

He gave her the handkerchief and then tapped a nerve cluster right above her knee to deaden the nerves so he could clean the scrape without hurting her further.

Talia watched as Loki used some disinfectant to clean the grass, blood, and dirt away. He gave her a sympathetic look and saw the scrape wasn't too bad. He smiled when Holly started licking Talia's face and Talia giggled.

"Tickles!" Talia said.

"She doesn't like that you're crying," Loki said and Talia hugged Holly. Loki removed the jar with the green salve and applied a thin layer to the scrape then put the jar back in the satchel. "Now, do you want a pony bandage or a princess one?" He always carried character Band-Aids in his kit.

"Pwincess!" she said and he placed a large Disney princess bandage on her knee. He tapped the nerve cluster again as she sniffed and he helped her up. Talia handed him the satchel as Holly nudged him and he carefully leaned down to pat the beagle's silken ears.

"Want Mama, Kwoki," Talia said, looking up at him.

"You don't want to play with Holly?" he asked and she shook her head. She gave Holly a hug then took his hand and they ambled back to the palace. They found Frigga in one of her gardens, trimming the rose bushes. Talia let go of Loki's hand and ran to her.

"Oh, what's wrong?" Frigga said when she saw the distress on her little one's face and picked her up.

"Got owie, Mama," Talia said, pointing to her knee.

"How did that happen?!"

"I faw down," she said and Frigga hugged her.

"She was playing with Holly and took a little tumble," Loki said as Frigga gently rubbed Talia's back.

"Kwoki fix," Talia said.

"That's wonderful," Frigga said and kissed Loki's cheek. "He is such a good big brother."

"Mother," Loki muttered, flushing, then gave her a sideways hug.

 _In the marketplace:_

Rhiannon and the Laufeysons continued to browse the shops, they visited the bookseller and the coffee shop and even the armorer who made armor especially for the royal house. But though they saw some fine things, nothing stood out to Rhiannon. She knew that Belle was right, that Loki would love whatever she gave him because it was the thought that counted, but the Healer wished to give her beloved something that was memorable and special. She chewed her lower lip, glancing about.

Suddenly, across the street, she spotted Thor and Sif exiting a jewelry store. Rhiannon felt her mouth curve up in an irresistible grin. _I wonder if they are shopping for a ring?_

Sif waved upon seeing her with the children. "Greetings! You look like you're leading an expedition to the toy shop."

"We just came from there," Rhiannon laughed.

"And you didn't get any toys?" Thor cried in mock-horror. "That is sacrilege, sister!"

"We weren't looking for us, Uncle Thor!" Lucy called.

"We were shopping for Dad," added Max.

"In the toy store?!" Thor pretended shock.

"Mr. Gold has a lot of things in his shop besides toys," Rhiannon chuckled. "But nothing struck my fancy."

"What are you looking for? Perhaps we can help," Sif offered.

"I need a morning gift for Loki," the Healer sighed. "And I can't figure out what to give him that's not . . . ordinary or something he already has."

"I see," Thor said, his brow furrowed. "Let me think on it."

Rhiannon approached the couple, shepherding the children across the street. Her eyes went immediately to Sif's left hand, and she grinned in delight. "Sif! What a beautiful ring!"

"Thank you," the warrior goddess blushed. "Thor proposed to me this morning. And then we picked out the ring together. So I would be sure to get one that fit."

Sif's ring was a large ruby in a gold eternity knot setting. It had smaller diamonds on either side of it and it was gorgeous. Rhiannon noticed the couple was beaming.

"You need to hurry back and show your parents, Thor," Rhiannon said.

"Yes, we will. But first let's help you with Loki," her new brother replied.

"What about a pocket watch?" Sif suggested. "My father loves his. My mother bought it for their wedding anniversary and he has it still. It has their names and the date they were married in it and he carries it on him always. It's very elegant, if a little old-fashioned."

"Dad can be really old-fashioned," remarked Hunter.

"That sounds lovely!" Rhiannon smiled, thinking of the watchmaker up the street.

"What if you put your picture in in , Rhee?" Serena asked. "Dad loves pictures of us. We gave him pictures for Easter and a shirt for Father's Day with us on it."

"And a photo album for Christmas," Nate recalled.

"Mayhap you can have your portrait in miniature and put it inside the watch," Thor mused. "Then he can take you with him always."

"Thor, that's brilliant!" exclaimed Rhiannon. "Thank you, brother!"

"You are most welcome. Now let me escort you to the watchmaker's and to the portrait artist, Vylar. He is just over here." Thor said, his smile flashing white in his beard.

The door opened as Thor led Rhiannon and the kids into the portrait shop and Vylar peeked out behind the easel. He was a tall elf with a thin build, pointy ears and cobalt almond-shaped eyes. His white hair was pulled back into a braid and his tunic was smeared with paint.

"Ah, Prince Thor! What do I owe the pleasure?!" he said with a small bow after standing up.

"This is Rhiannon. She is Loki's betrothed and she wishes a miniature portrait done for a present she wishes to give him." Thor said and Vylar walked over. He walked around her, studying her intently, as if trying to memorise her features, then he nodded in approval.

"I would love to paint her!" he said with a wide grin then held out his hand. His long fingers had some paint on them which he quickly wiped off on his tunic and she took his hand. He led her to a small padded stool. Then she sat down and the artist adjusted her slightly so the light was perfect as well as the pose.

"Why don't we go get something to eat?" Sif asked as the kids nodded and Vylar moved to the smaller easel.

The elven artist began sketching Rhiannon on the easel rapidly.

She remained still, turning her head when asked, and Vylar quickly got her face down while the light was still good.

Once he had the sketch where he liked it, he started painting. He noticed the slight blush to her cheeks, the way the light shimmered in her eyes and the love in her smile. _Lovely bone structure and she fairly glows in the light. She will be exquisite when I am done._

It didn't take long for him to finish the miniature portrait when he stood back and smiled.

"Perfect!" he said and she got up to see what it looked like.

"Oh!" she gasped in delight. "You have done an amazing job, sir!"

The miniature was so well done that it seemed like the portrait was alive. Like she would come out of the canvas and into his arms. Vylar had painted her practically glowing with love, her joyful smile and eyes beckoning the viewer to come hither. "Loki will love it!"

"I certainly hope so, my lady," Vylar grinned. "You are a much better subject to paint than his first wife, if I may say so. Now she was a hussy and I knew it from the moment I set eyes on her. Humph! Do you know that after I was done painting her portrait for the royal gallery she offered me money to paint her in the nude? And it was for her paramour, not her husband! And when I refused she told me that she would make it worth my while and she wasn't speaking of paying me with coin!"

Rhiannon's mouth fell open. "She . . . propositioned you?"

Vylar nodded. "Oh, yes. And fool that I was, I didn't tell Prince Loki. I was afraid he would think it was I who . . .and I swear I did not! I am happily married." He carefully wrapped the miniature up in oiled paper. "There you go, my lady."

"Thank you, Vylar. How much do I owe you?"

"For you, my lady, I will give you a special discount," the artist replied and named a figure that seemed quite low.

"Oh, sir, surely your work is worth more than that," she protested.

"I am a humble artist, my lady. Please, give this to Prince Loki with my compliments on your upcoming wedding." Vylar said, smiling brightly. He held up his left hand and Rhiannon could see that he was missing the tip of his pinky finger. "You see this? I got this when a bomb blew up in the hostel I was staying at during the Vanaheim War. Prince Loki saved me and saved my hand—except for the tip of my finger. But I can still paint, and I do." He closed her hand over the miniature. "This is but a trifle for the one who saved my life."

Rhiannon smiled and hugged him. "Thank you, sir! I shall convey your wishes." She paid him for the portrait, and then added a tip. "That is for doing this on such short notice."

"You are most kind, my lady," Vylar bowed to her.

Just then Thor entered the shop. "Rhee, are you done?"

"Yes. Look!" she proudly showed Thor the miniature.

"Sweet Valhalla! That is you to the life!" The prince exclaimed. "Vylar is an amazing artist."

"He certainly is," Rhiannon agreed.

Then they strolled out of the shop. Sif had bought Rhiannon a meat pasty to eat and some cider to drink. Rhiannon ate her lunch and then Thor took her to pick out the watch.

The kids all exclaimed over the miniature and said Loki would adore it. Sif offered to have them watch the sparring matches while Rhiannon and Thor picked out the watch. "You'll need Thor's help," the warrior woman said. "Knut, the watchmaker, is a bit . . . ahh how shall I put this? He has a wandering eye, if you know what I mean."

"Ya mean he likes to stare at a girl's butt?" Max put in.

His siblings burst out laughing.

"Err . . . yes and . . . well it's just better if Thor is with you. That way you will get what you want without threatening to knock his teeth down his throat when he tries to look down your dress," Sif coughed.

Thor sighed. "He would not dare offend you or any of the Royal kindred, Rhee."

"I see. Perhaps another watchmaker?"

"There is none as good or as quick as Knut," Sif demurred. "But fear not, as Thor said, he will not dare an impropriety with him there to make sure he minds his manners."

"Very well. I do need the watch sooner than later," Rhiannon admitted and followed Thor into the watchmaker's shop.

The shop was neat and had many kinds of clocks on display upon the walls and tables, mantles and in the glass counter were the pocket watches. Rhiannon hurried to the counter peer at them while Thor stood behind her with his arms crossed, looking intimidating.

Knut appeared from the back room when he saw Rhiannon and grinned.

"Hello, My Darling. What can I do for you?!" he asked. Rhiannon noticed his balding black hair, his squinting eyes, and his bulbous nose and shivered.

"He reminds me of my father," she thought as Thor coughed and Knut looked at him.

"Ah, Prince Thor, I didn't see you there!" he said.

"My brother's betrothed wishes to buy a pocket watch," Thor said and Knut's eyes widened.

"This...!? This is Loki's betrothed?!"

"Yes, I am. If it wasn't for the fact you are the best watch smith in the kingdom, I would have looked elsewhere," she said and Knut nodded.

"Allow me to show you my finest pocket watches," he said as they walked to the counter where the pocket watches were and she looked at the selections. "Do you wish something with a cover?"

"Yes, I need to put this miniature inside," she said and showed him the portrait.

"Oh, he is going to love it!"

She gave Knut a small smile as she nodded and he looked at the watches.

"Do you wish one which plays a tune on the hour and chimes at the half?" Knut asked.

"Yes," she said and he removed a tray from the display case.

"I think this will suit him," he said as he opened the cover and a sweet tune started playing. "It's called "Mischief"."

"What do you think, Thor?" Rhiannon asked as Thor walked closer and looked at the watch. He listened to the tune as he softly laughed and nodded.

"I think he'd love it," Thor.

"I have another," Knut said as he picked up the watch and opened the cover. The tune was soft, but sad and he arched his eyebrows up. "The song is called "Redemption."

Rhiannon held the watch in her hands as she looked at the intricate design on the cover and on the face of the watch and blinked.

"Could you put the tune from the first watch into this one?" she asked.

"For you, yes!" he said with a nod. He took the watches into the back room then returned a few minutes later. "There we go."

Rhiannon looked at the watch as she opened the cover and the tune started playing.

"Perfect!"

"Now, if you will give me the portrait, I'll place it in the cover."

"I also want something inscribed on the back."

"What do you wish it to say?"

"Your heart is my star, that guides me home safe in your embrace, until time ends. Love always, Rhee."

Knut wrote the inscription down, nodding,then vanished into the back room. A few minutes later, he returned and handed her the watch. Rhiannon opened the cover and gazed at the portrait. She flipped the watch over, making sure the inscription was correct and nodded.

"Thank you, sir," she said and he made a small bow.

"The pleasure is mine," he said.

"How much do I owe you?" she asked and he told her the price. She removed the coins from her pouch and paid him.

"I also have a box in mind," he said as he removed a dark green velvet box with gold silk on the inside and he held his hand out. She handed him the watch then he wrapped the present in white paper. He added a green and gold ribbon and bow when he handed her the box back and she nodded. "I wish you timeless love and life."

"Thank you again." she said and turned to Thor. He held out his arm as she took it and they left the shop.

Vylar looked out from behind the easel when the door opened and Loki entered the shop.

"My Prince," he said as he walked out from behind the easel and Loki nodded.

"Hello, Vylar. How is the family?" Loki asked.

"They are fine," he said with a nod. "How may I serve you?"

"I need you to do a miniature portrait of me for a gift."

"I can do that," he said when he turned and grinned as he pointed for Loki to sit on the stool.

After Loki sat down, Vylar moved him until he was sitting in the right light and walked to the easel.

"Are you excited about the wedding?" Vylar said as he sketched Loki.

"Yes, I am very excited."

"I hear nearly all the nobles are invited."

"As well as my friends," Loki said with a grin.

"You mean me?" he asked, looking at Loki with a puzzled look.

"Of course, I mean you."

"I am honored," he said with a nod as he started painting and they became silent.

Loki thought about Rhiannon, how he loved to watch her walk, as graceful as a dancer, her golden hair gleaming as it swayed down her back, slender as a willow yet curved in all the right places. _She walks in beauty like the night. But there is so much more to her than mere appearances._ He loved her compassion, her steadfast heart, her kindness and most of all how she would defend him against anything or anyone. She always had his back and he need never fear her loyalty waning. _She is the best thing that has ever happened to me. She healed the heart that was broken_.

"Hold that smile," Vylar said, holding up a finger. Loki didn't know he had been smiling as he kept still and Vylar nodded. "Finished!"

Loki stood and went to examine the portrait. "That is incredible. It looks like it's going to start breathing."

"I am glad you like it."

"How much do I owe you?"

Vylar told him as Loki paid and gave him a nice tip.

"I will have a page bring the wedding invitation here in the morning," Loki said as Vylar nodded and Loki left the shop. He headed for the jeweler when he opened the door and walked inside.

To his surprise he saw a familiar face. It was Solveig, whose baby girl his children had found beneath a bush and whom he had helped leave her father's restrictive household. "Solveig! Are you here buying something?"

"Prince Loki! It is good to see you, Friend! Yes, I am here to buy something for my daughter," Solveig said.

"What are you buying her?"

"I am buying her her first pair of ear rings. Her father pierced her ears and I thought I would get her some little hoops."

"How is Rayna? She must be growing fast now."

"She's well and, aye, she is growing like a weed."

"Soon you'll be buying her first pair of shoes," Loki smiled, recalling when he had done that for Aleta.

Loki and Solveig laughed when the owner of the shop walked closer and he had a small box in his hand.

"Here you are, Solveig," Bolvi said then looked at Loki. "Oh, My Prince, I didn't see you."

"That is alright," Loki said with a nod.

"Thank you for the earrings," Solveig said as she paid then turned to Loki. "Best wishes on your wedding."

"You are invited, you know," he said with a grin.

"Then I had better make a new dress for me and Rayna!" she said, opening the door then waved goodbye.

"Well," Bolvi said as he looked at Loki. "How may I help you?"

"I was looking for a special morning gift for my betrothed."

"Do you have anything in mind?"

"I was thinking of a locket. I want to place this miniature inside," he said and showed him the miniature portrait.

"I think I have the perfect thing!"

He led Loki to the display case when he walked behind the counter and removed a white gold chain with a white gold locket on the end. On the front were two hawks engraved on the locket and one hawk was black and the other was yellow gold. Loki took the locket as he looked at the hawks and blinked. He opened the locket as he moved his finger over the gold and nodded.

"I'll take it," Loki said.

"Do you wish to have something engraved inside the locket?" Bolvi asked.

"Yes. I want it to read "One heart, one soul, a love to last forever, your Loki."," Loki said and Bolvi wrote down the inscription.

"Excuse me," he said as Bolvi walked to the back room and Loki looked at some of the other lockets. A few minutes later, Bolvi walked back out with the locket and a small box with a cream color covering and he placed the locket and chain in the box. He wrapped the box in gold paper then placed a gold and silver ribbon and bow around the box. "Here you are."

"Thank you," Loki said. After Bolvi told him the price, Loki paid then wished him good day and told him to expect an invitation to the wedding.

Back at the palace, a certain little minx had been watching the queen make dresses for her granddaughters all morning. Talia had played quietly while Frigga cut out patterns and sewed sleeves and hemmed skirts.

Frigga used combinations of spells and also her scissors and needle and thread to make beautiful dresses for her granddaughters for the wedding. All the while Talia shrewdly observed her while playing with her ladybug and dolls.

"Pwetty dwesses, Mommy," she said and Frigga smiled.

"Yes, they are. I'm making one for you, too," Frigga said.

"Yay!" she said, clapping her hands.

She cocked her head to one side, some of her strawberry blonde curls falling over her forehead. "I make dwess?"

"Maybe when you're older."

"Want to make one now!"

"No, dear," Frigga said firmly. "You are too small to use the scissors. You could get hurt. But here is some fabric scraps. You can pretend to make a dress."

Talia took the scraps and frowned. She walked to her dolls and ladybug when she got an idea and placed the scraps on the floor.

"I need more scwaps," she said as she ran out of the room and headed down the hallway. She found Loki's doors were opened, and a cart with some cleaning supplies in the hallway. Peering into the room, she called, "Kwoki, you in hewe?"

She looked around when she found a pair of scissors in the drawer of his desk then she saw Lok's good cape and a big grin spread over her face.

Loki was overjoyed that his trip into the city had been such a success, and he hummed happily as he carried the present into his chambers, imagining Rhiannon's face lighting up when she opened it.

He walked down the hallway when he saw his doors were opened and he wondered where the guards were. He placed the box in the sling then he flicked his wrist and a dagger appeared. He slowly pushed the door ajar and looked inside, his eyes went wide.

"What the Hel?!"


	59. The Littlest Dressmaker

**59**

 **The Littlest Dressmaker**

 _Toddlers are like the ocean, you can't turn your back on them. ~ Loki_

Talia turned around with the scissors in her hand, gold fabric from Loki's ruined cape all about her. "Kwoki! You come home!" She went to run towards him, the scissors pointed at his knee.

"Whoa, ladybug! Give me those!" he cried, and took two strides and plucked the scissors from her grasp. "You never ever run with scissors, Talia!"

She hugged him about the knees. "Hi!"

He tucked the scissors in his coat pocket. "Hello. What were you doing in here?"

"Make dwess!" she declared proudly.

"Make a dress?" he repeated. "How were you doing-Nine Hells!" he gasped as he caught sight of what had been his favorite cape, the one he was intending to wear for the wedding.

"Make dwess wif scraps!" Talia stated, waving her hand at the remains of his cape on the floor.

"Scraps? You cut up my cape!" he cried, aghast. He knelt and saw she had cut it into pieces with the scissors now in his pocket.

"Make dwess like Mama," the toddler explained, looking at Loki like he was an imbecile.

His eyebrows shot into his hair. "Who said you could come in here, miss?"

She shrugged. "Me."

He put his hands on his hips. "Really? And who told you to take my scissors out of my drawer?" he frowned, looking at the open desk drawer.

"But Kwoki! I need them!" Talia whined, seeing the Look on his face.

"You need scissors like I need a hole drilled in my head," he huffed.

"What hole?" she asked.

"Never mind," he sighed. "You are not allowed to touch scissors, young lady. You could stab yourself with them."

"But Kwoki-!"

"No. Don't 'but Loki' me," he said firmly, his emerald eyes flashing with disappointment.

"Want scissors!" she shouted, her face screwed up into a grimace.

"You can't always have what you want," he replied. "Especially not when you use them to cut up my good cape!"

"Kwoki mean!"

"No, I am not mean."

"Gimme scissors!"

"No."

"Gimme!" she said as she went to kick him, but Loki dodged.

"Talia Elayne, don't kick me!" he snapped.

Talia folded her arms over her chest as she glared up at him and her lower lip stuck out.

"I hate you," she said, repeating something she had heard another child shout at his parent, then turned her back to him.

"Well, I'm not too pleased with you either right now," he said, walking to stand in front of her and kneeling down. "Do you know why I'm angry?"

"You no wike me!" she started sniffling.

"No, that's not the reason. Look at the mess you made," he said and she looked at what was left of his cape. "I was going to wear my cape for the wedding and now it's ruined."

"You yeww at me." She accused.

Loki sighed. He had not actually raised his voice, though he supposed the sharp tone could be confused by the stubborn child as yelling. "Talia, you could have harmed yourself. And you did something very wrong, young lady."

"Wanna make dwess!"

"I know."

"Want scissors!" she insisted, her temper showing.

"And I said no. Do you know how sad I'd be if you got hurt with them or you hurt me when you ran with them?"

Talia looked at her feet, shame beginning to creep into her, as he tilted his head to one side then looked up when someone appeared in the doorway.

"Loki, have you seen...?" Frigga asked after walking in the room then saw the mess. "My word! What happened in here?!"

"Talia happened," he sighed. "She found the scissors in my desk and cut up my cape to make a dress."

"Is this true?" Frigga asked, looking at her daughter.

Talia pouted. "Kwoki mean! Took my scissors! And he _yewwled_ at me, Mama! Kwoki bad!" She pointed at her brother, clearly telling on him so he would get in trouble.

Loki bit his lip to keep from laughing. _Little sister, do you think you're going to get **me** in trouble? Little minx!_ he thought.

Frigga shook her head in disappointment. "Oh, Talia! Loki is not bad. _You_ are naughty to touch scissors after I told you not to, and to destroy his cape. I am very disappointed in you." She frowned at her daughter.

"No!" Talia howled, and abruptly threw herself on the ground, sobbing and kicking her feet. "Wanna make dwess!"

Frigga and Loki promptly turned their backs to her, ignoring her.

"I think she is overtired," his mother whispered to Loki.

Loki nodded. "Yes, she needs a nap. And a time out."

After three minutes Talia grew tired of howling and beating up the carpet and just lay on the floor, sniffling.

Frigga and Loki turned around and Frigga said, "Are you quite finished, dear? Or shall you water Loki's carpet some more?"

Talia climbed to her feet, her face red from temper and wet with tears. "Sowwy, Mama."

"That's a start, but you need to say sorry to your brother," Frigga pointed out. "You ruined his cape."

Talia pouted. "Mad at Kwoki!"

Frigga raised an eyebrow. "Stubborn little imp! It should be the other way around. Say sorry to Loki."

The toddler glanced over at Loki, who contrived to look sad.

Her lower lip trembled. "Kwoki, no cwy! Sowwy! I no touch scissors!"

"And what else?" he asked softly.

"I no cut up you cape," she sniffled. "Wuv my Kwoki!"

"I forgive you. But you're still in trouble," he warned. He wanted to hug her, she looked so pitiful, but he knew better.

Frigga nodded. "Loki is right. You were very naughty. And naughty girls get one thing in this family—time out." She picked up Talia and set her in a chair facing the wall. "Now stay there for two minutes."

Talia pouted and kicked the chair leg. "Don't wanna time out!"

"Next time be a good girl and you won't get one," her mother told her.

"I don't wike you!" the child sobbed. Then she got up and tried to run off.

Loki caught her and put her back. "Now you get another minute, right, Mother?"

"Yes. Sit there, young lady, and do not move!" Frigga ordered in her queen voice.

This time the stubborn toddler listened. She stayed on the chair, crying softly, while Loki used his watch to time her.

When Loki's watch beeped, Frigga said, "You can come out now, Talia."

Talia got up and ran to Loki and hugged his legs.

"Sowwy, Kwoki," she said and he knelt down. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he gave her a hug and kissed her cheek.

"And you won't do it again?" Loki asked.

"No! I be good!" she promised, having learned two things that day. One, she did not like Loki disappointed in her, and two not to cross him or her mother.

She gazed up at her brother, a small frown creasing her brow. "Kwoki not mad?"

"No, I'm not mad anymore," he reassured her.

"No send me way?"

"Never," he reassured her, the question tugging his heart sharply. Like his children, she feared being abandoned if she misbehaved. He tipped her chin up. "You will never be sent away, ladybug, not even when you are naughty. I promise. All's forgiven, scamp."

Thus reassured, she leaned her head on his shoulder, secure in his arms and the fact that he still loved her, unlike the scary man who had cast her off into the streets. "Wuv my Kwoki," she repeated.

"Love you too," he whispered, his breath cool against her cheek.

Frigga studied the pieces of the cape and then cast a mending charm. With a wave of her hand, Frigga repaired the cape, and walked to Loki.

"I think someone needs a nap," Frigga stated, picking up her daughter.

"Mama tell stowy?" Talia asked.

"Yes, I'll tell you a story," she said and they left the room.

Sighing, Loki watched them leave then he turned to look at the cape and was surprised to see it was again in one piece.

"Thank you, Mother," he whispered, picking the cape up and putting it back on its stand next to the wardrobe.

He put Rhiannon's gift away, concealing it with magic in his wardrobe. Then he yawned and decided to take a nap himself, for his wrist and ribs were aching.

He removed the sling then he sat on the edge of the bed and removed his boots. Settling on his back, he placed his aching wrist against his stomach then closed hies eyes. He didn't notice Trickster hopping onto the bed then the kitten settled down next to his shoulder. Both of them drifted off to sleep as Loki sighed and the kitten purred softly in his ear.

Around two hours later, Rhiannon returned with the children and put her parcel away, hiding in in her trunk beneath her clothes and locking it.

 _I wonder what Loki did while I was out?_ she thought, and decided to go and see if he was around.

She hoped he had followed her advice and rested for some of the time, since rest was the best healer she knew of.

Walking down the hallway, she went to his room only to see the doors were open and she peeked inside. Smiling, she entered the room, walking to the bed and looking down at sleeping Loki and Trickster.

Rhiannon wondered where Loki's guards were as she carefully sat down and he sighed, half opening his eyes.

"Hello," he said with a sleepy voice.

"Hello," she said as she looked at the doorway. "Where are your guards?"

"That is a good question. They weren't here when Talia came in and destroyed my cape."

"She what?!" she asked then softly laughed after he told her what happened.

The guard appeared at the doorway, peering in at them and Loki carefully sat up.

"Where have you been!?" Loki asked.

"Sorry, My Prince, but Nalgreg became ill and I had to take him to the infirmary."

"What's wrong with him?" Rhiannon asked.

"Healer Stefan said it was a mild case of food poisoning. I told Nalgreg not to eat that moldy apple he had in his bag, but he said it would be fine," Kolvar said, smiling while shaking his head.

"Even so, you should have had someone replace you," Loki said.

"Aye, you're right. I promise it won't happen again."

Nodding, Loki watched him close the door then laid back down and looked up at Rhiannon.

"Did you have a good time shopping with the kids?" he queried.

"Yes, we had a marvelous time."

"Did you buy anything?"

"Yes. We met Thor and Sif there and had lunch. And Sif has a ring!" Rhiannon told him gaily trying to distract him.

Loki's eyes went wide. "Thor finally proposed?"

"Yes!"

"By the Nine! First me then Balder and, now, Thor!"

"Good things come in threes," she said and he nodded.

"I can just imagine the joy in my mother's eyes when she finds out. She had been worrying if he would ever get married."

"Looks like we will have a lot of weddings coming up," the small Healer laughed.

"Starting with ours," he laughed and she nodded.

He stroked the striped kitten and Trickster rolled over so Loki could rub his belly.

Loki rubbed the kitty's belly while Trickster purred and lightly moved his paws against Loki's fingers.

"What did you do today?" Rhiannon asked.

"I helped Father with Talia, took her to see some puppies down at the kennels and she fell and skinned her knee, so I fixed it and then she went with Mother to watch her make dresses. I went into the city too for a bit."

"Did you buy anything?"

"Maybe," he teased and she saw the mischief in his eyes.

"No wonder you're napping. You shouldn't overdo things."

"I was careful," he said with a hurt look and she took his hand, entwining their fingers.

"I know. I just worry, you know that." She smoothed the hair from his forehead.

"Yes, I know," he said with a yawn. He thought it was pleasant to have someone worrying over his wellbeing like that.

"Do you wish to go back to sleep?"

"Maybe for a little while longer," he said as his eyes closed and she watched him drift back to sleep. Getting up, she kissed his forehead. She left the room and Kolvar gave her a nod.

"If you wouldn't mind, Lady, could you check on Nalgreg?" he asked.

"I will," she said and he nodded. She walked down the hallway when she saw Sam and Lucy walking towards her.

"Rhee! Hi! We were looking for you!" Lucy said, grinning.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No, we just wanted to know if you could teach us some self-defense moves."

Rhiannon was surprised, for she hadn't thought any of the children interested in learning from her. Pleased, she said, "Of course I can. But first I need to check up on Nalgreg. It seems he has food poisoning."

"Ugh!" Sam made a face. "Thought you Asgardians couldn't get sick."

"Very rarely, but there are some things we are susceptible to-like certain infections and bacteria. Our immune systems are invulnerable to mortal diseases and maladies."

"And you don't grow old," Lucy added.

"Well, not after we come of age. But we do age, but very slowly, like a star ages," Rhiannon told them. "Do you wish to come with me?"

"We'll go with you," Lucy said, taking her hand. Smiling, she nodded and they walked down the hallway.

Nalgreg was resting on the bed while he looked at the ceiling and rolled his eyes. He knew he shouldn't have eaten that rotten apple, but he thought he had eaten around the bad spots.

 _Your grannie would box your ears for being so stupid,_ he thought when he heard someone coming and looked at the doorway.

"Hello," Rhiannon said as she walked to the examination bed and he looked at her.

"Hello," he said.

"Your friend, Kolvar, asked me to look in on you."

"That is nice of you, but I'm fine," he said as she looked at the screens then he remembered who she was. "You are Prince Loki's betrothed, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am."

"Is he angry with us?"

"Well, maybe a little, but he understands why you two left your posts."

"I tried very hard not to become ill. But my stomach had other ideas."

"No, if you are ill, you should go see a healer."

"So, he isn't going to punish us?"

"Loki... Prince Loki does not punish his staff. You might have extra guard duty though," she said with a smile and he nodded.

"I'll gladly do it once I feel better," he said and she patted his hand.

"Get some rest," she said then headed for the door and left the room. Nalgreg looked at the ceiling when he yawned, closed his eyes and folded his hands over his stomach.

"is he alright?" Sam asked.

"Yes, he will be fine," Rhiannon said.

"Then can we go to the training arena, please?" Lucy asked.

"Of course," she said, taking Lucy's hand and they left the building.

They went down to the second practice arena, which was not used as much as the first one, where all the guards and Thor and his friends tended to go.

Rhiannon walked to the wooden staffs while she examined them and picked three. One was a little smaller than the other two as she walked to Sam and Lucy and handed them the staffs.

"Now, hold the staff like this," she said and showed Sam and Lucy how to hold the staff, in a firm easy grip.

"Next you need to balance correctly," she said, and demonstrated how to stand, with feet shoulder width apart, holding the staff in the ready position.

Lucy and Sam got into position as they held the staffs tightly in their hands and Rhiannon nodded.

"Now what?" Sam asked.

"Now you learn how to block an opponant's strike." Rhiannon coached. She demonstrated with her staff, showing how them to block. Once they had mastered the block, she led them over to the stuffed practice dummy which was mounted upon a rotating pole. "When you land a hit on the dummy, it will spin around and try and hit you with the wooden weapons it holds. But if you duck and move away you will avoid getting smacked."

"Show us!" Lucy begged.

Rhiannon obliged, showing them how to strike at the dummy's midsection and after she hit it, she jumped back, avoiding the mannequin's return spin. "See? Now you try."

The girls tried to imitate her, but at first could not hit the dummy at all. "Help! I can't hit it!" Lucy cried.

Rhiannon came and positioned her hands and helped her swing the staff, hitting the dummy quickly. "There! Now move, or else you're going to get knocked down."

Lucy hopped backwards and grinned. "I did it!"

"Well done. Samantha, you try." Rhiannon encouraged.

Sam took her stance, and then copied what she had seen Rhiannon do. The end of her staff struck the dummy in the head.

"You knocked his block off!" Lucy cheered.

"Look out!" Rhiannon warned, as the dummy spun around.

Sam ducked but forgot to move and the dummy's wooden spear struck her staff with a sharp clack, knocking it from her hands.

"Aww, Sugar Honey Iced Tea!"

Rhiannon was puzzled. "What's iced tea?"

"It's a drink," Lucy giggled.

"And it's not really iced tea I'm talking about," Sam sighed, wringing out her throbbing fingers. "Hells, that thing is fast!"

"It is meant to simulate an opponent in battle," Rhiannon explained. "Try again. And next time remember to move away."

"Right," Sam nodded and picked up her staff.

She tried the maneuver again and this time it went better.

Rhiannon showed both girls how to thrust with the staff and to block her attacks, keeping her own thrusts at half strength to avoid overwhelming her students.

Finally, after forty-five minutes, she called a halt. All three women were sweating and panting.

Rhiannon showed them where the water cooler was, and they all drank several cups of the cool Asgardian water flavored with lemon. "You both did very well for a first practice," she praised her students. "Now let's cool off." She had them put their staves back and then walk slowly about the arena, letting their bodies cool down from the exercise so they didn't stiffen. Of course she knew they would be sore tomorrow but that was to be expected.

"Is it true you trained with a real Valkyrie?" Lucy asked, wide-eyed.

"Aye, it is. Only I did not know it at the time. I had never seen a Valkyrie. I just thought she was a kind older woman who lived alone in the woods—a vagabond. It wasn't until I told Loki—your dad—about her that he said she was the same Valkyrie who had trained him. Her name was Brunhilde."

"Wow!" Lucy sounded awe-struck.

"That's really neat!" Sam remarked. "And she was Dad's teacher too?"

"Yes, that is what he told me." Rhiannon affirmed.

"Did she ever tell you her name?" Lucy wanted to know.

The Healer shook her head. "No. She said she had to keep it a secret. Now I know why. If anyone had found out she was the last Valkyrie . . . her life might have been in danger from Hela."

"Why?" Lucy asked.

"Because the Valkyrie were all slain defending Asgard from Surtur's and her armies when she tried to take over long ago. Before Odin shut her away in some prison that only he knows about."

"How come?" Sam wanted to know.

"Well . . .according to what I know, Hela was Odin's firstborn child, but could not become queen because he was not married to her mother, who was a priestess. Apparently her mother died when Bors the warlord king ransacked her temple and Odin managed to keep his father from killing the baby. He took Hela to some friends and they raised the girl, whom he visited when he could, as his duties as Prince allowed. When she started displaying frightening signs of powerful death magic, Odin took her and had one of his tutors teach her control, but she was a frightening child, always obsessed with war and death. Bors, however, liked that and had her trained in all manner of warcraft."

"Then what happened?" Lucy asked curiously.

"She grew up and became very deadly as a soldier and a mage assassin. It is said she could kill you with a touch. When Bors died and Odin took the throne, he made Hela his Royal Executioner, and for a time she served him well. But then she began to have ambitions of her own, to rule, and that could not be. So Odin told her he would grant her rulership over another realm, and gave her Helheim, but she hated it there and vowed to return one day and take Asgard from her father, the way he had from Bors."

"And is that when she came and tried to usurp the throne and all the Valkyrie died?" Sam surmised.

"Yes. She made two attempts to take over allying herself with Surtur, who was the sworn enemy of Asgard and ever has been, and after the last one failed, Odin locked her away in a prison only he knows about for all of time. He said he could not risk her getting free and trying again for a coup," Rhiannon told them. "She was too powerful. When she was on Asgard, she could draw magic from the planet itself and was nearly unstoppable. He only managed to defeat her by tricking her away and using his own magic to throw her into this prison. There she remains until this day."

"What about Brunhilde? How did she survive?" Lucy queried.

"I don't know. She never told me. Or Loki either. Although I think he knew her before all of her sisters were slain." Rhiannon replied.

"Do you know where she went?" Lucy asked.

"No. But she must still live," the Healer answered. "Perhaps she is somewhere living quietly away from everything. Someday someone must find out what has happened to her."

"Maybe I could do that. When I am grown," Lucy said.

Rhiannon ruffled her hair. "Maybe you can, darling."

"If anyone could, you could, Luce," Sam said to her little sister.

"Shall we go and take baths?" their teacher suggested.

Both girls nodded and they left the arena, returning to their quarters to bathe before supper.

As Rhiannon dried herself off, she thought about her old teacher and wondered where in the realms she could be and hoped wherever she was, Brunhilde was content and happy.

Rhiannon hummed an old folk tune as she combed her long hair, thinking it was a shame she did not know where Brunhilde was so she could invite her to the wedding. She had a feeling her old tutor would approve of Rhiannon marrying Loki. She smiled and then thought about her upcoming nuptials, and what sort of gown she wished to have for it.


	60. And the Least Shall Be Best

**60**

 **And the Least Shall Be Best**

 _Sometimes someone that started out being small and mocked can become the best and the brightest of all~ Loki_

 _A few days later:_

Rhiannon was observing while Odin assisted Loki in making her wedding gown, having given the two men a sketch of what she wished the gown to look like—which was white silk with a satin underskirt that flowed gracefully to her feet with a small train at the back. The bodice and sides of the dress had appliqued golden vines and flowers going up the sides and all over the bodice, and there were no sleeves, just a soft white mantle with more flowers on the hem and a soft collar of gold fabric with bits of crushed opals and tufts of ermine fur. Her hair would be braided and twined with all kinds of flowers and sparkling frost opals, so that she could easily wear Astra's crown. She would wear the necklace and bracelet Larimar had left her, and she left the shoes up to Loki, knowing he would make her ones that were stylish and easy to walk in.

Loki noticed the look on her face as his mind imaged Rhiannon wearing the gown and he smiled. He could see her walking down the aisle with a shimmer of white light around her.

He could see the crystals glittering in her hair.

He could see her smile when she saw him.

He could...

"Ow!" Loki said when he pricked his finger with a needle and sucked on the wound.

"Are you alright?" Rhiannon asked, approaching him and he looked at his finger.

"I stuck my finger with the needle," he said as she examined his finger then kissed the small wound.

"Don't be daydreaming now, Loki," Odin teased, an amused glint in his eye.

"Yes, I better pay attention before my hand looks like I've been picking up porcupines," his son chuckled ruefully.

Rhiannon laughed. "You don't wish to know how many times I pricked myself while I was sewing your suit for the wedding, Skytreader. I had to soak my hands in lavender water like a beginning seamstress because I kept imagining you in it."

Odin noticed the blush moving across his son's cheeks as he cleared his throat and they went back to work.

"If I am to be honest," Odin began. "My fingers looked like I had been pruning rose bushes after I finished your mother's gown."

"You made her gown?!" Loki asked with wide eyes and Odin nodded.

"I certainly wasn't about to let anyone else do it," the king replied. "I was one of the only thread mages at court at the time, what little court there was back then."

"I imagine she looked lovely," Rhiannon said.

"She looked like an angel," Odin said while his mind brought up the image of Frigga in her gown then he yelped.

"Are you alright, Father?" Loki asked.

"Now I have a sore finger," Odin teased and sucked on his finger.

"Maybe we should take a break before we get blood on the gown."

"Yes, I think we should," Odin said as he got up and asked a page to go get them something to eat.

Loki rested his wrist upon the table, he had just the soft cast on it so he could hold the cloth while he sewed, and had promised his bride that he would rest at intervals to avoid stressing it so it healed quickly.

"How long until your cast can be removed?" Odin asked.

"I have another week or so," Loki said when the page entered with a tray and placed the tray on the table.

"Thank you," Odin said with a nod and the page left the room. They went to get something to eat and Rhiannon sat next to Loki on the small couch.

"I haven't seen the children today. What are they up to?" Rhiannon asked.

"I don't know. I just hope they're not getting into some mischief," Loki said, taking a sip of wine.

"If they are your children, it is a clear bet they are," Odin teased and they laughed.

In the garden...

Tavi looked over the wedding song he had written for Loki and Rhiannon when the kids ran to him and he looked at them.

"Ah, there are my little actors," he said when Talia came up and looked at the song.

"What that?" she asked.

"This is my present for Loki and Rhiannon's wedding," he told her.

"You wrote them a song?" Max asked.

"Yes, I did."

"Will you sing some of it for us?" Belle asked.

"If you like," the skald prince replied and picked up his lute, My Lady, from the bench beside him.

He began to play the opening notes of the song and then sang in his beautiful tenor, "One night when the moon was a'gleaming, and all was dark and still,

I gazed at the sky, saw a star brightly burning,

it was you, showing me the way home . . ."

He sang on, coming to the refrain:

"All the stars in the sky cannot compare

To the night I saw you standing there

Waiting for me to share

Your heart and make me your own.

Your love like a beacon

Showing me the way home."

Tavi played another stanza or two before stopping and asking, "Well, what do you think? Is it good? Or should I work some more on it?"

"No, I really like it!" Sam replied.

"Me too!" Hunter agreed.

"It's beautiful!" Serena said.

"They will love it!" Belle chimed in.

After hearing the children's enthiusiastic recommendations, Tavi played the rest of the song, then Lucy asked the skald if he could play the musical score for the play so they could rehearse. They went up to the rehearsal room and began to act out the play from the second act—there were three.

Tavi played the accompaniment at the correct parts while Fenris, who played Loki, and Sam, who played Frigga, discussed Loki assuming the throne while Odin was asleep and Thor was banished.

Tavi was impressed with how Fenris captured his father's facial expressions of shock then sadness and how his voice trembled at certain points.

Jorgy did an excellent job playing his uncles, using variations in his voice amazingly well, and also using his shifter skills to appear larger than normal and older as well.

Sleipnir did a wonderful job playing Odin. He used his shifter talent to make his hair appear white and despite his playing an older man, still managed the presence the king had of commanding men many years his junior, which Sleph had observed when he served the king as his royal steed.

Fenris also did a great impression of Laufey. Loki had told Fenris what Laufey looked like and how his voice sounded.

Sam had changed into her Boda costume as they acted out the scene where she was banished from the kingdom and Abby giggled at the squeaky voice Sam was using.

"That is pretty close to her actual voice," Tavi said, grinning.

"That's why when she shouted she made our ears bleed," Jorgy frowned in remembrance.

"Her voice was worse than a cat in heat," Fenris snorted. "I told her that once and she went to beat me but Father stopped her and said I shouldn't be punished for telling the truth."

They started rehearsing the final act as Tavi played and Jorgy shifted into Thanos. Loki had showed him what the Mad Titan looked like and they did the scene where Thanos used the Mind Stone on Loki.

"Dad told us that Thanos was controlling him," Sam said.

"Yeah, but they still blamed him for what happened," Hunter said.

"That doesn't seem fair," Tavi said.

"People believe what they want to believe," Hunter recited.

"Well, at least this will show what really happened."

"Yeah," Max said with a nod. He didn't want to tell them about the bad dream he had about Thanos hurting him as he concealed a slight shiver.

"Well, I think the play is coming along nicely," Tavi said and the kids nodded.

"Dad and Rhiannon are going to love it," Belle said. She had checked the rest of the script and had wrote in a part where Balder found Talia.

"What are you planning for the end?" Tavi asked.

"We're going to end it with a wedding," Serena said.

"That would be a good time for you to sing your song," Lucy said.

"Yes, that sounds like a great idea!" Tavi said.

They rehearsed to the end and Tavi applauded. "You did excellently. Your father will be proud of you."

"What are we calling this play?" asked Sleph.

"It's called The Mischief Saga," Belle replied.

"A fitting title," Tavi approved.

"What did you call your song?" asked Serena.

"The Light That Guides Me."

"I like that," Aleta said and Max nodded.

"Is your grandmother helping you with the costumes?"

The children nodded.

~0~0~0~

Later that night, Loki and Rhiannon sat with the children as they ate dinner and Talia was sitting on Odin's lap. Frigga had told him about the scissors and cape incident, but the king didn't seem too upset. "All little children find mischief of one kind or another," he remarked and saluted his youngest with his goblet.

 _She would have been beaten if Bors were still inside him_ , Loki thought as a cool shiver moved through him and he sipped on some wine.

At the other end of the table, Thor looked at Loki then at Bruce and frowned.

"Something wrong, Thor?" Bruce asked.

"I was trying to figure out this Midgardian tradition called a . . .bachelor party. Man of Iron said it is a time to celebrate a man's last night of freedom before he becomes a married man. But I am not sure how to go about having one for Loki."

"Oh, well, it's usually done by a guy's family and friends, or a girl's because they have bachelorette parties too. And it involves a party with beer and liquor and sometimes people tell off color jokes and hire some girl to jump out of a cake in a bikini, but . . . I don't think Loki would appreciate that so maybe you could tone it down a bit?"

"Such as?"

"You could just make it a gathering of close friends and family, and have the women included. Have a few drinks, some snacks, tell a few funny stories about when you were all kids, play some cards, and skip the girl in the cake."

"I see. You are right, I wouldn't wish Rhee to be offended if some strange woman wearing almost nothing jumped out of a cake. Not to mention that Kara would need to make it and I doubt she would agree to a courtesan doing such a thing." Thor agreed. "The rest I can handle. When is this party performed?"

"Well, most people do it a night or two before the wedding. But really, you could do it whenever you wanted," Bruce replied.

"How about tonight? We just got a new shipment of honey malt mead in and I am dying to sample it. And so is Balder."

"Will that be enough time for your kitchen staff to make snacks and stuff?" Bruce asked, mindful that here there were no grocery stores to run out to.

Thor nodded. "I will tell Jorsi and Kara to have fruit, nuts, and a few other snacks available and bring them here and the steward can bring the mead and that frost wine Loki likes."

"Who will you invite?" Bruce asked curiously.

"The Warriors, Sif, Balder, you and Natasha, Rhiannon, Stefan, Loki of course, Prince Tavi, a few others. Not more than twenty."

Bruce nodded. "Sounds good. It should be fun."

 _That same night_

 _The royal dining hall:_

Thor had his squires and pages decorate the dining hall in green and gold banners and streamers and put vases with green ferns and golden roses on the table along with green table runners. The servers used good china and gold flatware and matching cloth napkins. In the corner was a huge barrel of untapped mead and there was frost wine in an ice bucket on a cart with glasses about it. Platters of fresh fruit, cheese, and nuts were already on the table, and the servers stood ready in the alcove with trays of hot snacks—little chicken wings in a tangy sauce, small spareribs, and spits of beef with peppers and tomatoes. There were also strawberry custard tarts, tiny bacon wrapped scallops, and maple bacon quiches. There was ice cream and tiny pieces of chocolate cake also.

He waited with Sif, Balder, Bruce, and Natasha for the guests of honor to arrive. The Warriors would be coming soon, and Tavi just had to put Eirunn to bed before he attended.

"So what is expected of us at this party?" Rhiannon asked Loki as they strolled down the hall towards the dining room. She was dressed in a pretty lavender dress, not too fancy, with a delicate white lace wrap covering her upper arms.

"Just to be there and have a good time," Loki replied. He was wearing the green tunic she had embroidered for him, black trousers and his green cape. He had left his arm out of the sling, and his cast was covered with his tunic sleeve.

"Will there be dancing?"

"Maybe. But I think it's mostly just talking and eating and in my brothers' and their friends' case, drinking the new batch of honey mead." Loki answered. "I just hope they have some frost wine. And maybe some strawberry punch too."

"So this is . . . sort of a farewell to our former single status?" Rhiannon asked.

"Yes, I would say so. Though I do not mind at all my new married status," Loki grinned.

"Nor do I. But if they wish to give us a party, then I will gladly attend," Rhiannon smiled at him, resting her hand lightly on his elbow.

When they entered the dining hall, everyone cheered and applauded. "Our guests of honor have arrived!" Thor boomed. "Now let us celebrate!"

Soon after Loki and Rhiannon had arrived, the Warriors and Tavi did also. As well as Stefan, who happened to not be on duty that night.

The food was served and the cask of mead broached. Soon everyone was laughing, eating, and making merry. Tavi played a few rousing songs on My Lady and Thor and Sif danced the quick-step, along with Balder and Natasha. Loki had to refuse due to his healing ribs, so Tavi played a slower song next that he and Rhiannon could dance to.

Stefan joined him as well with his date, Melanie Evenglow, a half-elven Healer.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Prince Loki and Lady Rhiannon," the bubbly Healer said, her long red hair done up in some complicated loops and swirls and set with pretty aquamarine crystals. Her dress was fine elven silk, of a darker aqua color with splashes of gold sequins. She was pretty, with pleasing features and huge blue eyes.

Loki smiled at her. "Thank you for coming. I'm surprised Stefan could drag himself out of his comfy chair by the fire with his cats," he joked.

"I would not dare refuse to attend my two good friends' party," Stefan wagged a finger at Loki. "I hope you are resting that wrist, My Prince."

Loki rolled his eyes. "Yes, I have been. You and Rhiannon are much alike."

"Because we know how stubborn you are, Loki!" Stefan laughed and twirled Melanie around.

"Not half as stubborn as you, dear Stef!" Melanie returned.

Loki laughed. "That's true!"

Stefan chuckled. "Not a bad trait when you're a Healer," he refuted. "Rhee, you look gorgeous."

"Why thank you, Stefan," Rhiannon said, recalling just in time not to call him sir since he was no longer her employer and as Loki's betrothed she now outranked him, even though he was a jarl's son.

The music ended and the four headed over to the table to sip some refreshing punch and frost wine and eat some of the appetizers.

Rhiannon sipped the punch, which was not alcolholic, and ate some of the chicken and some fruit, Loki drank his frost wine and ate some bacon wrapped scallops and quiches while chatting with Stefan about their Academy days. They were soon laughing at Loki and Stefan's exploits, one of which involved sneaking out to a cemetery at midnight to speak with a famous dead Healer.

Across from them, Thor and Balder were drinking tankard after tankard of mead, and wiping foam from their beards. Fandral swayed next to them, giggling at whatever they said. Hogun sat quietly, slowly sipping some ale, and Volstagg was happily devouring a whole dish of smoked sausage.

Bruce, Natasha, and Sif were playing cards at the end of the table, snacks at their elbows and glasses of mead. Everyone was having a good time.

Until Thor slammed his tankard down on the table and cried, "Another!"

His page hurried over to give him a refill, and he had quaffed half of it before he began to reminisce about an incident that had happened when Loki was fourteen.

Sif frowned and looked up from her cards. She recognized the tone in Thor's voice and knew it usually preceded trouble.

"Is there something wrong?" Natasha asked.

"Thor is telling a tale about Loki. One which will surely embarrass him," Sif said.

"Oh damn!" Natasha groaned. "He's done this before. But usually Tony's around to shut him up before he makes Loki mad."

Thor and Balder laughed as Loki sunk down slightly in the chair and Thor lightly patted Loki on the back.

"When Thor gets drunk, his mouth has no filter," Bruce sighed, shaking his head.

"We need to stop him," Sif said.

"Maybe you'd better try first. The Hulk's version of stopping someone is to throw him through the roof and I don't think the king and queen would appreciate a new skylight," Bruce quipped.

Sif got up when she walked to the table and Thor slugged down some more honey mead.

"Thor, as much as I like an amusing story about Loki, can you please tell a tale of someone else?" she asked and he arched a blonde eyebrow.

"Oh! He doesn't mind!" Thor said.

Thor slammed his tankard down again. "Another!"

"Brother, I think you've had enough," Loki said icily. "Your mouth is starting to run ahead of your brain."

Thor laughed drunkenly. "You think too much, Loki! Remember the time Anna tried to get you to kiss her? She waited all day for you to come out of the library and you had your nose buried in a book as usual and didn't even see her standing there! I swear, unless it had pages, you wouldn't have known what to do with a girl's lips anyway!"

Fandral howled with laughter. "Is that true! Loki didn't even notice girls because all he saw were runes! Actually, he was lucky Anna even noticed him, he was such a skinny shrimp!"

"Aye! We would tease about him disappearing if he turned sideways!" Balder said, laughing.

Loki felt a flush crawl up the back of his neck. It was nothing he hadn't heard before, but even though that had been over a thousand years ago, it still stung and pricked him like brambles.

 _They're drunk. They don't know what they're_ _saying_ , he reminded himself. But another part of his mind cried, _stop making excuses! They aren't so drunk they can't insult you!_

"Remember that time he had his nose in a book, strolled onto the practice field and ran into the dummy?!" Fandral asked.

"He said "Pardon." and kept walking," Thor said and howled with laughter.

Loki cupped his face in his hand as he snorted out a breath of air and shook his head.

"Thor. Please. Enough," Sif said as she looked at Loki.

Loki's cheeks burned. They had teased him about that incident for weeks, and while later on it seemed funny, it hadn't at the time because he was studying for an important exam.

"My dear Lady," Thor aid as he pulled her onto his lap. "You used to tease him as well!"

"Aye, but I grew up! Unlike you!" she snapped as she pushed off him and stood up.

"Oooo!" Balder and the Warriors laughed.

Rhiannon frowned. "Aye, Sif! "tis plain he is still stuck back when he was seventeen. An immature jackass!"

Loki gave her a small grin as Thor grumbled and the page poured some more honey mead into his cup.

"Do you remember the time we went swimming?" Fandral began. "And those three girls came by and started making eyes at me, Thor, and Balder?"

"Fandral, shut up!" Hogun hissed.

"But I was just getting to the good part!" the handsome warrior bragged. "And Loki swam up and that hot little number asked Thor if he was his little sister!"

Loki's eyes widened as they laughed and a small icy mist swirled around his feet.

"Is it getting cold in here?" Bruce asked and Natasha pointed at Loki's feet. "Uh-oh."

"Fandral! If you treasure your beard, you will shut up!" Sif said through clenched teeth.

"At least I can grow one!" the drunk warrior chortled. "Thor, remember when Loki tried to shave?"

Before he could elaborate, Rhiannon stood up and dumped her whole glass of punch over Fandral's head. "That ought to shut you up, you prattling peacock!"

"My new tunic!" Fandral yelped.

"Oh dear. I think you'd better go wash it," Rhiannon said sweetly.

Grumbling, Fandral staggered to his feet as he headed for the door then passed out onto the floor. He started snoring as Volstagg and Hogun laughed and went to prop their friend against the wall.

Loki struggled to keep his temper. He knew there was plenty he could retaliate with, but he refused to allow himself to be baited into a quarrel by his drunken brothers.

 _Count to ten, Laufeyson_.

"I think we need some coffee," Natasha said.

"I agree," Rhiannon said and asked a page to fetch some.

"Oh...!" Balder said as he tried to snap his fingers, but failed. "Remember that time we talked Loki into a snipe hunt?!"

"Aye! We told him they would only come out if he walked naked through the woods!" Thor said and they howled with laughter.

Loki's eyes flashed and he contemplated sewing Balder's mouth shut.

 _I ended up with poison ivy everywhere_ , Loki thought and Rhiannon saw the anger in his eyes.

"He's going to explode," Bruce thought.

"Puny God needs to. This is no longer funny," the Hulk said and Bruce nodded.

"Calling him "puny" isn't nice either."

"Hulk sorry."

"That's ok, Buddy."

"Speaking of him being naked...,"Thor said when Loki stood up and glared at him.

"Enough!" Loki growled then stormed out of the room.

"Loki! Come back, brother!" Thor yelled. "Don't make me come after you!"

"You aren't going after anyone, you big oaf!" Sif snapped, as Thor started to rise. "Sit down!" Then she drew back her fist and clocked her betrothed one on the chin. Thor fell back onto the chair, stunned.

"All ya had to do was ask . . ." he drawled then his eyes rolled up and he passed out cold.

"I'll go get him." Balder said as he stood, but stopped when he saw Natasha standing in front of him.

"You've done enough for one night," she said as she swung her fist and punched him in the stomach.

"You are so beautiful when you're angry," Bakder draawled then fell unconscious to the floor.

Natasha rolled her eyes. "And you are so idiotic when you're drunk."

"Most men are," Sif sighed. "Pity they won't remember this when they wake up."

"No, they won't."

Rhiannon got up and ran out of the room, wondering where Loki went.

She felt her shifter blood stir and suddenly she knew he had gone to walk in the garden. The shifter in him would need to get out and away from four walls.

Loki paced back and forth beneath the hanging crepe myrtle trees, which Frigga had imported from Virginia when Thor had told her about them.

He was mumbling to himself about calming down when he turned and looked at the trunk of the tree.

The night wind blew his tresses free from their hair tie and his ebony locks swirled about his face like shadowy fingers.

He kept balling his good hand into a fist as he glared at the crepe myrtle in front of him. Rhiannon was startled when he put his head back and screamed.

It was the most painful sound she had ever heard.

It reminded her of when he had been locked up and would cry out during the night.

There were reservoirs of pain within him, she had thought then and now she could see that they were with him still, despite all the healing he had done. Brave as he was, prince that he was, still a part of him was that lonely vulnerable child who had never felt like he belonged.

She knew she had to be careful with approaching him as she inched closer and he placed his hand against the trunk of the tree. She did not want him to believe he was being spied on, nor yet an object of pity. But his pain resonated in her, quivering in the deep spaces of her soul.

So she waited patiently, as only a shifter could, for him to see her, not wishing to startle him. And her heart broke for him, as it had long ago _. I am here,_ she thought. _Just look up. You are not alone._

He heard her as he slowly turned and held out his hand. She took his hand, and he pulled her to him. She slid her arms carefully around him then placed her head against him and he hugged her. His heart beat in her ear, a rumbling bass. She slid her hand around to place it over his heart and he put his hand atop hers.

"I am so...," he said when she placed her finger against his lips and shook her head.

"Don't you dare apologize. If anyone should, it's them," she said in a calm voice.

"They won't even remember what they did," he replied, his tone laced with bitterness.

"Then I shall remind them!" she answered. "No one hurts you and gets away with it!"

"My fierce Frost Dragon," he murmured.

"And don't you forget it," she said and he laughed.

"What happened to my shy little flower?"

"She finally bloomed," she said and he knew she was right.

"The hawk rules the sky," he chuckled.

"Indeed. And you rule my heart." She returned.

"And you mine."

"It is too bad your wrist and ribs are still sore or we could go flying."

"Aye, we shall have to save that until I am mended. But it is something we can look forward to," he whispered, his breath tickling her cheek. "I love flying with you."

"I love flying with you as well."

He leaned down to kiss her lips and she slid her hand up to cup his cheek. They moved back as she smiled and he loved how the moonlight shimmered in her eyes.

"You make me forget sometimes that their words stab me like daggers, for no matter how long ago such things occured, I still recall the way I felt then. It is the curse of an eidetic memory," he sighed.

"The worst wounds are caused by family," she replied sagely. "Mine were."

"Yes. And while my brothers do not intend to hurt me like your father did you, they forget that what may seem amusing to them was anything but to me, who was always made to feel second best and the least one among my father's sons."

"I know that feeling. I broke my heart trying to please a man whose only true pleasure was hurting me." Her fingers traced his face. "But look at you now. The least prince has now become the best one of all. At least to me." She kissed him again, and fire sparked between them.

"They are jealous of you Loki."

"How can you say that? You heard their teasings."

"They have envy for all that you have, and I do not speak of monetary wealth, I speak of the wealth of love you are given by your children. The are only surrounded by accolades by their heroics, not by the value and capability of your heart to receive and return such love."

"Do you truly believe that?"

"With all that I am. You have such wealth in that, no crown could ever take its place. Even I am witness to your compassion, your greatest gift that you give so freely. For a king with kindness and wisdom is a king worthy of the people he leads. He is Father to them, and must guide them as he would children."

"Am I worthy of you?"

"Of course, for you are my home. And where you are, my heart shines with the light of a thousands suns."

"Rhee..."

"I love you with every part of me, and pray you will always me."

"My sweet defender. I will love you till my last breath and beyond. In this world and every other." He kissed her back, gentle and passionate by turns. "The stories my brothers told were nothing compared to the tales Boda used to tell about me," he said and she frowned.

He sat down as she turned to look at him and brushed some hair from his eyes.

She sensed that if she was to love him fully, she must know his pain, and so she said, "Tell me, Mistokin. So you can be free. I will never judge you."

"You know what she said to Abby about me," he started and she nodded. "She told servants that I was a monster and I had sacrificed children to Surtur to gain my powers. She told her hand maidens that I would rape and kill them if they displeased me. She told her friends I was cold and unattractive as well as horrible in bed. She begged the midwife to drown Fenris and Jorgy soon as they were born because they were demons. Most of all, she told people that my father's punishments were well-founded and I should have never been released from my imprisonment. "He's an animal and should be caged! So should his demon spawn!"

"She lied," Rhiannon said firmly. "For you were none of those things. But bitterness and jealousy can never bear to see anything more than themselves. My father was much the same. But you know that. And I know that I am marrying the most wonderful man, one who cherishes me for everything I am, and does not wish to change me. Whose heart beats in time with mine, and who woke me from my nightmare life and gave me a new life worth fighting for. In the darkness you were the star that led me home."

Loki's heart soared as he cupped her cheek.

"And you pulled me out of the pit. Not just the one I had put myself into, but the one my father had placed me. I know now he was not himself when he did that. It was Bors. Bors tried his hardest to break me. To destroy any self-esteem I had. He wanted me to turn into something dangerous so he could have a reason to kill me."

She went to speak, but he shook his head.

"If it wasn't for you, he would have succeeded. There is nothing on this world or any of the others that I can give to repay you for that. I am your star, but you are my world. You and my children."

She felt the tears coming as he wiped them away and smiled.

"On Midgard, there is a saying which goes "Good things come in small packages." and that is you. You are my special gift," he said and leaned over to kiss her lips.

It was a delicate brush yet it stirred her like nothing else. She kissed him back, her kiss tender and loving and passionate all at once. He drowned in her sweetness.

He drew back as she softly gasped and he stood. She watched him standing there in the shadows when he turned and held out his hand. She accepted his outstretched hand, her eyes full of love. He locked eyes with her as they started dancing and she placed her head against his shoulder.

Bruce, Sif and Natasha had come to see how he was doing, they paused and watched the two dancing, then slowly turned and went back inside.

They danced beneath the lambent moon, with the cry of nightbirds all around them, and overhead a star burned brightly in the heavens, a star that had been present at Loki's birth and again at Rhiannon's, an unmistakable sign from the heavens that their destinies were entwined, forever. The Norse who worshipped the Asgardians called the star Lokabrenna, or Loki's Torch, a sign of good fortune.

Slowly, from above, two watchers gazed down. The two spirits of two women who gave their children to a heartless world smiled. Watching as two hearts soared free, and slowly became bound by threads older than time.

They were joined by a third watcher, once a king, now a holy warrior of the Norns. "Theirs is a love for all seasons, and all ages of all the worlds that are and ever will be. " Laufey whispered. "Our blessings go with you, my children."

And for a moment it seemed as though the stars themselves danced alongside Loki and Rhiannon, bathing them in incandescent glory, as befit the future King and Queen of the Nine.

"I should rest for tomorrow, but I do not want to leave you until I know you are happy again." She said softly, smiling at him kindly. Her eyes shone with nothing but love for him and she blushed in the most delightful way.

He laughed softly, his lips curving in that devastating grin she loved so well. "I am always happy when I am with you." He gently tucked her hand in the crook of his good arm. "Come, I will escort you back to your chambers. Do not fret, I will be fine, darling. Now let us go to bed, for the night wanes and soon it shall be dawn."

Together, the two strolled back to the palace, their shadows mingling until they became one.


	61. The Healing of Harms

**61**

 **The Healing of Harms**

 _Once you have recognized a wound you have dealt, you can begin to heal it~ Loki_

The next morning Thor woke with his head throbbing like it was an anvil being beaten by dwarven hammers and his mouth tasted like a sewer. The light from the windows in his room hurt his eyes and he rolled over and shouted, "Close the drapes, dammit!"

"Good morning to you, too," Sif said as she closed the curtains and he half opened his eyes.

"Oh, it's you," he said with a grin then moaned from the pain in his head.

"Does your head hurt?"

"Aye, it feels like dwarves are pounding their hammers against my skull."

She walked to the bed when she leaned down until her lips were next to his ear and he smiled.

"Good!" she shouted and lightning flashed in his eyes.

"Sif! My head!" he clutched it in both hands as the hammers increased their tempo and now his stomach proceeded to do somersaults.

"You have no idea what you did, do you?"

"No," he said with a moan.

"You don't remember Loki's bachelor party?"

Thor tried to think, but his head hurt too much and his stomach rolled. Cupping his mouth, he quickly got out of bed and vomited into one of the potted plants.

Sif huffed. "You should have quit when I told you to last night."

Thor glared at her balefully and wiped his mouth with a cloth. "Nine Hells, woman! I'm suffering here!"

"Well, perhaps you deserve to after the spectacle last night." Sif growled.

"What in all the realms are you talking about?"

"I am talking about what you did to Loki."

"I..."

Thor's mind started clearing and he recalled bits and pieces of what he had done. He blinked his eyes a few times.

"Oh," he said with a small laugh. "I see. Well, Loki is used to me telling those stories."

"It doesn't mean he's not hurt by your words."

"He wasn't . . ."

"He stormed out of the room!" she shouted and pain roared through his head.

"Sif. Please."

"I am just as guilty as you are when it comes to teasing Loki, but I never saw the hurt and shame in his eyes until last night. All his life, we have treated him like a joke and that played a part in how he ended up. If we had included him in things... If we had accepted him for who and what he is... He might not have felt the only thing left for him was to destroy us or die."

"But Sif, all siblings tease each other," Thor protested, not liking the guilty feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Yes, but you and Balder took it too far. And we helped you."

Thor sat down hard on the edge of the bed as he placed his head in his hands and sighed. He stayed silent for a few seconds then looked up and she walked to the bed, sitting next to him.

"What should I do?" he finally asked and she gently rubbed his back.

He recalled Loki's impassioned words when they had fought before he had fallen into the Void. _"I never wanted the throne! All I ever wanted was to be your equal!"_

He thought about their talk after he rescued Loki from the Avengers.

 _"I remember a shadow. Living in the shade of your greatness."_

"By the Norns," he whispered. _What have I done?_

He rose and went to dress behind his dressing screen. He emerged in his favorite red tunic and blue trousers.

"Where are you going?" Sif asked.

"I am going to go see my brother," Thor replied then he strode down the hallway.

 _In Balder's chambers:_

The loud pounding of his heartbeat woke him as Balder rolled onto his back and moaned. The sudden blast of cold water being poured onto his head made him gasp and his eyes snapped open.

"By Odin's Good Eye!" he shouted as he sat up and Natasha placed the pitcher on the side table.

"Good morning," she said and he wiped water from his eyes.

"Are you insane, woman?!" he roared.

"No, but I am really angry with you," she answered, unfazed by his temper.

"Why?! What did I do?"

"You don't remember?"

"If I remembered I wouldn't be asking you." He said grumpily.

"I don't believe this," she said as she started pacing and he sat up.

"If I have done something wrong, I do apologize."

"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to Loki."

"Loki?! What did I do to him?"

"You embarrassed him, that's what!"

"I embarrassed him?"

Balder frowned while his mind started clearing and replayed what happened the night before.

"Oh! That! It was just brotherly teasing. He's used to it."

"I maybe an only child, but even I know that was wrong."

"But..."

"No, what you and Thor did was cruel. There is a saying on Earth which goes "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.". That's not true. Names do hurt if they are spiteful. As does making fun of someone because they're different. It's easy for you. You can make friends so easily. Loki, on the other hand, felt he was an outcast due to who and what he was. And what did all that teasing do?"

"It drove him into darkness," Balder said with a sigh.

Getting up, he headed for the dressing screen, then he came out from behind it wearing the outfit he wore the night before.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"I am going to speak with my little brother," he answered and hurried down to Loki's room.

Loki had just finished putting his sling on and adjusting his coat when there came a knock at his door. "Come in!" he called, thinking it was one of the children, Rhiannon, Talia, or Frigga.

The door opened slowly, and Thor and Balder entered. "What do _you_ want? Come to add some more fuel to the fire?" he demanded, his mood turned sour.

"Brother, I came to-"

"Loki, I wanted-"

Both men attempted to speak at once, looking guilty and ashamed, and reminding him of his sons when they had done something wrong.

Loki rolled his eyes. "By the Nine! One at a time, before you trip over each other's sentences."

His tone was soft but biting sarcasm accompanied it.

Balder stepped forward first and Loki noticed his hair was soaking wet.

"What happened to your hair?"

"Natasha gave me a rude awakening," Balder said, but Loki didn't laugh. "I know last night was supposed to be filled with fun and revelry, but, instead, it turned into us getting drunk and making you feel ashamed. For my part, I beg your forgiveness."

Thor stepped forward as Loki looked at him and Thor made a little cough.

"Brother, you know what I am like when I get drunk. My tongue speaks before my brain realizes what I'm saying. I should not have teased you. I know I have said that many times, but I do mean what I say when I say I am sorry."

Loki eyed them warily. "Do you mean that or are you saying it because your betrotheds are angry with you?"

Balder and Thor looked at each other then at Loki and Balder placed his hands behind his back.

"I mean every word," he said.

"As do I," Thor said.

Loki could sense they were not lying. "All right. Then why do it to begin with?"

"I guess I feel like I am sharing something humorous about you," Thor said.

"But you take things too far," Loki corrected. "Take the tale of my walking into the dummy in the arena. I was studying for a major exam and I really thought I had walked into someone. That is why I apologized. Instead of laughing about it and forgetting, you teased me for weeks and kept bringing it up."

"True," Balder said with a nod.

"And do you think I think it's funny about that maid asking if I was your sister when we went swimming?" Loki asked, looking at his older brother.

"No," Balder said, shaking his head. "You got out of the water and ran back to the palace. That was the last time you ever came swimming with us."

"Aye, instead of correcting them and making that maid apologize, we just laughed," Thor sighed.

"Do you know how humiliated I was? I was twelve and I thought I was finally old enough to be one of you and instead I . . .was a joke."

"We never thought that way," Balder said.

"I did! No matter what I did... No matter how hard I tried... I felt humiliated and unwanted!"

Balder and Thor heard the anger in his voice as Loki started pacing and they lowered their heads.

"Mother was the only one who accepted me for what I was. The only one who didn't make me feel like I was a disappointment. Or odd because I preferred my books and my magic. Do you know why? Because books don't laugh at you."

"Why have you never told us this before?" Balder asked, wincing. He recalled what Natasha had said to him and felt as low as a worm. He thought of how Loki used to follow him and Thor about like Talia did to Loki and it made him feel even worse. _Norns, I was an awful older brother. I knew what I did was wrong and yet I didn't have the sense the Norns gave a goose to quit._

"Because you would have laughed at me! Belittled me and call me names!"

"He's right," Thor said then walked to Loki, placing a hand on his shoulder. "But we are grown now and know what we said was untrue. You are far better than I. You have accomplished so much and I fully believe I could never do half of it. If anything, I am jealous."

"Jealous?! Of me?!"

"Aye."

"And if anyone knows what it is to be a joke, it is I," Balder said. "After what happened with my wife and daughter, I felt like a fool. A joke."

"So you decided to use that jealousy and regret and make me feel like fool?!" Loki asked.

"Not intentionally."

"It still hurt!"

"Then make us feel what you felt," Thor said.

"And how do I do that?!"

"We humiliated you. Now it is your turn to humiliate us," Balder said.

"We acted like swine," Thor said.

Loki was stunned then a smile spread across his face. He waved his hand as their noses became pig snouts, their eyes squinted, their ears folded over and their jowls sank down. Two tusks stuck out of their mouths and two curly tails sprang out of their bottoms. They walked to the full-length mirror and gaped at their reflections and Loki laughed.

"You will stay that way until I decide you have learned your lesson," Loki said then he thought about Fandral and waved his hand.

 _Three little piggies!_ he thought then laughed when they heard a loud squealing sound.

"Ahh oink oink! Help! I am a pig man!" squealed Fandral.

His brothers ran out of Loki's room and down the hallway. Fandral appeared in the doorway.

"Oink! Oink! You as well?!" he asked after seeing Thor and Balder.

"Snort! Yes. It is our punishment," Thor said.

"Oink! Punishment!? Snort! For what?!"

"Oink! Oink! For our rude nasty behavior at Loki's party. Snort. Snort," Balder said.

"You and my brothers humiliated me by telling embarrassing tales about me," Loki said.

"Oink! I was just jesting! Snort," Fandral said.

"It was cruel. How would you like it?"

"Oink! How long will I be like this?! Snort. Snort."

"Until I say otherwise."

"Oink! Loki! Not fair!," he squealed when Hogun and Volstagg walked down the hallway then stopped.

"By Yggdrasil! What happened to you?" Volstagg asked.

"Oink! We are being punished for our behavior at Loki's bachelor party," Balder said.

"You did take things too far, My Prince," Hogun said with a nod.

"Snort. I wasn't that bad," Fendral said.

"My friend, unless you want to stay that way...," Volstagg said with a nod to Loki.

"Oink! No! I was horrid! Squeal!"

"Well, I'm starving! Shall we go get some breakfast?!" Volstagg asked and Fendral's eyes widened.

"Snort! Wait!"

He began rummaging through his trunk.

He pulled out a scarf which matched his outfit and wrapped the scarf around his face and head. He came out of his room as they snickered and he held his head high as they walked down the hallway.

The servants pointed and whispered as they went by. Hogun hissed, "I guess you can't hide the tail."

"Squeal! What tail?!" Fandral shouted as he spun around in order to see it. He became dizzy as Volstagg held him up and Loki tried hard not to smile.

Rhiannon came out of her room, fire in her cobalt gaze, ready to shred Loki's brothers and Fandral and spit them out, only to discover that they resembled the pigs they had behaved like the night before.

"Sweet Valhalla on a ski sled!" she gasped, then she doubled over laughing.

Mirth dancing in her eyes, she met Loki's gaze, and arched a questioning eyebrow. At his nod, she held her sides and laughed even harder, much to the chagrin of the three pig-faced warriors.

Loki smirked at his betrothed's laughter. Then he thought, _Now you know how it feels, brothers!_

They entered the dining hall as the others looked at them and Odin nearly choked on his coffee.

"By My Beard, what is going on?!" Odin asked.

Frigga stared, then she hid her laughter in her napkin. She was sure there was a story behind it.

Talia almost fell off her chair. "Kwoki! Them's piggies "

"Yes, they are, ladybug," he said as she ran to Thor and looked up.

"Tor piggy!"

"Snort. Snort." Thor said and she giggled.

"Loki?" Odin asked and Loki approached. He explained what happened as Odin and Frigga gave the three piggies the Look and Talia ran around them, lightly pulling on their tails.

"Squeal!" Fandral said and the scarf fell to the floor.

Everyone started laughing and Fandral went to grab the scarf, but Talia got there first and picked it up. "Pwetty! I wear!" She draped it about herself and the ends dragged on the floor, making everyone go "awww!"

Fandral ran to hide under the table as Talia followed and he covered his face with his hands.

"Fan-Fan no hide," she said, pulling on his hands until he lowered them.

"Snort. Don't you find me ugly?" he asked.

"Nuh-unh! Fan-fan handsome!" she said and hugged him. Sniffing, he hugged the little princess and she kissed his cheek. They crawled out from under the table as she took his hand and he stuck out his chin, going to sit at his usual place.

Talia promptly climbed up on Loki, declaring, "I sit wif my Kwoki!"

The children all laughed at that statement.

"It's like she owns him!" Serena giggled.

Aleta frowned. "He's not _your_ Loki, Talia! He's _my_ daddy."

Talia glared at her. " _My_ Kwoki!"

"Mine!" Aleta insisted.

"No, MINE!" Talia shrieked and everyone winced.

"Looks like you're not the only woman in his life, Rhee!" Natasha laughed.

Rhiannon chuckled. "But I am the only one who is his betrothed."

The two toddlers were sending each other death glares across the table.

Loki sensed he better difuse the situation. "Okay, no more fighting."

"But Daddy-"

"No, spark. You know she doesn't mean it like that. I'm her brother. Now just calm down and eat your breakfast."

Aleta nodded then resumed eating. Talia picked up some toast from Loki's bread plate and ate it.

"Mmm! I wike this!"

Loki smiled at her, she had smears of butter and jam on her face and crumbs on her frock.

He ate some bacon and eggs then drank some coffee.

"I haf that, Kwoki." Talia pointed to the coffee.

"Oh no, ladybug," he disagreed. "You won't like that."

"Pwease?!"

He groaned. "Fine. A sip." He poured a little bit of it into a small cup.

Talia took a sip when her face scrunched up and she pushed the cup away.

"Yuck!" she said.

"Told you you wouldn't like it."

"Want miwk pwease."

Loki poured the goat milk into a new cup as he handed her the cup and she held it with both hands.

She happily drank it, and Loki ate a piece of toast with jam.

His children kept eyeing their transformed uncles and laughing softly.

"Daddy, why does Uncle Thor and Uncle Balder have piggy faces?" Max asked.

"It is an object lesson, imp."

"Squeal. We acted like pigs at the party for your father last night. Snort," Thor said.

"Oink. We told hurtful stories about him and hurt his feelings. Snort. Snort," Balder said.

Talia frowned. "Mean!" She shook her finger at them. "You not hurt my Kwoki!" She gave them a glare worthy of a drill sergeant.

The three winced.

"They won't hurt Loki anymore, little one." Rhiannon said.

"Did you tell Daddy you were sorry?" Aleta asked, crossing her arms over her chest. She gave them a Look.

"Squeal. Yes, we did," Thor said.

"Oink. That is why we look like this," Balder said.

"Fan-Fan mean, too?" Talia asked, frowning.

"Yes, and that's why he looks like a piggy, too," Loki said.

The children all gave them varying Looks of Disappointment. Their censure stung worse than that of the adults.

"You're lucky Talia has no magic, or else you'd be stuck like that a long time,"Sif said.

"Oink. Verily," Thor said and sighed after he dribbled coffee on his tunic.

"She does have magic," Loki said. "But it is sleeping."

"Oink. I pray it doesn't wake up for a long time."

"Can you tell what sort of Gifts she will have, Loki?" asked Rhiannon.

"I can, love." Loki read the child's aura.

"Tickles," Talia said, smiling.

"Divination is one. There's an affinity with air. And animals."

"Does that mean she can fly, Daddy?" Belle asked.

"Or shift?" Fenris asked.

"Possibly, yes. Flight most likely. Also light which means an illusion caster."

"Like you, Daddy?" Max asked.

"Yes. "

"Anything else?" Rhiannon asked.

Loki saw a rose color as the last band. "Mindspeaker."

"What does that mean?" Nate asked.

"She can send thoughts and receive them. Like me."

"Cool!" Vince said and placed a piece of sausage in his mouth.

"When will her powers wake up?" Serena asked.

"That's hard to tell. Usually they sleep until later, like seven or eight. But some of them could wake sooner."

 _Like with Max,_ Loki thought. _And Aleta._

"Me do magic, Kwoki?" Talia asked.

"Yes, you will be able to do magic, but not right now," Loki said and she leaned against him.

"Kwoki teach me?"

Loki looked at Frigga. "Mama and I can teach you."

"Yay!" she said as she clapped her hands and lightly bounced on his lap.

"Squeal! Blast it!" Fandral said after spilling mead on his tunic for the third time and he sighed, placing his chin in his hands.

"Do you want me to feed you?" Sif asked, giggling.

"Snort. Yes. Please."

Loki shook his head when the kids and Talia wanted to laugh and Sif fed Fandral.

"Rhee feed Kwoki?" Talia asked.

Rhiannon blushed when she picked up the fork and scooped some scrambled eggs onto the fork. Loki leaned closer so she could feed him when he chewed then kissed her lips.

"Ooooo! Kissy-kiss!"

"Children present!" Sam said.

"Please! Don't do that!" Hunter said, covering his eyes.

Rhiannon fed Loki some more then he took the fork and started feeding her. The kids rolled their eyes while Talia giggled and Balder gently nudged Natasha. Nodding, she picked up the fork and she began feeding him and Thor frowned.

"Down," Talia said as Loki removed her from his lap and she ran to Thor. She carefully climbed onto Thor's lap when she picked up the fork and poked some pieces of sausage. "Open."

Thor smiled then opened his mouth and the little imp fed her brother.

"Um...,," Odin said as he glanced at Frigga and she softly laughed, picking up his fork and fed her husband.

Bruce watched wryly, and from the expressions on the faces of the servants, surmised this was quite an unsual thing, but it was sweet and funny.

Malek hoped his father would not be too angry with him being late for breakfast as he hurried into the room then came to a stop when he saw Balder.

"F-father, what happened to your face?" he asked and Balder smiled.

"Snort. Good morning," Balder said and Malek sat next to him. "Oink. You're late."

"I over sl-slept."

"Oink. That's fine. I've done that myself. As for what happened, I made a swine of myself at your uncle's party."

"How?"

"He got drunk and told harmful stories about him." Natasha explained.

"Di-did you apologize?" he asked, looking at his father disapprovingly.

"Oink. Aye, I did," Balder said.

"And he t-turned your face into that?"

"Oink. Aye."

Malek leaned back in the chair when he saw the curly tail sticking out of Balder's bottom and smiled.

"Y-you have a tail!"

Balder wagged the tail as his son laughed and Natasha served him some breakfast.

"How l-long are you going to look like this?"

"Snort. Until your Uncle Loki says otherwise."

Nodding, Malek started eating when he noticed Thor and his eyes widened.

"Did Un-uncle Thor make a swine of himself, too?" he asked, pointing to Thor with his fork.

"Yes, he did," Natasha said.

"Snort. So did Fandral," Balder said and Malek glanced over at Fandral and grinned.

Balder slid his arm around his son's shoulders as Malek leaned closer and gave him a small hug.

"Now don't go making fun of any wizards and you won't ever need to worry about looking like that," Natasha told Malek.

"I-I won't. I know h-how d-dangerous mages can be," he replied, thinking of his late cousin Adabiel. "B-besides it's mean to m-make fun of anyone."

"Oink. Verily. I just wish I had learned that lesson a long time ago. Snort," Balder said.

Malek nodded. "I n-never had a b-brother or a sister. Ad-dabiel was my cousin and he w-was always nasty to me. Said I w-was a h-halfwit that couldn't t-t-talk straight. And maybe I needed my t-tongue replaced."

"That's horrible," Natasha said.

"He w-would make me re-recite poems to t-the court so they could laugh a-at me."

Balder scowled. "Snort! That one should have been turned into a jackass. Squeal!" Then he thought remorsefully that he and Thor had probably treated Loki no better at times and felt his ears burn.

Malek nodded as he sipped on some milk and used the napkin to wipe his mouth.

Natasha looked thoughtful as she ate her own breakfast and then leaned over and whispered into Balder's ear, "Back on Earth we have special people called speech therapists that work with kids and adults with speech problems like Malek's. Do you have them here too?"

"Yes. Some of our Healers specialize in that," he answered.

"Maybe we should go see one after breakfast."

"Snort. Alright."

Bruce noticed that Balder's son had a small sketchbook he placed on the table. "What are you drawing there, Malek?"

"J-just some d-designs for houses." the boy replied.

"May I see them?"

Malek looked at the sketchbook then at back Bruce when he slid it closer and Bruce opened the cover.

He flipped through the pages as he smiled and closed the book.

"These are really good," Bruce said.

"Thank you, Dr. Banner," the boy smiled. "B-but l-look at this!" He spread his hands and an illusion of the house appeared and slowly revolved about.

"Whoa! That looks amazing!"

"He's right," Natasha said and Balder nodded.

"Do you r-really think so?"

"Snort. Yes," Balder said.

Malek blinked a few times when he smiled and closed his hands.

"I think you have the making of being a great architect," Bruce said.

"But to do th-that, I need to be able t-to explain my de-designs," Malek said with a sigh.

"Snort. We could go to the infirmary and have one of the Healers teach you how to speak properly," Balder said.

"Yes. I w-would like that," Malek said.

Loki had noticed the seriousness in the air around his oldest brother as he stood and walked to them.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked.

"We are thinking of taking Malek to the infirmary," Natasha said.

"Is he ill?"

"Snort. No, we wish to have a Healer examine him and teach him to speak properly," Balder said and Malek nodded.

"I see," Loki said when he waved his hands and Balder's face returned to normal. The tail vanished as well. Balder blinked and looked at his little brother.

"Why did you do that?" he asked.

"I don't want you scaring the Healer," Loki teased and Balder laughed. He watched Balder lead his new family out of the room. He sat back down and Rhiannon leaned over, kissing his cheek.

~0~0~0~

Stefan was reading a chart when the door opened and he saw Malek, Natasha, and Balder come in.

"Ah, hello, My Prince, is everything alright?" he asked.

"Yes, everything is fine. I was just wondering if you have a Healer available to help my son," Balder asked.

"What seems to be the problem?"

"I st-stutter," Malek said and Stefan nodded.

"Yes, I know just the Healer," he said as they headed down the hallway and into a room. In the room were two women. One had long white hair in a braid and the other had long black hair. The second woman wore the robes of an intern and she was writing down some instructions. "Bergljot, I have need of your assistance."

"How may I serve you?" Bergljot asked as she stood and walked to him.

"This is Prince Balder and his son, Malek."

"My Prince," Bergljot said with a curtsy.

"Greetings," Balder said.

"What seems to be the problem?"

"My son has trouble speaking."

"What sort of trouble?"

"I st-stutter," Malek said.

"Ah, well, come sit down and we will run some tests," she said and he followed her to the table. "Heidel, I need my books."

"Yes, Healer," Heidel said with a nod, got up and walked to the bookshelf. She removed several tomes which she placed the on the table and Malek looked at them.

"We will start with some basic sounds," Bergljot said as she opened the top book and turned the book so he could look at the page. "Try saying "A"."

"A," Malek said.

"Now try "B"."

"B-b."

"Try again, but don't try to force it. Roll your lips like this," she said showed him. Malek rolled his lips a few times then made a little sigh.

"B," he said and she smiled.

"Very good."

They went through the rest of the alphabet as she wrote down which letters he had trouble with over the ones he could say freely then she looked at Balder.

"He does have a stutter, but it isn't as bad as most," Bergljot said, looking at her notes.

"Does this m-mean you can help me?" Malek asked hopefully.

"Yes, I can help you."

"What should we to do help him?" Balder asked.

"I will give him cards with words on them to take home after his treatment. I need you to spend some time before bed to practice them with him and also before breakfast," Bergljot said and Balder nodded.

"Ca-can we start now?" Malek asked.

"If you wish," she said and Balder smiled, sliding his arm around Natasha.

"We will see you back at the palace," Balder said and Malek nodded. They left the infirmary as he looked at Natasha then stopped and took her hands. "Thank you."

"I didn't do anything," she said and he softly laughed.

"You just made my...our son feel like he isn't some sort of fool."

"Did you just call him "our" son?!"

"He is," he said as he moved closer and kissed her lips. "And I couldn't ask for a better person to help raise him."

Natasha blinked the tears from her eyes as he held her and she placed her head against his chest.

"Perhaps we should talk about having children?" Natasha said.

He looked at her. Then he said, "What about them?"

"Do you want more children?" Natasha suddenly asked.

"Aye, I do," he said then noticed the sadness in her eyes. "Is there something wrong?"

She let go of him when she walked away and he ran to catch up with her.

"Natasha?"

"There is something I want to tell you, but I don't think you are going to like it."

"Tell me."

She went quiet for a few moments, then said in a low voice, "A long time ago, when I was just starting to learn my craft as a spy, I decided that I would never be able to find a man to love me or that I could love in return. I wasn't interested then in having a husband and a family like other girls. So I made the decision to have an operation that made me unable to get pregnant. I had my tubes tied. The fancy name for it is a tubal ligation. That way if I happened to . . .have an affair in the course of my job I wouldn't need to worry about a baby nine months later. But now . . .it's different."

Balder looked startled. "I do not know much about these things. I do know a few ways to prevent pregnancy, but they are with certain teas and rubbers. But I did not know there was an operation."

Natasha nodded. "Yes. It's quite common back home for a woman to do it if they are finished having children, or it's too dangerous to have any more, or they simply don't want any. But the good thing is . . . it can be reversed."

"Reversed?" he repeated.

"Yes. I would need another operation to remove what was done and make me able to have children again." Natasha replied.

"If that is so . . . would you like to do so?"

Slowly, she nodded. "I would. At least once."

"Then we should talk to Stefan. He would know about this operation if anyone would."

They headed back to the infirmary. Inside they saw Stefan talking with one of the healers.

"Healer Stefan, may we have a word with you?" Balder asked.

"Back so soon? I don't think Malek is done with his treatment yet," Stefan said.

"We are not here about Malek," Balder said then looked at Natasha. "We wish to speak to you about Natasha."

"Are you ill?" he asked, looking at her.

"No, but I do have a delicate matter which we would like to talk to you about," she said and he nodded.

Stefan led them to his office. They sat on the chairs in front of the desk. After Natasha explained, he placed his elbows on top of the desk, folded his fingers and placed his chin on top of his knuckles.

"I believe I can help you," he finally said and they smiled.

"You can perform the operation?' Natasha asked.

"I can," he replied.

"Once it is done she can have children?" Balder wanted to know.

Stefan nodded. "Yes, My Prince. There is no reason to think otherwise."

"I am glad to hear it. But before you do so there is another matter I need to discuss," Balder told him. "You know what Jorunne was. I want to know if there is a test to ensure that I do not carry whatever it was that made her kill without remorse."

"You fear you might have been responsible for the way she was born?"

"I just need to know, Healer."

"Yes, there is a special genetic test for that," Stefan said.

"Then I wish you to do it ."

"Very well. I can draw your blood and ship it to the lab today. When would you like to schedule the surgery?"

"I was thinking after Loki and Rhiannon's wedding," Natasha said.

"Alright." he said with a nod as he looked at Balder. "Is that when you wish to do the blood test?"

"No, we can do that now if that is possible," Balder said.

"Certainly," the Healer agreed. "Come, I will have my assistant draw your blood. The results should come back in a few days. I will inform you when I have reviewed them and we can discuss them then."

He led the way back to the lab where he had Heidel draw Balder's blood and send it off by a sealed Royal Medical packet to the lab facility they used.

Balder looked relieved. He hoped the results would be in his favor.

~0~0~0~

Thor decided to spend some time training as he walked into the practice arena and saw Hogun and Volstagg sitting on the benches.

"Snort. Greetings, Friends," Thor said and Volstagg covered his mouth with his hand.

"Greeting, My Prince," Hogun said with a nod. He knew better than to find Thor's situation funny.

"Greetings, My Prince," Volstagg managed to say as he tried to stifle a laugh.

Thor set up some targets then walked away and held the handle of Mjolnir tightly. He had heard pigs had bad eyesight, but he was determined to hit the targets. He took aim then he swung the hammer and the hammer flew through the air, passed by the targets and hit the ground. Thud!

"Nice shot," Volstagg grinned and Thor sighed, summoning Mjolnir back into his hand.

After a few more attempts, Thor felt his anger building and clouds were forming over the arena.

"Calm yourself," Hogun warned, but the rain started falling and thunder rumbled. Thor swung the hammer again, squinting. Mjolnir soared through the air, missed the target, and landed in a large puddle.

"Blast!" he shouted as he stormed toward the puddle when his foot slipped and he landed in the muddy water. He tried to get up, but kept slipping until he was covered in mud and Volstagg burst out laughing. "Do you find this humorous?!"

"Aye! I do apologize, but I thought all pigs love playing in the mud," Volstagg snickered. Spitting mad, Thor got up, grabbed Mjolnir, also covered in mud, and stomped out of the arena.

"Was it something I said?" Volstagg asked, amused.

"It appears our friend has even less of a sense of humor than I do," Hogun remarked, his eyes twinkling.

"He brought this on himself," the rotund warrior pointed out.

"Indeed," the Grim One replied. "We can only hope this teaches him to watch his tongue in the future and not make fun of others."

Meanwhile, Fandral was enduring his own tribulations. The handsome warrior was used to women sighing, fainting, and giggling over his handsome physique and dashing attire. But now the girls sighed with disapproval, and giggled behind their hands at the spectacle he now presented, with his crimped pig ears, moist snout, and curly tail.

Some of the castle children and pages followed him, laughing and making oinking noises, and a few of the bolder lads even threw clods of mud at him. One sneaky little imp dared to come up and pull his tail!

"Enough!" Fandral squealed. "Squeal! Grunt!" He stamped his feet at the children, who pretended to draw back in fear, but they were laughing.

Fandral shook his head, thinking, _Was this the way Loki felt after we mocked him? Like a figure of fun and ridicule?_

Having never been the object of any kind of teasing except that of his friends, which was nothing compared to what he now endured, made Fandral regret every unkind word or action he had ever done to Thor's younger brother.

The pig-faced warrior stalked back inside, only to encounter Thor returning from his disastrous practice. Fandral stared. "What by the Nine happened to you?!"

"Don't ask!" Thor snapped. His hair dripped mud onto the tiles. He began grunting.

Fandral snorted. "You look like a walking mud monster!" he tittered, unable to help himself. "Oink! Were you wrestling with Volstagg again?"

"I was not!" Thor snorted indignantly. "Snort!"

"Looks that way," his friend remarked.

Thor gritted his teeth. "If you _must_ know, you old busybody, I slipped and fell in the mud. Grunt!"

"Oh!" Fandral chuckled. Then he looked puzzled. "Where did mud come from? It's not raining."

Thor sighed. "I made it rain when I got angry in the arena."

"Practice not go well?"

"It went terribly! Squeal!" Thor answered, and told Fandral about it.

"You know Thor, I've been thinking-" Fandral began.

"A dangerous pastime," Thor interrupted.

"I know,"his friend sighed.

"What were you thinking? Oink!" The Thunderer asked.

"About how miserable we both are right now and wondering how Loki survived all those years feeling this way?" Fandral muttered. "Grunt!"

Thor looked guilty and uncomfortable. "I never really thought about it before. Snort!"

"Maybe we should have," Fandral coughed.

"Aye, we should. Snort," Thor said.

"The problem is how do we make it up to him?"

"Maybe by remembering how we feel this day the next time we tease him."

"We are normally drunk when that happens. Grunt!"

"Then we need to make sure someone reminds us."

"Like Sif?"

"I am sure she wouldn't mind that duty if we tell her what's been happening to us. Snort!"

"Let's go find her."

They found Sif in the hall with Rhiannon, tying green and lavender ribbons together to decorate the hall the night before the wedding.

"Sif, may we have a word? Snort. Snort," Thor asked. She looked at Thor and Fandral as she stood and walked to them.

"What happened to you?!" Sif asked, looking her betrothed.

"I was training. Snort. Snort. But it isn't easy to toss a hammer when you have the eyes of a nearly blind hog. I kept missing the target and became angry."

"That would explain the small shower over the training arena."

"Aye. Snort. I fell into a puddle and couldn't get up."

"You must have looked a sight," she said with a grin.

"Volstagg nearly wet himself from laughing. Squeal. Snort."

"Oh. Poor you," she teased and he sighed, rolling his eyes.

"I did not fair much better. Snort," Fandral said then explained what happened to him.

"Well, now do you understand why Loki got so upset?"

"Snort. Yes, we have finally seen the light when it comes to our mistreatment of Loki," Fandral said.

"Which is why we need to speak with you. Grunt," Thor said.

"Snort. We need someone to remind us of all this the next time we get drunk and start making the fool out of Loki," Fandral said.

"And you want me to be that person?" Sif asked.

"Snort. You or maybe Rhiannon," Thor said.

"You do tend to ignore me when that happens."

"Wait! Snort! Snort!" Thor said when he removed his phone from his pouch and showed her how to take selfies. "The next time, show us these!"

"Will you believe me if I do show them to you?"

"Yes!"

"Alright then,." she said as she held out her hand and they shook hands. "Now, I think you need to talk to Loki and show him these photos."

"Why? Snort?" Fandral said.

"He might get a laugh out of them," she teased.

"Squeal. And he might change us back," Thor said.

"Grunt. Would he do that, do you believe?"

"Snort. He might if we ask him nicely," Thor said while Sif handed him back the phone. They left the room as Sif returned to where Rhiannon was entwining ribbons and the Healer noticed the smile on her face.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Rhiannon asked.

"Thor and Fandral have finally learned a hard lesson about bullying," Sif said then told her what happened to them.

"Good," Rhiannon said as they laughed then went back to work.

 _Loki's room..._

"Like this, Daddy?" Max asked as he wiggled his fingers and tiny snowflakes floated onto the table.

"Very good, imp," Loki said when Max noticed his fingers were now blue.

"Uh..."

"It's ok. Watch," Loki said. He wondered how to explain to Max he was part Jotun just like he was as he shifted his hands to his Jotun form.

"That's neat!" Max said.

"Yeah, it is," he said then explained how to change his fingers back to normal. "Now you try."

Max concentrated and his fingers shifted back. "I did it!"

"That was excellent," Loki praised. "You know, maybe your father was Jotun, imp. Which would explain why you can use frost magic and shift."

"You're my father," Max insisted. Loki smiled. "Daddy, can I shift into an animal like you can?"

"Yes, you will be able to," Loki assured him.

"Can I be a wolf like Fenris? Or a snake like Jorgy?"

"I think we should start a little smaller," Loki said. "Do you know the first animal I changed into?"

Max shook his head.

"It was a kitten," Loki revealed.

There came a knock on the door.

"Brother!? Snort! Snort!" came from behind the door and Loki got up. He opened the door and looked at Thor and Fandral.

"May I help you?" he asked, leaning against the door frame.

"Ah, we've come to show you something, Lok. Squeal!" Fandral said awkwardly.

"Come in," Loki waved them inside.

Thor shivered slightly. "Why is it so cold in here?"

"Max was practicing his frost magic," Loki replied.

Max's mouth fell open. "Holy smoke! Uncle Thor, you're covered in mud! Were you mud wrestling?"

"I was just going to ask that!" Loki chuckled.

"Snort. No, I was training, but having the eyesight of a pig makes it nearly impossible," Thor said.

"And you got mad and caused a small rainstorm?"

"Squeal. Yes. Volstagg and Hogun teasing me didn't help. That's when I fell in the mud and couldn't get up."

"I see," Loki said and Max giggled.

"Grunt. Things were worse for me," Fandral said and told Loki about what he went through.

"Yes, sometimes children can be cruel," Loki said pointedly. "Which I'm sure you know."

"That's why Missus Mandy says 'if ya can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.'" Max recalled. "Oh! And Thumper says that too on Bambi!"

Loki tousled his son's hair. "You're right, scamp."

"Squeal. Well, seeing how we finally have our eyes open to how we treated you, we can honestly say we have learned our lesson," Fandral said.

"Snort. Aye," Thor agreed.

"Is that what you came to tell me?" Loki asked, one eyebrow quirked.

"Snort. Yes. And though there is no way to take back the hurt, humiliation and pain we have caused, we promise to never treat you like that again," Thor said.

"Grunt. Or to mention them again," Fandral said.

"Squeal. And, if we go too far, Sif will remind us of what has transpired this day."

"How will she do that?" Loki asked. Thor removed his phone when he showed him the selfies he took and Loki smiled.

Loki looked thoughtful. "Then it would seem like you have learned your lesson. What do you think, Max?"

"Yeah! I think they have," Max said with a nod.

Loki waved his hands when Thor and Fandral's faces returned to normal and the tails vanished.

"Thank you, Loki," Fandral said in relief, and went over to peer at his reflection in the mirror over the dresser.

"Yes, thank you, brother," Thor sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I can finally see straight. And talk without snorting."

"That was funny!" Max giggled.

Thor smiled. "Yes, I suppose it was, little imp!" he picked Max up and tickled him.

"Help, Dad!" his son called for reinforcements.

Loki grinned and ran to rescue his child, getting in a sneak attack on his brother's ribs that made Thor laugh so hard he nearly dropped Max. And with the laughter that bubbled through him, Loki found that now the old hurts dealt to him by his siblings and their friends had finally healed at last.


	62. Of Dresses, Dolls, and Dramatics

**62**

 **Of Dresses, Dolls, and Dramatics**

 _There's nothing quite like a two year old for dramatics or girls to go shopping~ Loki_

 _A few days later:_

That morning, Rhiannon was awakened by Jewel patting her face with her little paw. The Healer opened her eyes sleepily and smiled at the kitten. "Well, hello, you little mischief maker!"

Jewel purred and patted her face again.

Rhiannon stroked the small calico. "All right, I'm getting up." She sat up. "You are better than an alarm clock."

Meanwhile, down the hall, Loki was getting his own wake up call. Not just from Trickster, however, but a bouncy two-year-old. His kitten meowed in his face while Talia jumped on him.

"Kwoki! Wake up! It's morning time!"

"Already?" he groaned, yawning. "What time is it?"

"It time to get up!" his baby sister told him helpfully.

"Hungry!" Trcikster mewed.

"Yes, I can see that," Loki chuckled and sat up, looking at his watch.

It was seven o'clock.

"What are you doing in here, ladybug?" he asked Talia.

"Want Kwoki to get up," she replied.

"Okay, I'm up," the sorcerer muttered. He picked up his sister and tickled her. "It's the Tickle Monster!"

"No! No!" she cried, shrieking with laughter.

Loki chuckled wickedly and his slender fingers danced over the little girl's sides and belly, finding all the ticklish spots.

Talia laughed and laughed, the sound echoing in the room like golden notes of pure joy.

Suddenly, she cried, "Kwoki, go potty!"

"Okay," he said swiftly. He blinked with her into the bathroom, thanking his lucky stars she had told him before she had an accident. "Thank you for telling me, little sister," he praised her, helping her onto the toilet.

Afterwards, he helped her wash her hands, telling her that Max and Aleta had a little stepstool at home so they could reach the sink.

"I want one, Kwoki!"

"Well, then you need to talk to Mama or Daddy," Loki told her. He summoned his backpack and fished out a sticker. "Here you go! A berry luscious sticker for being a big girl. See, this one smells like strawberries when you scratch it." He showed her how to scratch and then sniff the sticker. It was round with a fuzzy strawberry with a smiling face on it.

"Yummy!" she cried, touching it proudly where he had stuck it on her little nightgown. She gazed adoringly at her brother. "Kwoki go potty?"

"Yes, now go play with Trickster," he said, setting her on her feet. "And no touching, or else that sticker is mine."

"No!" she squealed. "I wisten, Kwoki."

"That's my girl! Go on," he held the door open so she could leave.

Once she had trotted out, he hurried to finish using the bathroom so he could keep an eye on her. He quickly used magic to finish healing his wrist and strengthening his ribs so he could remove the wrap, cast, and sling. An odd premonition told him he would need to be fully healed soon.

When he emerged from the bathroom five minutes later he found Talia brushing Trickster—with Loki's hairbrush.

The kitten was rolling over and rubbing against the brush and Talia was giggling. "Funny kitty! Wike this!"

"Not with my brush!" Loki groaned. Then he thought _, lucky that's all she did, Laufeyson._

Talia looked up. "Kwoki! Twickster wikes this!"

"I can see that, darling," her brother answered. Then he began to think of how to get the brush away from his bold sister and his kitten.

He summoned the cat brush from his home in New York and said to his sister, "Talia, let's trade. This is a kitty brush. It's soft and gentle."

The cat brush was green and had Mischief written on it in sparkling jewels.

"Ooh! Pwetty!" Talia stopped brushing the kitten and handed Loki his brush and took Mischief's.

 _Mischief, I promise to get you a new brush,_ he thought while watching Talia brush Trickster and the kitten purred.

"Aw done," Talia said, putting the brush down and Trickster rolled onto his back for a belly rub.

Loki cast a spell on his brush to remove the kitten fur and disinfect it before he used it.

Talia pet Trickster, saying, "Mama says pet kitty gentwy!"

She gently stroked the soft fur while Trickster pawed the air and she smiled.

"Why don't you take Trickster back to the nursery so I can get dressed?" Loki asked.

"Okay," she said and she and the kitten left the room. Shaking his head, Loki went behind the dressing screen and got dressed.

 _I wonder why she came and woke me up and not Thor or Balder?_ the Mischief God thought. Then he chuckled. _You know why, Laufeyson. Because she'd never be able to wake Thor up-he sleeps like the dead. And Balder locks his door because he sleeps in his birthday suit._

After getting dressed, Loki walked out of the room when he saw Rhiannon coming towards him.

"Oh, I was coming to wake you up," she said.

"I'm afraid Talia beat you to it," he said.

"Aww, that's sweet."

"Just wait, darling, until a little imp comes and jumps up and down on your stomach!" he chuckled, smirking.

"I can't wait," she said and he took her arm, leading her down the hallway. The thought of her pregnant with his child floated through his mind as he sighed and half lowered his eyelids. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, just picturing you pregnant with our baby."

"Oh."

"I have a feeling I might need a bigger house," he said with a laugh.

"Considering how large your family is now, I think that might not be a bad idea," she said and they went around the corner. "Can you afford a larger one?" she asked curiously.

Loki started laughing. "Uh, Rhee, I can afford to buy and sell New York City. Yes, and if we need another house we can look for one."

They were almost to the dining room when a small whirlwind flew out of the nursery and cried, "Kwoki! I eat bweakfast wif you!"

Loki took her hand. She hugged him and he gave a pleased look to Rhiannon.

"We want to eat breakfast with you, too, Daddy," Aleta said as she and Max came out of the room.

"Then let's get going," Loki said and they headed for the dining hall.

 _In Balder's room..._

Balder looked at the ceiling while Natasha slept next to him and her head rested against his chest. He felt her fingers barely tickling his side as he sighed and thought about the blood test.

 _What if something is wrong with me? What if my blood passed on the madness which corrupted my daughter? Will it do the same with any children I have with Natasha?_ he thought.

"Hey, are you ok?" she asked with a sleepy tone and moved her head so she could look at him.

"What makes you think something is wrong?" he asked and she moved her finger along his collarbone.

"Your heart was beating too hard. What's wrong?"

"Just thinking about the blood test. Worrying, actually." He admitted, kissing her hand.

"What are you worried about?"

He became silent for a few second then sighed and looked up at the canopy overhead."My daughter was crazy . . . not right in the head," he murmured. "So I worry it was because of me, that something was wrong with me and that's why she was like that."

"And that's why you wanted the test done?"

"Aye. What if there is something wrong and I pass it on to any child we have?"

"Do you have a family history of mental illness?"

"No, not that I know of," he replied.

"Then perhaps she inherited it from her mother," Natasha mused.

"She might have," he said with a nod.

"Maybe we should wait until Stefan gets the test back," she said as the door opened and Malek walked in the room.

"Oh!" he said and Balder laughed.

"It's alright. You can come in," Balder said, Malek had the word cards in his hands as he sat at the foot of the bed and looked at the cards.

"I w-was wondering if we could practice s-some words before breakfast," he said, glancing at them.

"Of course we can," Natasha said as she reached down and picked Balder's shirt off the floor. She slid under the bedding as she placed the shirt on then came out and brushed her hair out of her face. Malek moved closer until he was sitting between them and the pillows were propped up behind them.

~0~0~0~

Loki sat down while Talia crawled onto his lap and she handed him the napkin. He took the napkin then he walked the napkin on her lap and she nodded. He saw Fandral sitting with Hogun and Volstagg and three women were sitting next to him. Fandral gave him a nod as the women giggled and Loki wondered what story he told them about his appearance the day before.

Thor was sitting next to Sif as they laughed and talked, but Loki wondered where Balder and Natasha were.

 _Brother, are you awake?_ Loki sent.

 _Aye, I am,_ Balder thought _._

 _Why aren't you here?_

 _Natasha and I are having a speech therapy session with Malek._

Balder told him about Natasha' suggestion about getting Malek help for his stutter and Loki thought it was an excellent idea.

 _I will have someone send you some breakfast._

 _Thank you, Brother._

In Sam's room, the girls sat on the bed as they tried to figure out what to wear for the feast after the wedding, but none of them could come up with any ideas. Their grandmother and Rhiannon were making their bridal outfits for the ceremony, but they were too formal to wear for the wedding feast.

"Maybe we should go shopping," Serena said.

"Yeah. Maybe we'll find something to wear in one of the shops," Lucy said.

"Sounds like a plan," Sam said.

After breakfast they all began walking towards the main courtyard that led to the city proper.

"Where are you going?" Hunter asked as they walked by him.

"We're going into town to do some shopping," Serena said,

"Yeah, we need something pretty for the feast after the wedding," Lucy said.

"You brought TONS of stuff. Why do you need something new?!" he asked and they rolled their eyes.

"Boys," Sam said and they nodded then walked off.

The market place was crowded as people moved by them and Sam made a mental note to buy a bag of sweets for Aleta and Talia. She knew they would have wanted to go with them, but she also knew it would be hard to keep track of them. They walked into the first clothes shop as the bells chimed over the door and they looked at the selections.

At the sound of the bells, a sales associate hurried over. "Greetings! How many I assist you?" she asked, then gasped. "Why, it's the princesses! Maevis! Come quickly! We have royal guests!"

Another young woman wearing a low-cut blue dress with her hair done up on her head came running from the back room.

"Oh boy," Lucy sighed.

The women swarmed around them as Belle stood straighter and placed her hands in front of her.

"Hello. We are looking for something to wear for the feast after our father's wedding," she said and the ladies had an excited look on their faces.

"Ah! We have just the thing!" the first woman said.

There weren't that many customers in the shop, but a girl standing next to a rack of dresses with her friend dropped the dress she was looking at to gape at them. "By the Nine! Look, Elsie!"

Her friend giggled and whispered, "Those dresses are gorgeous! I hear Prince Loki owns half of Midgard!"

"Why couldn't we have been the ones who were marrying him?!"

"He is so dreamy!"

Abby had heard them as she sighed and rolled her eyes.

"You ok?" Lucy asked.

"Just more of Father's fans," she said as they glanced at the women.

"You should see what happens at home. Dad tends to just ignore them."

The shop keeper brought over some gowns and other outfits as she spread them out on the table and the girls looked at the selection.

Sam saw a beautiful pale peach gown that had glittery butterflies on the over skirt and no sleeves save for a thin band of lace on each shoulder. It was gathered neatly at the waist with a sash and flowed nearly to her feet.

"That's really nice," Belle said.

"Try it on!" Serena said.

"Yeah!" Lucy said.

"Yes, try it on," Abby said,

"This way," the other woman said as they went into the dressing room and she helped Sam put on the dress. Sam looked at her reflection when she blinked and titled her head to one side.

 _Peter would love me in this,_ she thought and turned to see the back.

It had small butterflies embroidered in shimmering beads on the bodice and on the skirt, and the gown was sleeveless.

"You look amazing, Princess," the woman said.

"Thank you."

They walked out of the dressing room as her sisters grinned and Sam made a little cough.

"What do you think?" Sam asked.

"I like it!" Belle said.

"Me, too!" Lucy agreed.

"You look so pretty," Serena said.

"I agree," Abby said.

"And you could wear it to prom too," Belle pointed out.

"I'll take it," Sam said and the shop owner nearly fainted. They went back into the dressing room as she helped Sam back into her original dress and they left the room.

Serena was looking at some of the dresses when the other woman walked to her and smiled.

"Do you see anything you like?" she asked.

Serena picked up a lavender and blue dress, its skirt was sheer on the top, with glittery moonbeams and stars on the light blue fabric. The underskirt was cut like petals and was a lavender satin. It had short puffy sleeves and a bodice that laced in the back.

"I like this one," Serena said.

"Oh, that will look so sweet on you," the woman said and they went to get her changed. Serena looked in the mirror as she moved side to side and the woman smiled. "What do you think?"

"I like it."

They left the room as her sisters looked at her and Serena waited for them to say something.

"Whoa! You look amazing!" Sam said.

"Yeah!" Belle agreed.

"You really think so?" Serena asked.

"Yes, I like it," Abby said.

"Like an elven princess from Lord of the Rings!" Lucy smiled.

"Then I'll take it," she said and the woman took her back in the room to change.

"Belle, you go next," Lucy urged. "I'm still making up my mind."

"Okay," Belle agreed and she examined the dresses.

Belle saw a lovely dress of gold tissue, it was not as fancy as Sam's but it was perfect for the quiet bookworm. It had a skirt that belled about her feet and the bodice had roses appliqued on and the sleeves were three-quarter length and puffed at the top.

It came with a gauzy shawl with more roses in shimmering thread.

"Try it on!" her sisters urged.

Belle followed the assistant back into the changing room and she helped the girl put the dress on. Belle gasped when she saw herself in it. "Wow! I look really good!"

"You look beautiful, Princess!" the assistant said, smiling. She arranged the shawl about Belle's arms. "There! Simply lovely. That color goes well with your hair."

 _I hope Wulf will think so_ , the girl thought and flushed slightly.

She walked out to where her sisters waited. "Well?"

"Wow!" Serena exclaimed.

"You look fab, Belle!" Lucy clapped.

"Like you belonged in a fairy tale," Sam smiled.

"You look ravishing!" Abby said.

"Aww, thanks!" Belle looked stunned. "I'll take it."

After she returned from the changing room, all of them helped Lucy choose between two dresses. One was an aquamarine color with tiny crystals like sea waves sewn into the overskirt and the bodice, it had a lace collar and lace cuffs about the puffed sleeves.

The other was a silky rose pink with sprays of lilies and violets all over it. It had a heart shaped neckline and a sash with a violet on it.

"You need to try them both on, Luce," said Serena.

"Okay. I'll try the pink one first." Lucy said.

She went with the assistant and put the pink dress on. "How do I look?" she asked.

"Like a spring rosebud, Princess," Maevis grinned. She thought, _My, but Prince Loki will have a time finding matches for all his daughters, they are all so sweet and lovely! Every man will want to court them._

Lucy smiled sweetly and then went out to let her sisters see the dress. "Here I am!"

"That's really cute!" Sam said. "It makes your hair look more golden."

"I think it's lovely," Abby approved.

"I like it!" Serena said.

"You look great." Belle said.

"Now let's see the other one," Lucy said.

She took the aqua dress and went to put it on.

Lucy looked in the mirror as she noticed how the light danced on the crystals and she admitted she liked it just as much as the first dress.

"You look like a mermaid shimmering in the sea," the assistant said.

"Thanks," Lucy said then they went back to her sisters. "What do you think?"

"Oh, that is really nice," Sam said.

"I like it," Abby said.

"So do I," Belle said.

"You should get that one," Serena said.

"But I like the pink one, too," Lucy said with a sigh.

"I have an idea. Go get changed," Belle said.

Lucy and the assistant went to get her changed as they came back and Belle placed the dressed on two pegs on the wall. She moved Lucy to face the dresses when she smiled and Lucy wondered what she was going to do.

"Close your eyes," Belle said and Lucy closed her eyes. "Hold out your finger."

"Don't know why, but ok."

Belle spun Lucy around a few times until she was dizzy then let go and Lucy staggered toward the pegs. She finally placed her finger on one of the dresses and opened her eyes. She was pointing at the pink dress.

"That's what I do if I can't decide what to wear," Belle said and Lucy nodded.

"I'll have this one," Lucy said, handing the dress to the assistant.

"Now it's your turn, Abby," Sam said.

Abby was partial to green like her father, it brought out her eyes and went well with her jet-black hair. She saw a dress the color of new spring leaves.

"I like this one," she pointed to it.

"Oh, that's our forest mint color."

It had gold rune like designs on the sleeves and hem and the bodice had a stylized fox peering from some leaves.

"Go try it!" Her sisters urged.

Abby rushed to try it on, excited.

"It's perfect for you!" Maevis said after seeing it on.

Abby grinned and ran to show the others.

They all exclaimed how lovely it was and Abby decided to buy it.

They brought all the purchases up to the counter and then Belle asked how much they all were.

"Let me see...," Maevis said as she wrote on the piece of paper.

Belle looked at the price when she frowned and pressed her lips together.

Then she did some rapid calculations in her head and said quietly, "I will give you five hundred gold. These are fine dresses but not custom made and we are girls, not grown women."

Maevis tilted her head, shocked that a princess knew how to bargain like a trader from Vanaheim. "Five seventy-five."

Belle shook her head. "Five ten. And we will recommend your shop to the ladies at court."

Maevis' eyes widened as she smiled and realized Belle was truly her father's daughter when it came to deals.

"Five ten is it," she said and Belle took the gold coins from her pouch. She paid for the dresses then Maevis placed the gowns in boxes.

"Thank you," Belle said.

"You are quite welcome," Maevis said.

"Let's go see if we can find some shoes to go with our dresses," Serena suggested and they left the shop. While walking along, Sam saw a store window with some interesting outfits and she smiled.

"Check these out," Sam said and they looked at the dresses.

"Dad would have a fit if we wore any of those," Lucy predicted.

"Let's just see them," Sam suggested.

She pushed open the door and entered. Her sisters followed her nervously.

The room was lit by torches as they looked around and Sam made a small smile.

"Reminds me of that store in the mall," Sam said.

"The store Dad won't let you go in?" Lucy asked and she nodded.

"Whoa, look at this!" Belle said as she held up a near see-through black top.

Serena stared. "That's almost like wearing nothing."

"I can't believe they would have such a place like this,"Abby whispered.

She remembered some of the dresses the red lady wore as she shook and Sam noticed the look on her face.

"Let's go," Sam said and they left the shop. They walked by people when they came to the toy shop and Lucy noticed what was in the window.

"Look!" Lucy said.

"That looks like Dad!" Belle said.

In the shop window were several dolls. All of them looked like Loki or Rhiannon and the Loki doll had on his helmet and battle armor and tiny daggers were in his hands. Next to him was a small kitten which looked like Trickster. The doll which looked like Rhiannon wore her betrothal gown and a medical satchel was in her hands. Next to her was a small kitten which looked like Jewel.

"Gentle Prince and the Healer Princess," Sam said while reading the sign and she smiled. Several people were leaving the shop with the dolls as the girls looked at each other and nodded. They entered the shop when Mr. Gold saw them and walked over to them.

"Hello, dearies!" he said.

"Hello," Sam said.

"Mr. Gold, did you make those dolls which look like Dad and Rhiannon?" Serena asked.

"Aye, I did. But my son was the one who designed them," Mr. Gold said.

"Wow! They look real!" Serena said. She touched the Rhiannon doll's hair. It was soft and able to be combed. She saw the dolls were posable also.

She saw the details were accurate, down to the rings on both dolls' fingers. Rhiannon even had her Frost Opal jewelry on.

"I made them for the wedding."

"Sam, I think we should get a pair for Talia and Aleta," Belle said.

"Sounds like a great idea," Sam said.

"I want a pair, too," Lucy said and Serena nodded.

"Have you sold a lot of them?" Belle queried, smiling. "The kittens have fur!"

"Yes, I have sold quite of few. They are my most popular toy right now," Mr. Gold said.

"Then we better get them before you run out," Sam said.

"I was saving this for a surprise," Mr. Gold said as he went behind the counter and brought out seven boxes. He handed the boxes to the girls as they looked inside and saw the dolls.

"Thank you!" Belle said with a smile and the girls nodded.

"You're welcome," he said with a nod. "I am planning for a wedding attire set and other accessories, but I'm not sure what they'll be yet."

"Cool!" Lucy said.

"I have an idea," Sam said when she removed her phone and looked through the photos. She found one of Loki in his usual black suits and shoes and he was talking on his phone. She showed the photo to Mr. Gold as he grinned and made a high pitch giggle.

"I like it," he said when he borrowed her phone, went to the back into the back room and came out a few minutes later. He handed her the phone back as she nodded and put the phone away.

"Will there be anything else?"

"No," Sam said.

"Well then, I will see you at the wedding," he said with a nod and they said their goodbyes before leaving the shop.

"Just wait till Aleta and Talia see these!" Sam predicted. "They are going to love them."

"Yeah! They are so cute!" Serena said.

"They're even jointed so you can pose them," Lucy said.

"I know," Sam said. "Now we just need to find Max a present."

Belle turned then she went back into the toy shop and Mr. Gold looked at her.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked.

"I need one more doll. It's for Max," Belle said. He nodded when he walked into the back room and came back with a white box. He opened the box Belle saw the doll of Loki, but it was dressed in his royal armor, a green cape and had two helmets. One was the same as the dolls in the window and the other was his old helmet. Next to the doll was a smaller doll and it looked like Max. The doll was dressed like the Loki doll, but didn't have a helmet.

"I was going to give this to Max for his birthday," Mr. Gold said, handing her the box.

"He'll love it!" Belle said, taking the box. She left the toy shop as she smiled and went to show her sisters.

"Whoa! That is so cool!" Lucy said.

"Do you think he could make dolls of all of us?" Sam asked.

"We can ask him at the wedding," Belle said and they headed back to the palace.

The girls found Loki, Aleta, Max and Talia in the nursery as they played Candyland and Talia was sitting on Loki's lap.

"No! Max bad!" Talia said as Max moved his plastic gingerbread man by hers and she frowned.

"No, I'm not. I just passed you," Max explained. Aleta picked a card when she looked at the drawing of the purple monster and frowned.

"Argh! I have to go all the way back!" Aleta said, placing her plastic gingerbread man at the bottom of the board.

"My tuwn!" Talia said as she picked a card and looked at it. "Blue blue!"

"That means you go here," Max said, pointing to the spot on the board.

"Looks like you need one more card to win, ladybug," Loki said and she clapped.

"Yay! Me win!" she said, lightly bouncing on his lap.

"Not yet," Max said, picking a card. He noticed he had two oranges on the card and he saw his piece was going to win. He placed the card face down on the discard pile when he moved only once and Loki gave him a confused look.

 _What are you up to, imp?_ he thought. Aleta took her turn as she moved her piece then it was Talia's turn. She picked up the card as she showed it to Loki and he nodded. She moved her piece to the end of the road and smiled.

"I win!" she said, raising her hands over her head. Loki picked up the top three cards when he saw the last card Max had and realized what he did. Max gave him a wink as he nodded and felt very proud of his son.

"Hey, Dad," Sam said as the girls walked in the room and Talia turned to look at them.

"I win! I Candywand Queen!" she said and they softly laughed.

"Where have all of you been?" Loki asked, standing up after lifting Talia off his lap.

"We went shopping for something to wear at the feast after the wedding," Lucy said,

"Let's see what you bought," Loki said. He walked to the table as they placed the boxes on the table. Loki placed Talia on the chair. Sam opened her box as he looked at the peach dress and held it up. "Oh, this is very nice, butterfly!"

"She can also wear it as a prom dress," Belle said.

"You're right, raven," he said as he placed the dress in the box then opened the next one. He had nothing bad to say about any of the dresses when he saw the other boxes and arched his eyebrows down. "What's in here?"

"Mr. Gold made special dolls for the wedding," Lucy said as she opened the box and he saw the dolls.

"Dollies!" Talia said as she reached for them.

"No, those are mine."

"I want!"

"We got a pair for you," Sam said as she opened the box and handed the dolls to Talia. Loki looked at the doll of him and he was amazed with how much the doll looked like him. He looked at the doll of Rhiannon then the kittens as he placed the dolls in the box and chuckled.

"We got one for Max and Aleta, too," Serena said,

"I don't want a doll," Max said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You have action figures," Aleta said.

"That's different."

"Here," Belle said as she handed him the box and he opened the box. Max lifted the doll of Loki out of the box then the doll that looked like him and his eyes widened.

"Daddy, this one looks like me!" Max said and held up the doll.

Loki examined doll when he saw the button on the back and pushed it. Little tiny lights came out of the doll's hands and, when he pushed a second button, tiny fake snow came out of the doll's hands.

"Cool!" Max said and Loki gave him the doll.

"Dad, we were thinking of asking Mr. Gold to make dolls of the rest of us," Sam said.

"Yeah, can't have you and Rhee without the rest of us," Lucy said.

"Sounds like a good idea," Loki said.

"We'll ask him at the wedding," Belle said and Aleta opened the box with her dolls in it.

"There are little kittens in here, too," Aleta said, removing the kitten dolls of Jewel and Trickster.

"I see that, spark," he said then saw the tiny daggers in Talia's box. He knew neither Max or Aleta would put them in their mouths, but he wasn't sure of Talia and he waved his hands, placing the daggers in Talia's box.

"I show Mama my dowwies!" Talia said as she hopped off the chair with her dolls in her arms and ran out of the room.

She found Odin and Frigga in the throne room with Tavi and his daughter, Eirunn, and they were talking about the music for the wedding.

"Mama! Daddy! Look!" she said as she ran to Odin and held up the dolls.

"Where did you get those?" Odin said when Loki appeared in the room and walked to Odin.

"It appears Mr. Gold is making commemorative dolls of Rhiannon and I for the wedding," Loki explained and Frigga looked at the doll of Loki.

"They look so lifelike," Frigga said, handing the doll to Talia.

"Loki!" Eirunn said as she got off her papa's lap and ran to him. Loki thought about how different she was from when they first met and he knelt, giving her a hug.

"Hello," he said and she kissed his cheek.

"No! My Kwoki!" Talia said, stamping her foot.

Frigga raised an eyebrow. "Looks like someone's jealous."

"Talia, you need to be nice and share your big brother," Odin began.

His daughter's sea green eyes turned stormy. "No! MY Kwoki!" she howled and grabbed Loki's leg.

Loki glanced down at his little sister. _Oh Norns! This is worse than Aleta!_ he thought.

Eirunn looked down at the little princess. "Yes, sharing is caring," she told the other child, repeating Aleta's favorite phrase.

Talia shook her head stubbornly, still clinging to Loki's leg. "MY brudder! Not yours!"

Sensing a full-blown tantrum was about to ensue, Loki sighed and said, "Talia, meet Eirunn Tavisdottir. She is a princess like you. And a friend of Aleta and Max's. She is also my friend. Won't you say hello?" he coaxed.

Talia hid her face in his knee and shook her head.

"Shy, are you?" he teased gently.

"No!" came the muffled denial.

"No?" Loki raised an eyebrow. "Someone is acting very dramatic. Why won't you say hello?"

"Don't wanna," Talia said.

"Will you say hello to her daddy then?" Loki asked as he pointed to Tavi.

"Hello, Little Princess," he said and Talia peeked out at him.

"No," Talia said.

"Norns," Loki whispered as he released Eirunn. The toddlers looked at each other as Talia blinked, pouting, and Eirunn looked up at Loki.

"Hewwo," Talia finally said.

"Hello," Eirunn said with a grin.

 _Ah, she might have thought Eirunn would make fun of her lisp,_ Loki thought and gently moved them closer to each other.

"Do you want to play dollies with me?" Eirunn asked, looking at Talia's new dolls.

"Yes," Talia said and handed the doll of Rhiannon to her. They went to sit on the steps as Loki stood and Tavi smiled.

"Well, that seemed to work," Tavi said and Loki softly laughed as he nodded.

"So how are your wedding plans going?"

"Well, I think," Loki smiled. "But most of that is up to my bride. I believe she has already picked out flowers for the altar and the feast hall and ribbons and table cloths and so forth. I am sure that whatever she does, it will be beautiful and elegant, just like she is."

"Now there speaks a goorm in love!" Tavi chuckled. "I was like that with my wife." He smiled reminiscently with a touch of sorrow. "I am almost finished with your wedding gift. I hope you enjoy it."

"Oh? What is it? A poem? A song?" Loki probed, his green eyes alight.

"It's a surprise," Tavi grinned, then laughed at Loki's expression. "You will find out the day of your wedding. And your children have a wonderful gift for you also. One they have been planning a long time."

"I hope it is not some elaborate prank. Like making the fountains spit champagne or releasing a hundred birds overhead as Rhee and I come out of the temple."

"No, nothing like that." Tavi assured him. "They plan to give you it after the ceremony—before we have the feast."

"Won't you give me a hint?" Loki pleaded.

"Well, I—" Tavi began.

Just then a loud screech came from the stairs as Talia yelled, "No! You no haf my Kwoki doll!"

"Now it's my turn," hollered Eirunn. "You get to be the wife now."

Loki and Tavi both rose to calm the quarreling toddlers down.

"Now girls, you need to play nicely-" Tavi said.

"Talia won't share!" Eirunn shouted and stamped her foot. A tremor ran through the room.

"She no get Kwoki!" Talia shouted as a rush of air blew through her hair.

"It's my turn!" Eirunn said as the tremor grew stronger.

"Uh-oh. Their powers are getting out of control," Loki said and Tavi nodded.

"No!" Talia shouted and a blast of air nearly blew Loki and Tavi off their feet.

"Gimme!" Eirunn shouted while reaching for the doll and stones started to fall around them.

"Mine!" she shouted and the wind howled.

"Is there something the matter?" Odin said as he walked over and Talia looked at him.

"Daddy! She want my Kwoki!" she said as she held up the doll and the wind blew harder.

"Did she ask nicely to play with him?"

"Uh... Yeah, but..."

"Then it's her turn." Odin said, giving her the Look. Talia looked at the doll then at Eirunn when she sighed and the wind died down.

"Sowwy," Talia said as she handed the doll to her and Eirunn handed her the Rhiannon doll.

"I'm sorry, too," she said and Tavi and Loki saw the pleased look on Odin's face. He walked away as Tavi smiled and Loki shrugged.

"No one disobeys the king," Tavi grinned.

"Except the queen," Loki chuckled. "My mother will listen but she does what she wants."

"Ah. So that's where you get it from," teased the skald.

"I come by it honestly," Loki laughed. "From both of my mothers."

While Loki was talking with Tavi, Rhiannon was exclaiming over the dresses the girls had bought and she thought the dolls were extremely life-like and detailed, though she felt slightly embarrassed knowing that Asgardian children were now playing with a doll of her. Then she recalled Astra's words that she was a catalyst for change and decided it was good thing after all.

"Would you like to help me pick out the wedding favors?" she asked her soon-to-be daughters. "I have narrowed it down to four items, but now I cannot choose."

"Sure!" Serena said excitedly.

"Come to my room, I will show you," she told them and they all followed her like ducklings with a mama duck.

 _The infirmary:_

Stefan was reading over the test results of Balder's blood and DNA test, and frowning. He rubbed his eyes, then re-read the results again. There could be no doubt about what he was seeing. "This is most . . . amazing!"

Bruce looked up from where he was studying the complexity of an Asgardian cell under a microscope. "Something wrong?"

Stefan walked over to show his new friend the blood test results. "Here are the results of the blood and DNA test Balder asked me to run."

Bruce examined them. Stefan had showed him the blood test results of a normal Asgardian, and then also ones from an Alfar, a Dark Elf, a dwarf, and a Jotun. Banner frowned. "Most of this seems normal, but . . ."

"But there are some results here that indicate that Balder is not pure Asgardian," Stefan finished. "Which is not something I ever thought possible. He is the true son of Frigga and Odin."

"Could one of his parents have been of mixed blood?" Bruce queried.

"Not that I ever knew," Stefan said.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Bruce replied. "Look at samples of their blood. Do you have any on file?"

Stefan nodded. "I do."

He called them up and displayed them on the wall screen so Bruce could see them.

What they found shocked both of them.

"I need to call Balder down here. And the king and queen," Stefan declared.

 **A/N: So what do you think Stefan discovered?**


	63. Blood Will Tell

**63**

 **Blood Will Tell**

 _Sometimes you discover something totally unexpected when you are looking for something else~ Loki_

A puzzled Balder entered the infirmary with Natasha, Odin, and Frigga. Loki had stayed behind to watch Talia, who was now playing nicely with Eirunn. Balder felt his gut seize with nervousness, fearing that Stefan wished to tell him that he had some sort of anomaly that had caused Jorunne's madness.

Natasha gently patted his arm in silent comfort, but also wondering what the test results had said.

"Do you know why Stefan would summon us all the infirmary, Balder?" Odin asked his eldest.

Stefan and Bruce stood near the scanner as they all entered. The two physicians noticed how worried Balder was.

"You sent for us, Healer," Odin said.

"Yes, I have something to tell you."

"Oh Hel," Balder whispered.

He could feel the fear crawling in his belly and the back of his neck started to sweat, dampening his blond locks.

"Spit it out. It's bad news, isn't it?" Balder asked.

"Well, it's more like confusing news," Bruce said.

"What are you talking about, Bruce?" Natasha asked.

"If I may explain?" Stefan asked and they nodded. "Prince Balder came to me concerned about the chance the cause of his daughter's behavior could be blood related..."

"That is ridiculous!" Odin said.

"I had to be sure, Father," Balder said. "In case Natasha and I ever have a child. So I asked Stefan to run a blood test to rule it out." He looked bleakly up at the Healer. "And you found something wrong, didn't you?"

"As Doctor Banner has stated, it's more of a mystery than being something wrong," Stefan said.

"What sort of mystery?" Frigga asked with concern in her eyes.

"We have found traces of what appears to be Jotun DNA in his cells."

"What?! Are you sure you didn't scan a sample of Loki's blood?!" Balder asked with wide eyes.

"We ran the tests a few times to be certain and they came back the same," Bruce said.

"I just now ran a scan of Prince Thor's blood and there are traces of Jotun DNA in his blood as well," Stefan said as he looked at the screen.

"How is that possible?!" Natasha asked.

"Ancestry," Stefan replied. "By the results of these two scans, I would say you have an eighth portion of Jotun blood in you, My Prince."

"But I feel cold in the winter," Balder argued. "And I have no shifter magic like my brother or nephews."

"True, but can you go out in the winter for long periods of time?"

"Yes, but so can a lot of people."

"What was the longest you ever stayed out in the cold?"

Balder thought back as he pressed his lips into a thin line and blinked. He remembered one time he had gotten lost up in the Jotun mountains for a few weeks, but suffered no real ill effects from being out in the sub-zero weather.

"There was that one time I was lost in the Jotun mountains. I was there for weeks, but, when I was found, I was fine."

"I remember that," Frigga said. "It was one of the coldest winters in Jotunheim. Heimdall knew where you were, but didn't give us much hope of you surviving for very long."

"Yes, we thought it was the grace of the Norns that you survived," Odin said.

"You may not have inherited the magic or the full cold immunity of a Jotun, but what your blood gave you was enough to preserve your life where an ordinary Asgardian would have died," Stefan said softly. "That is why we brought King Odin and Queen Frigga here. To see which of your ancestors bore Jotun blood."

"Shouldn't Thor be here as well?" Balder said when Thor entered the room and walked to them.

"Father, I just got word to come to the infirmary. Are you alright?" Thor asked.

"Aye, I am fine and so is your mother," Odin said.

"Let me explain," Stefan said then told Thor why they were here.

"And I may have the same?" Thor asked with a shocked look.

"Yes, but we need to find out how this was possible," Stefan said.

"We'll need blood samples from the three of you," Bruce said.

Bruce and Stefan calmly drew blood from all three royals and put it in the centrifuge to be spun and then analyzed with Asgardian lab technology. Bruce had learned that Asgardian medical science far outstripped his own Earth based medical knowledge, as did their technology in that area and also with space travel.

As a culture, the Asgardians disdained using communication technology except with the army, so ordinary citizens did not use things like cell phones, tablets, and computers for everyday use as they did on Midgard. They preferred speaking with an individual or writing letters because they were not as concerned with time as mortals were. An average Asgardian lived for thousands of years, and learned patience as a child, for they would have time and more time to do so. They also believed that a man could lie to someone using a machine or on a piece of paper but to lie to one's face was very difficult.

Asgardians also had access to magic mortals did not, and said magic often took the place of things like cell phones and tablets. A magical communication pendant or ring worked as well if not better than a phone for it did not need to be charged and was always on and in range.

After the centrifuge slowed to a stop, Stefan removed the vials and placed the samples into the scanner. Stefan and Bruce looked at the screens when Stefan's eyebrows arched down and he glanced at Bruce. Bruce checked the readings two more times then sighed and nodded.

"Well?!" Odin asked.

"It appears we found the source," Stefan said as he looked at the AllFather. "It's you, Sire."

Odin stared at him. "Me? But both my parents were Asgardian."

Stefan shook his head. "My King one of them must have been part Jotun and either never knew it or hid that fact. Because you are a quarter Jotun, like your grandsons."

Odin looked somewhat shellshocked, recalling how his father used to have tirades against the Frost Giants, tirades that usually ended with an axe or sword buried in the wall of the audience chamber or dining hall. What sort of irony would it be if Bors had been the one to have Jotun blood? And yet, he knew that Bors could trace his ancestry back to a Valkyrie ancestor.

"Can you tell which of my parents it was?" Odin asked.

"I believe it was your mother," Stefan said.

"But that's impossible! My father hated the Frost Giants! He would have never married one!"

"Unless she was very good at hiding her true identity," Frigga said.

"You mean like Rhiannon? We had no idea she was Jotun," Thor said.

The king thought back to when his mother was alive. Few people now knew that his mother, Elayne, was actually his father's second wife, since the first one died bringing his brother Villi into the world. Elayne was an heiress, the only child of a wealthy noble jarl, and Odin long suspected Bors married her for her wealth and love of children. Elayne had been a mystic but very careful to hide her gifts from her magic detesting husband.

Perhaps she had hid more than that though.

Stefan was about to speak when Loki entered the room and he saw the worried look on his friend's face.

"Father? Mother? What is everyone doing here?" Loki asked.

"We are here to get the results of my blood tests," Balder said and Loki felt his stomach drop.

"Are you alright, Brother?"

"Yes, but the blood tests show that we all have Jotun blood in us," Balder said softly.

"Excuse me?" Loki gaped at them. "How is that possible?"

"Apparently through me," Odin replied.

"Father?"

"It appears my mother might have been Jotun."

"You never knew, did you?" Loki muttered. "Thank the Norns the old bastard never did either." An involuntary shudder ran through him at the thought of what Bors would have done if he had known to both his wife and son.

"Do you have any samples of her blood?" Loki asked and Stefan looked at the screens,

Stefan typed in something on his terminal and the scans changed.

Loki stared at the screen and noticed that the queen's blood looked almost identical to his own when Rhiannon had scanned him.

"She wasn't a full Jotun, but a half-blood like I am," he stated.

Odin frowned. "I don't understand. Her father was a prominent nobleman. Rolf Egilsson was of House Wyndcrest. And he only had one wife, though she died when my mother had just come of age. And she was of another noble family, the Fjordhavens. Both Asgardians. So where did my mother get Jotun blood from?"

"Could she have been a step-child?" Natasha asked.

"As far as I know, both of her parents were single when they married," Odin replied. "And she was the only child they had."

"Is her father still alive?" Bruce asked.

Odin shook his head. "No. He died when I was a boy. I remember it vividly because my father made me go to the funeral. I was frightened and clung to my mother's hand, I was all of five and Father called me a worthless milksop."

"If we had something with his DNA or his wife's DNA then we could scan them."

"Wait a minute!" Loki exclaimed. "We're overlooking something obvious here. What if she was adopted? And she never knew it because her parents never told her?"

"You mean like you?" Thor asked and Loki nodded.

"But why would they need to adopt a child?" Balder asked.

"Maybe she couldn't have children." Frigga said.

"Wait! I have an idea!" Loki said as he left the room and went to go find Vince.

He found his son teaching Malek how to skateboard, using a ramp the guards had built for their obstacle course runs.

"Boys," Loki called as they walked to him and Vince smiled.

"Hey, Dad," Vince said,

"He-hello," Malek said.

"Vince, I need you to come with me to the infirmary," Loki said.

"Why?" Vince asked.

"I'll explain while we walk," Loki said and the boys followed him down the path. Loki told Vince about what they had found and his idea to speak with his grandmother.

"So, you want me to contact her?" Vince asked.

"Yes."

"How c-can he do that?" Malek asked.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you I'm a Ghost Speaker?" Vince asked. "That's my big magical talent . . . besides nearly making Dad keel over."

"Only when you do one of your stunts," Loki said.

"Ghosts a-are real?"

"Yeah," Vince said with a nod. They walked into the infirmary when they walked to the lab and the others looked at Vince and Malek.

"What are they doing here?" Odin asked.

"Dad wants me to contact your mom," Vince said.

"How can you do that?" Stefan asked.

"I am a Ghost Speaker."

"How do you do it?" Natasha asked.

"Like this," Vince said. He sat down in a chair and his eyes began to glow silver as his magic activated. "Who am I summoning?"

"You are summoning my mother. Her name is Queen Elayne Bestla Rolfsdottir," Odin said.

Nodding, Vince reached into the astral plane as his breathing slowed and he looked straight ahead.

"Queen Elayne Bestla Rolfsdottir, I, Vincent Laufeyson, summon you. If you can hear me, please use my energy and speak to us," Vince said.

They watched as the air in the room became colder and Vince made a soft moan.

"Who wishes to speak to me?" Elayne's voice asked while Vince moved his lips and Odin gasped.

"Mother," Odin whispered.

"Speak to her," Loki whispered.

"It is me, Mother. Odin," Odin said and Vince smiled.

"Hello, My Son. Why have you summoned me?"

"We have found out something of a mystery," Loki said and Vince looked at him.

"Who are you?"

"I am Loki Odinson. I am the youngest son of Odin."

"What is this mystery?"

"Mother, my oldest son, Balder, wished to learn if there was something wrong with his blood and he had tests done. We were surprised to learn he has Jotun blood. So do his brothers and I," Odin said and Vince sighed.

"Oh," Vince said then went silent.

"Is she gone?" Loki thought when Vince blinked and looked at Odin.

"My Son, I knew this day would come, but I had thought I would have been alive to explain things," Elayne said.

"I wish you were here now, but . . .can you tell me how this happened?" Odin asked softly.

"It all started when I was coming of age. Mother had been ill and we were told she wouldn't live long. I went to see her and what she told me was a shock. I was adopted."

"Why didn't they tell you sooner?"

"It would have been a scandal if people found out my mother was unable to conceive and my father had to look elsewhere for an heir."

"Did they know you were half-Jotun?"

"Yes, they knew."

"Do they know who your parents were?"

"Father found my mother, Riva, lying in a snowbank on the border of his estate. She had just given birth to me, and she was dying. She begged him to take me and raise me as his own, but to tell no one that I was adopted. For my father was a Jotun Captain, and Riva had defied her family and run off with him. But later he was killed in a skirmish, there were many such back then, and she was left alone to bear her child."

"Norns, just like what happened to me," Loki thought as his eyes widened. Odin glanced at him, nodding, and Loki felt the tears in the corner of his eyes.

"Why don't I have Jotun powers?" Odin asked.

"You do, but I suppressed them when you were a baby, so your father never knew about your heritage. He would have . . . killed us both or worse."

Odin and Loki both knew Bors had caused the war with the Frost Giants as Odin sighed and Odin wondered if he did because he knew about her powers.

"Mother, we have learned recently that Father caused the war with the Frost Giants," Odin said and Vince gasped.

"By the Norns!" she said and Odin lowered his head.

"There is more," he said and told her about Bors possessing him and making him do horrible things. Vince leaned his head back when he screeched then closed his eyes.

"Vincent!" Loki shouted and Stefan ran to Vince. He checked Vince's vitals while Vince sighed and opened his eyes.

"She's gone," Vince said, yawning.

"Are you okay?" Loki asked, concerned.

"Yeah, but she's really upset."

"I shouldn't have told her," Odin said with a shake of his head.

"I thought the dead knew all the secrets of the living?"Stefan asked.

"Not always," Vince replied.

"And my father was good at hiding things," Odin said.

Stefan was looking at Vince curiously. "Do you always have control over the spirits you summon?"

Vince nodded. "Yes. Or the ones I don't."

"Even those that are unfriendly?"

"Yup. I can banish those who keep trying to harm people." Vince affirmed. "Only that takes a lot more of my power than just talking to them."

"Do they always speak through you?"

"No. That's only so you can hear and speak to them. I can hear and speak to them without that." Vince answered. "Sometimes, if the spirit is powerful, they can manifest and talk to you on their own." He yawned again.

"I think you better take a nap, daredevil," Loki suggested calmly.

"Aww, Dad!" his son groaned. "I was gonna show Malek how to do a triple."

"I c-can see it l-later," Malek said.

Vince appeared about to argue, but Loki just Looked at him. The boy gave in. He knew the Archmage was right. Using his talent for a long time drained him and he yawned again before bidding them all goodbye and returning to his room to rest.

"I guess we now have the answer to why we have Jotun blood," Odin said.

"And it answers my question regarding if any children Natasha and I have will have any mental issues,' Balder said as he looked at Natasha then gently took her hand. He led her out into the hallway as she wondered why he still looked upset and he sighed, placing his hands on her shoulders. "You still want to marry me, don't you?"

"Yes, I still want to marry you. I don't care if you're part Frosty the Snow Warrior or not. I..."

"Who?" he asked and she laughed.

"Never mind," she said as she went up on her tip toes and kissed him. Sighing, he wrapped his arms around her as they deepened the hug and Balder felt all his doubts disappear.

**A/N: According to MCU Wiki, Frigga is an Asgardian. It was also said that Odin would be revealed to have some Jotun blood through his mother's side, though his mother was never named in the database. Therefore I took the liberty of giving her a past and a name of my choosing. Her story, similar to Loki's, is yet another thing which further connects Odin with Loki.**


	64. Hunting Amora

**64**

 **Hunting Amora**

 _The most difficult creature to hunt is a sorceress that doesn't wish to be found. ~ Loki_

Loki returned to the palace to tell Rhiannon about their unusual family discovery. He was still reeling from it but in a way it drew him closer to his brothers and father. He wondered how Rhee would react to it.

"I am so glad that Balder need not worry about being the cause of his daughter's insanity. And amazed that they all bear some Jotun blood in them."

'It makes even more sense now that things happened as they did. And more hope for all of us to bring peace to all the realms," Loki replied. "But first we need to find Amora and drag her out from behind the rock she's hiding under."

"How, if we don't know where she is?"

"That is the problem," Loki said when Talia ran into his room and hugged his leg. "Hello, ladybug."

"Kwoki, Eirunn go bye-bye," she said with a pout and he moved her arms away so he could kneel down.

"I guess she and her daddy had to go home."

"But we no finish pwaying!"

"I'm sure he'll bring her back soon."

"I wanna pway wif her now!"

"Or you need a nap," he said with a stern look. Talia pouted as he picked her up and she placed her head against his shoulder. "I'll be right back."

Rhiannon watched him leave the room as she smiled then walked to the window and looked outside. She wondered where Amora was as she sighed and wrapped her arms around her stomach.

In the nursery, Loki sang to his baby sister and rocked her to sleep. Once he was certain she was sleeping deeply, he placed her in her little bed and tucked the blankets around her. Talia slept the sleep of the innocent, hugging her stuffed ladybug, curled on her side with one knee drawn up to her chest.

Loki had warded the entire family wing of the castle and together with Mr. Gold had set wards about the palace, infirmary, and all the servants quarters in the complex. They had warded the hangar where the ships were and Odin had used inspections and simple informal meetings to make certain none of the castle servants or ambassadors or guests that had arrived since Loki had been injured were under Amora's influence. Loki suspected Amora was not using Asgardians to spy upon him, but other means, perhaps a scrying bowl or flame, or even riding an animal in spirit form. She also could make constructs like the dragon and use her sorcery to influence other races to do her bidding—especially mortals and DarK Dwarves and Elves.

"Sleep well, baby sister," the Master of Mischief whispered and gently kissed her forehead. "May the Norns watch over thee."

Smidgen came and curled up on the bed next to her, and Loki petted the kitten before leaving.

As he walked down the hallway, Loki saw Max sitting on the floor near a large archway and he had his art box sitting next to him. He seemed to be engrossed with a drawing as Loki titled his head to one side and blinked. Now that he knew some of Max' drawings were memories he shared with him he wondered if that was what Max was drawing. Quietly, he walked over and sat down across from Max and looked at the piece of paper on the floor.

The drawing had the usual green outline, but the figure at the center looked somewhat familiar.

 _Amora,_ Loki thought when he recognized what they figure was wearing and the blonde hair.

"Hi, Daddy," Max said and broke Loki's train of thought.

"Hey, Imp," he said and Max looked at the piece of paper.

"Daddy, do you know who this is?"

"Yes, I do. Why are you drawing them?"

"I don't know," he said and Loki saw the worry in Max' eyes.

"Max, do you make drawings like this often?"

"Sometimes."

Loki moved the piece of paper out of the way as Max crawled to him then sat on his father's lap.

"I don't know why I draw them. It's like they're in my head and I have to get them out."

"What do you do with them when you're done?"

"I hide them in the dresser."

"Do you think I'd be angry if I saw them?" he asked and Max nodded. "No, I would never be angry about your drawings. Tell me something. How do you feel after you draw them?"

"Sometimes, I feel really sad. Sometimes, I feel really scared or really angry. Most of the time, I feel happy."

"What do you feel about this one?" Loki asked, pointing to the drawing.

"I feel really angry. I don't know who that is, but they're bad. They want to hurt me."

"Well, I hope you know I would never let anyone hurt you."

"I know," he said and leaned his head against Loki's chest. Loki rocked him as he looked at the drawing and anger boiled in his heart.

 _When we find you, Amora, you will never haunt anyone again!_ He thought angrily. _I will make certain of it!_

His fingers traced runes for tracking spells, the same ones he had cast before, and he sent the spells away throughout the Nine, searching for any trace of Amora's mage signature. The Enchantress was very very good at disguises with glamour and hiding in places one would never think to look, but it was not easy to completely Veil a mage signature. It only took a single slip and he would have her.

"What did you cast?" asked Max.

"A spell to find the person you were drawing. She is an evil woman and we need to find her before she hurts someone," Loki answered honestly.

"Good. I don't like her," his son declared.

"Why don't you put away your drawings and we can practice our snow sculpting with Rhiannon?" Loki suggested.

Max nodded, he always liked practicing his magic. He went and picked up the drawings and his art box and ran back to the nursery to place them in the cubby. When he returned, he and Loki walked back to Loki's chambers and met Rhiannon.

"That sounds like a great idea," she agreed. "It is so hot today." She wiped a bead of sweat from her brow.

Loki nodded. "Yes, this weather is stifling. Come, let's get cool."

As he led the way to the practice arena, he thought this was also a good opportunity to show Max how to use his frost magic offensively, so he could protect himself from enemies. He didn't trust Amora and even though none of the guests or the servants were under her influence, that didn't mean she couldn't send a spy they didn't know about.

~0~0~0~

While Loki, Rhiannon, and Max were practicing frost magic, Sleph took the girls riding and Fenris, Vince, Hunter, and Jorgy went swimming in the ocean.

The sunlight was warm while Vince and Jorgy used surfboards to ride the waves and Hunter and Fenris sunned themselves on the flat top rock.

"Have you ever met Amora?" Hunter asked.

"No," Fenris said with a shake of his head. "But I have heard the stories."

"Dad says she wants to destroy him and Uncle Thor."

"Yes, just because Uncle rejected her."

"Women are weird," Hunter said and Fenris laughed.

"Wait until you are older, Little Brother. You will not find them weird."

"Just confusing. That is what Uncle Balder said."

Fenris snorted a giggle while Vince and Jorgy walked out of the water and placed the surfboards in the sand.

"How fares the water?" Fenris asked.

"Dost thou have to speak like thou art in a Shakespeare play?!" Jorgy asked and Fenris growled at him. "Whoa! Chill, Dude, just teasing!"

Jorgy and Vince hopped onto the rocks as they sat down and the boys looked out at the water. The waves gently rolled in as the sun warmed them and Vince yawned.

"Are any of you getting sleepy?" he asked, shaking his head clear. Fenris sniffed the air when he smelt something odd in the air and growled.

"That's not good," Hunter said with a yawn and Jorgy shook his head, spraying them with cold water.

"Run!" Fenris said as he shifted into a larger version of his wolf form and they climbed onto his back. Fenris ran as Jorgy looked back and he saw several black objects following them. The figures had large, bat-like wings, but had the bodies of snakes and he could just hear hissing.

"Right!" Jorgy said as Fenris ran to the right and headed into the trees. Whatever was chasing them was fast as they slid by the trees and the hissing grew louder.

"You ccccccccccan't run forever," one of the figures hissed and Fenris dodged to the left. The hissing grew closer as Fenris felt himself getting tired, but he didn't stop.

"What are those things?!" Vince shouted as he looked behind him.

"They are Sky Vipers!" Jorgy said. "They use a sleeping mist to put their victims to sleep then they attack!"

"Let me guess. They belong to Amora?" Hunter asked and Jorgy nodded. "I really hate that witch."

"She's an enchantress."

"Never mind," he said when a loud clap of thunder echoed around them and Hunter looked up to see Thor soaring by the trees. Heimdall had seen the attack and informed Thor and Thor raised Mjolnir high over his head. The boys ducked in a cave as they watched Thor release bolts of lightning and the Sky Vipers twitched and dropped from the sky. The lightning stuck them three more times until Thor landed and looked at the charred remains.

"You can come out now, boys," he said and the boys ran to him. Vince and Hunter hugged him as Jorgy and Fenris looked at the remains and Thor huffed. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Hunter said and the others nodded.

"We must return to the palace at once."

"I agree," Fenris said as they headed down the path, but didn't see a shadowy figure behind the tree. It was the size of a small child, but was completely made of shadow and the red eyes flared.

"Misssssstressss will not be happy," the figure said then vanished in a puff of black smoke.

~0~0~0~

The forest was cool despite the heat of the afternoon, and Sleph rode with his sisters in his eight-legged horse form. The six girls were happy to be out of the palace and even though magic was used inside the palace to cool it, the walls had felt stifling today. They all wore either jeans and T-shirts or loose tunics and breeches and boots. Sleph led them along easy to follow trails through the great wood, along a route where they could see plenty of wildlife and local flora as well. They came to a stream he knew of with icy cold water and they halted to drink and splash their faces with water, allowing the horses to drink small amounts as well.

"We ought to eat lunch here," Belle suggested. She had the picnic hamper on her saddle.

Sleph nodded, having shifted back to his Asgardian form. "Yes, this is a nice spot for a picnic."

He helped the girls spread out the blanket and the food and drinks. He hoped his brothers were enjoying the ocean, and Nate and Malek were having a good time building a model of a War Bird—which was an Asgardian space ship used in battles.

They ground tied the horses, and then they all sprawled on the grass, eating the lunch Kara had packed for them and enjoying the sunshine. Some small birds flew down to peck at some crumbs Serena had thrown on the ground.

"Sleph, what are those birds?" she asked her brother.

"They are sapphire orioles," he replied. "They sing during the evening and the afternoon to attract mates. Those are three males and two females. The females have the white shading on their heads and breasts and the males have purple."

"They are so cute!" she giggled, and threw more crumbs for them to eat.

Aleta gasped and whispered, "Look! It's a baby hedgehog!"

She pointed to a small white and silver looking animal which did resemble an Earth hedgehog.

Sleph laughed. "That's a prickle puss. See how it has ears sort of like a cat's? And its spines are tipped with black?"

"Does it bite?" asked Lucy.

"No, prickle pusses defend themselves by rolling into a ball. They eat insects, which is why Bestemor likes them in her garden. They eat the bugs that would destroy her flowers."

The prickle puss suddenly stood on its hind feet and began nibbling at a piece of sandwich Sam had tossed over by the birds. Its little nose twitched and it had beautiful blue eyes.

"It's adorable!" Abby cried. "I wish I could hold it."

"You can, with gloves," Sleph answered.

He handed Abby a pair of thick gloves as she placed the gloves on and the prickle puss looked at her. It slowly moved toward her as she held her hands out then it crawled onto her hands. She carefully lifted her hands as the prickle puss sniffed the air and she smiled.

"Awww...!" the girls said at the same time and Sleph smiled.

Abby gently stroked the spines as the prickle puss made a soft squeaking noise and half closed its eyes.

"My turn!" Aleta demanded and Abby placed the prickle puss down then took off the gloves. One by one, they held the little creature while it chirped and gave them a contented look and wiggled its little feet.

"Why is it so calm?" Sam wondered.

"Because they are good judges of character," Sleph replied. "And we don't hurt them ever. It's bad luck."

Sam placed the prickle puss down on the grass as it curled up near them and closed its eyes. They went back to their meal, but didn't see the shadow figure near the tress and the red eyes flashed.

"Sleph, what is that?" Lucy asked, pointing to the figure

"I don't know," Sleph said as he stood and figure moved behind the tree.

"It looks like a kid," Serena said.

"Or a shadow," Abby said.

"A shadow kid?" Sam asked as Sleph slowly walked toward the trees and held up his hands.

"Hello," he said, but the figure didn't speak and tried to find a darker shadow to hide in. "There is no need to be afraid. We're not going to hurt you."

The figure peeked out at him as Sleph walked over then stopped. He knelt as the figure moved back behind the tree and Sleph frowned. He had read up on mystical and magic creatures when he thought of something and smiled.

"You are a Shadowling, aren't you," Sleph said and figure peeked out at him.

"Yessssssssss," the figure said with a nod.

"What are you doing here?"

"Watching."

"Watching us?"

"Yessssssssss."

"Why?"

"Misssstressss told usssss to."

"Are there more of you?"

"Yessssss. She ssssent my troop here. We are to watch then tell."

"What is your name?" Belle asked as she walked closer and knelt down next to Sleph. She had seen drawings of the figure in some of Loki's books, so seeing one in person made her feel excited. A Shadowling was the size of a child of four years, but was made entirely of shadow and had red eyes, pointy ears, what looked like long hair and had long fingers and toes. The shadowy mist around the figure moved in ripples and the face was round with a small nose.

"My name isssss Shoop," Shoop said with a bow.

"I'm Belle. This is Sleph. That's Sam, Aleta, Abby, Serena and Lucy," she said, pointing to her sisters.

"Are you going to hurt us?" Aleta asked, walking closer and hid behind Sleph.

"No, Shoop no hurt anyone. Jusssssst watch and tell," Shoop said.

"I think we need to talk him back to the palace," Sam asked and Shoop looked at them.

"Why?"

"If your mistress is who I think she is, we need you to tell us where she is."

"No! Will not tell!" Shoop said then vanished in a puff of black smoke.

"Nice going," Belle said, glaring at Sam.

"There is no need to get angry," Sleph said then looked at Sam. "But you are right. We need to return to the palace."

They went to clean up then he changed back into his horse form, but they didn't notice Shoop slipping into the picnic basket and settled down under the napkins.

~0~0~0~

Loki showed Max how to change his ice dagger into a long spear and thrust it at the stuffed manekin at the center of the arena. The whole area was covered with snow and ice slides and further away, Rhiannon had made an ice bow and arrows and was shooting targets.

"Like this?" Max asked once he had transformed the dagger.

"Exactly!" Loki praised. "Now you can either throw it, like a javelin, or use it to stab with. When you get older, you can learn how to do this," he held out his hands and two ice daggers formed. Then he threw them at them at the mannekin and they multiplied into eight and all struck the target.

"Wow! That's so cool!" Max cheered.

"That's similar to a replicate spell, but you can't cast that yet." Loki grinned. "Try and hit the target here. Remember, you can always freeze someone with your frost magic so they can't harm you and run away."

Max nodded and then tried to stab the mannekin with the frosty spear. He just nicked it and the stuffed dummy revolved about.

"I did it!"

"Good! Now do it again," Loki urged, waving a hand and summoning back his frost daggers.

He saw Rhiannon out of the corner of his eye nail a target with her ice bow and nodded in approval. One would hardly believe it to look at her, but his gentle Healer was also a fine marksman. Not that he would expect anything else from a student of Brunhilde's.

He was just about to suggest they take a break for lunch when Nate appeared with Malek. "Hey, Racer!"

"Dad, you want some lunch?" Nate asked.

"Yes, that sounds good," Loki agreed.

After banishing their snowy conjurings, they all went to the dining room.

Loki was in the middle of eating his roasted chicken with vegetables when the rest of his children suddenly ran into the room.

"Dad! We were attacked!" Hunter said.

"Daddy, we saw a shadow boy like from Peter Pan!" Aleta said.

"Wait. Slow down," Loki said, holding his hands up and Jorgy and Fenris walked to him.

"We were at the beach when these Sky Vipers appeared," Fenris said and Loki's eyes went wide. He knew full well what Sky Vipers were and he also knew Amora used them quite often to kill her enemies.

"If it wasn't for Uncle Thor, we would have been goners," Vince said and Hunter nodded. Thor had gone back to get the charred bodies as he stormed into the room and held them in his hands.

"Bring those here," Odin said. He had been told about the attack and Thor walked to the throne, placing the bodies on the steps.

"Are you sure you boys are alright?" Rhiannon asked and they nodded.

"What about this shadow boy?" Loki asked, looking at Aleta.

"We had decided to stop riding and were having a picnic when we saw a prickle puss," Belle started.

"They are so cute!" Aleta said.

"Yeah, but that's when we saw this shadow near the trees. Sleph went to investigate and that's when he learned it was a Shadowling."

"Blast, those are Amora's spies," Balder said with a growl.

"Were you able to catch it?" Odin asked.

"No, it ran away," Belle said as the picnic basket started shaking and Loki looked at it.

"I don't think so, Raven," Loki said as he got up and walked to the picnic basket. He knelt down then slowly opened the lid and a pair of red eyes looked out at him. "Hello."

"Brother?" Thor asked and Loki held up his hand to silence him.

"It's alright," Loki said and Shoop slowly floated out of the basket. It changed into its normal form as he looked at Shoop and smiled. "What is your name?"

"I am Shoop," Shoop said with a bow.

"I am Prince Loki."

"Shoop knowssss Frosssst Princccce, Missstressss ssssay you enemy."

"She was lying."

"Do you know where she is?" Rhiannon asked and Shoop looked at her.

"No, but Shoop know where troop isssss," Shoop said as it looked around then saw something in the shadows glaring at it. "One isss there!"

"Traitor!" the other Shadowling hissed as it ran out of the shadows, but Loki cast a spell to capture it. The Shadowling hissed, but didn't touch the bars of the light cage while Shoop hid behind Loki's leg and peeked out at its teammate.

"Who are you?" Loki asked.

"I will not tell you!"

"You would rather spend the rest of your days in that cage?"

The Shadowling glared at him then looked at Shoop and growled.

"Shall we search the palace for the others?" Balder asked.

"It would be hard to find them. They blend into the shadows or vanish the moment they're sighted," Loki said.

"We could use a light spell," Belle said and he smiled at his daughter.

"True, but we don't want to hurt them."

"They are spies and should be destroyed!" one of the nobles said and some of the other nobles agreed.

"They are living beings," Odin said then stood and walked to Loki. Shoop scooted toward Rhiannon as she reached out to hold it and Shoop moved into her arms. She realized it was like trying to hold the wind as Shoop smiled up at her and leaned against her side. Odin looked at the light cage as he slowly knelt down and looked at the Shadowling. He had seen one or two in his life, but never got close enough to take a good look and the Shadowling hissed. "Tell me. Why are you loyal to your mistress? Does she treat you fairly?"

The Shadowling became quiet as he waited for an answer and Loki looked at Shoop.

"Does she treat you fairly?" Loki asked.

"No. Missssstressss doessss not," Shoop said with a shake of its head.

"Quiet!" came from the cage and the Shadowling tried to reach through the bars, but the bright light burned. It made a high pitched scream as Talia and Aleta started crying and Frigga and Sam held them.

Suddenly, the room grew dark as nobles and noblewomen started to worry and the shadows seem to be moving. Loki cast a light spell as the Shadowlings hissed and slid to the floor. He made light cages around the Shadowlings when a large Shadowling appeared and Loki arched his eyebrows up. The Shadowling was his height, but its mass kept shifting and Loki folded arms over his chest.

"Releassssse them!" the large Shadowling hissed.

"I take it that you're their leader," Loki said, helping Odin to stand.

"Yessssss."

"I am Odin. Ruler of Asgard," Odin said and the Shadowling looked at him.

"I know of you, Wanderer King."

"Then I ask you why are you serving Amora?"

"We have alwaysssss ssssserved her."

"Aren't you tired of being her lackeys?" Thor asked.

"Yeah, it has to be demeaning," Natasha said.

"If I was her minion, I'd quit," Bruce said.

"We cannot," the large Shadowling said with a sigh.

"Why not?" Rhiannon asked.

"Misssstressssss hurt Queen," Shoop said in a soft voice.

"She has your queen?" Loki asked as he looked at the large Shadowling.

"She keepssssss her in black crysssstal," the large Shadowling said. "She will kill Queen with light if we no obey."

"Hel," one of the nobles said and Loki saw the pity and dismay in their eyes.

"Then I pledge to save your queen and destroy your mistress," Odin said and the large Shadowling looked at him then the other Shadowlings. It made a chirping and chattering noise as the others looked at each other then answered it.

"We will hold you to your word," the large Shadowling said.

"But we need your help," Loki said.

"What sssssort of help?"

"We need you to report false information to her."

"And thissss will help defeat her?"

"Yes," Loki said with a nod.

The large Shadowling thought for a few minutes then made the noise again and the others answered.

"We agree," the large Shadowling said with a bow. "I am Slanji."

"Greetings, Slanji," Odin said with a bow and Loki waved his hand, freeing the other Shadowlings.

"Now what do we do?" Balder asked as he looked at the Shadowlings and Thor shrugged.

"Now we create an elaborate set of illusions to fool the Enchantress," Loki replied.

"You're the Trickster, Brother," Thor remarked. "That's your line of work."

"I can help," Rhiannon offered.

"So can I," Natasha said.

"Your help will be appreciated," Loki agreed.

"We shall retire to my study to plan," Odin stated.

"That would be best," his son agreed.

"I help, Kwoki!" Talia cried, and climbed into her brother's lap.

"Talia, I think—" Odin began.

"Help my Kwoki!" his daughter sniffled, her lower lip trembling.

"Of course you can, ladybug," Loki said swiftly, to stave off tears. "Here's what I need you to do," he whispered something in her ear. "Can you do that?"

Talia nodded, her eyes glowing with hero-worship.

All of them wondered what Loki had asked her to do but the God of Mischief and his little devotee weren't saying. The four adults rose to retire to the study, Loki holding Talia, who waved at the others still at the table and called, "I help Kowki!"

Balder chuckled. "If I didn't know better, I'd say he enchanted her."

Thor rolled his eyes. "It does seem that way, doesn't it? She thinks Loki created the universe, hung the moon and the sun, and farts rainbows and burps sunshine!"

The other children burst out laughing.

Frigga frowned. "Thor!" she reproved.

Slanji and Shoop followed them as the other Shadowlings set up guard around the palace and the guards were glad for the help.

"No one enter without ussssss ssssseeing them!" one Shadowling said with a salute.

"We defend new friendsssss," another of the Shadowlings said, thumping its foot on the ground.

"Glad to hear that," the guard said and the Shadowlings, for the first time in ages, smiled.

Meanwhile in the study, Loki, Rhiannon, and Natasha discussed strategy and plotted with the king and Slanji and Shoop. Apparently, Amora had as little regard for her Shadowling allies as she did for any of her minions. She used them until they were of no more use to her and then she rid herself of them.

"And as long as she has your queen, she will continue to do so," Odin said and Slanji nodded.

"Do you know where she is keeping your queen?" Loki asked.

"The cryssstal in the tall tower," Slanji said.

"Are there any guards?"

"The not dead guards cryssstal."

"You mean the undead?" Odin asked.

"Yesssss."

"I can deal with those," Loki said.

"What concerns me is when she will attack. Surely she would do something during the wedding," Rhiannon said and Loki slid a reassuring hand over hers.

"No, she wouldn't show her hand so soon."

"Sssshe will wait for usss to report," agreed Shoop.

Talia played on the floor by Loki's feet with her dolls, content so long as she was by her brother.

"So here is what we ought to do," Loki suggested. "You need to report to her that we have strengthened our defenses since the Sky Vipers failed. That she won't be able to slip among us undetected until after the wedding. That will buy us time to set a trap for her after I return from our honeymoon."

"What sort of trap?" Rhiannon asked.

"The kind that will trick Amora into coming back to Asgard," her betrothed answered.

"We can do that," Slanji said.

"Good."

"Kwoki," Talia said, making him look down.

"Yes?"

"I gotta go potty," she said and the Shadowlings made a soft hissing noise.

"Now?!"

"Uh-hunh."

"I'll take her," Rhiannon said, but Talia shook her head.

"No! Kwoki do it!"

"Excuse me," Loki said as he lifted his little sister off the floor and left the room.

"Little onesssss," Slanji said as it looked at Odin.

"Yes," Odin said with a smile.

Talia prattled happily to Loki about her kitten sticker as they walked back to the study. Mid-sentence she yawned and Loki picked her up. "Looks like someone is tired."

"No! No nap, Kwoki!" the little girl whined. She was sleepy but didn't want to leave Loki.

"Okay, ladybug. You don't need to take a nap but why don't you rest your eyes?"

This was a tactic he often used with Aleta.

Talia yawned again and leaned her head on her brother's shoulder.

"Kay, I west eyes," she agreed and allowed her bright sea green eyes to slide shut. Loki patted her back gently.

He slowed his pace so by the time he arrived at the study his baby sister was nearly asleep.

"Shall I call Halgran?" Odin offered, moving to take Talia.

Talia's eyes popped open. "Stay wif Kwoki!"

Loki gave Odin a "I nearly had her asleep!" look and Odin sighed.

"Relax, darling," he crooned to the fussy toddler. 'I'm right here. " He walked over to his chair and sat down, rubbing Talia's back while listening to the others talking.

His breathing and heartbeat relaxed her as she closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

"She's asleep," Loki mouthed and barely kissed the top of her head.

"Loki Laufeyson, Baby Whisperer," Natasha grinned.

"I'm out of practice," the king chuckled.

"You'll pick it up again," his son murmured.

Odin nodded, but waited to summon Halgran just in case.

After the meeting was over, Slanji gathered the Shadowlings and saluted before they vanished in a puff a black smoke. Except for Shoop.

"Why didn't you leave with the others?" Loki asked and the little Shadowling looked up at him.

"I failed the Missssstressss. Ssssshe will kill me if go back," Shoop said.

"Then you must remain here," Odin said.

"What King wish Shoop to do?"

"You will be my daughter's protector," Odin said as he pointed to Talia.

"Shoop will protect Little Princessssss to the death!"

"Uh, I don't think that's necessary," Loki said and Shoop nodded.

The Shadowling followed Loki back to the nursery to put the sleeping Talia down for a nap before he returned to the study, leaving Shoop guarding the youngest royal.

The wedding was barely a week away, yet Loki knew they must free the queen soon. But to do so he would need the assistance of the Avengers top spy. As well as his Valkyrie trained beloved.

He found Natasha and Rhiannon in the arena as they watched some of the female guards practicing and he sat next to them.

Loki watched silently for a few moments before he spoke. "We need to free the Shadowling Queen soon," he murmured. The two women looked at him.

"How do we do this? " Rhiannon asked.

"I think I know how, but I need your help."

"What do you have in mind?" Natasha asked.

"I need you both to accompany me to the tower where she holds the Queen. You are both accomplished warriors who have stealth as your ally. We will need it if we are to succeed."

"Do you have a map of the castle and the tower? We need to know which room she's in, how many guards and quick exits in case things go wrong."

"I can speak with Shoop. He will be able to provide us with what we need." He ran a hand through his hair. "I dislike leaving the children, but it will only be for a day at most. And they are safe here."

"I agree," Rhiannon said with a nod.

"When should we leave?" Natasha asked.

"We'll leave as soon as I talk to Shoop," Loki said.

He gave Rhiannon a quick kiss on the cheek then left the arena and wondered where the little Shadowling was.

"Shoop!" he called out, feeling a little silly, when a shadow sailed toward him and Shoop appeared.

"You call, My Princcccce?" Shoop asked with a bow.

"I need your help. Do you know which tower your queen is being held?" Loki asked.

"I do. Missstressss placccced her in the tallessssssst tower," he said as he made a shadow model of Amora's castle and Loki saw the tower was at the back of the castle.

"Wait. Come with me," he said as they went back to Rhiannon and Natasha and Shoop bowed. "Show them Amora's castle."

Shoop made the shadow image of the castle and they looked at it.

"He said his queen is kept in this tower here," Loki said as he pointed to the tallest tower.

"How many guards in the tower?" Natasha asked and Shoop shifted the shadow model until the tower appeared. Little shadows moved around the tower and she counted ten guards. "Are they Shadowlings?"

"No. Misssstressssss doessss not ussssse ussss for guardssss. Thessssse are grunt guardssss," Shoop said.

"What do those look like?" Rhiannon asked. Shoop made shadow figures which looked like ogres and trolls and they nodded.

"Are there guards in the tower?" Loki asked.

"No, but there are trapsss," Shoop said.

"How do you know so much about the tower?" Natasha asked.

"Missstressss made Shoop clean tower."

"Where are the traps?" Rhiannon asked. Shoop waved his hand and little grey shadows marked where the traps were.

"The Queen is at the top of the tower?" Natasha asked.

"Yesssss,"

"Will there be guards at the door?" Loki asked.

"Ssssskurge," Shoop said with a shiver.

"Who is that?" Natasha asked.

"He is called the Executioner," Loki said with a sigh.

"Is he Asgardian? " Natasha asked.

"Yes. He was exiled after a disagreement with my father. Amora thought it would be fun to have Asgard's top executioner at her beck and call."

"Sounds like a real winner," the Avenger snorted. "Can he use magic?"

"No, but his being half Storm-Giant and half Skornheimian makes him stronger than most Asgardians. He does have an enchanted double blade ax."

"Nice."

"How do we defeat him?" Rhiannon asked.

"I can enchant some weapons and you'll need phantom armor. It will make you invisible," Loki said. He started worrying about them going up against Skurge and Rhiannon saw the worry in his eyes.

"No sweat, Loki. We can do this. We'll take care of the Stormy Woodman while you free the queen." Natasha reassured him.

"Then let's get going," Loki said and Shoop followed him out of the room,

"You are worried for your lady?" Shoop asked, looking up at him.

"Yes, I am."

"I worry for Queen."

"I am sure you are."

"Queen issssss Shoop'sssss friend. Alwaysssss treat well."

"Were you her aide? Her helper?"

"Yesssss," he said with a nod. "Queen no do anything without me."

Loki gave him a small smile and nodded.

"I promise we will free her."

"I believe you. Now, Shoop needssss to go play with Little Princcccesss."

Loki watched the little Shadowling fly off as he thought about what he would need to protect Natasha and Rhiannon and walked a little faster.

He blinked to his workroom and donned his armor, then set about forming two sets of phantom armor for Rhiannon and Natasha. Phantom armor was something only a mage could craft, and only then a mage of great skill and Power. The armor was formed of the substance of magic wedded to very light adamantium, and Loki made one set and then replicated it.

He decided he would give Laevateinn to Rhiannon, and give Natasha a light rapier and also a main gauche, a long dagger meant to be wielded in the left hand along with the rapier. Knowing Rhiannon's facility with missile weapons, he also supplied her with a bandoleer of magical darts and a blowgun. The blowgun was easier to carry than a bow and he knew Brunhilde had trained her in its use. He would give Natasha a small handheld crossbow with nightshde tipped bolts. The nightshade would paralyze any opponent struck with them.

He summoned his daggers from the Inbetween, secreting two on his belt, two in his boot sheathes and two in his arm sheathes. He also took his Staff of Asgard, which was a magical staff only the Archmage could weild. It was similar to the staff the Chitauri had given him, but it could not control his mind, and the azure crystal in it was a repositiory for fifty spells of battle, illusion, and other magic he had placed in it. It was formed of beautiful white witchwood, the special wood from rown and ash trees combined that stored magic easily. It bore magical runes along its entire length and its triangular tip bore the crystal in the center.

He also removed two amulets from his vault, they were amulets of magical protection which would also remove the women from combat should they be in mortal danger. Thus armed he returned to them and gave his betrothed and his comrade the weapons, amulets, and armor.

"Now we must tell Father and Mother, and ask them to watch over the children," he told them.

"I'm wondering if I ought to tell Balder," Natasha mused.

Loki quirked an eyebrow. "That's up to you, but the reason why I did not include my brothers in this venture is because neither of them do stealth well. And I did not want to waste time arguing with them."

Natasha considered. "You are right. Balder will wish to come, and think I need protecting. He may be angry that I did not tell him I was leaving on this mission, but I am an Avenger, and though I love him, I also know I can take care of myself and we would waste time arguing when we could be rescuing."

"You may let Father tell him," Loki replied. "He will put it so my brother understands why only we three would be sent upon this mission."

Natasha nodded, while Rhiannon was grateful that she did not have to worry about explaining herself to any man, not even Loki. She drew Laevateinn, admiring the runes upon the blade and how well it fit her grip.

"Let us pray to the Norns we succeed in our mission swiftly," the Valkyrie's student said.


	65. To Free a Queen

**65**

 **To Free a Queen**

 _The best weapon in battle is not a sword, hammer, or dagger but the one thing an enemy can never take from you—your brain. ~ Loki_

Once Loki had informed the king and queen of their mission, they exited the palace and Loki used his magical talent to create WorldGates to open one to Nornheim, which was where Amora's castle was. Ironically, her castle was in the same realm as Balder's ex-wife Karnilla.

Loki let Rhiannon and Natasha go first, while he came last so he could shut the Gate. He shifted to disguise himself as an ordinary warrior of Nornheim.

"Why the disguise?" Natasha asked.

"This is Nornheim. It's home to Balder's ex-wife," Loki said and Natasha's face clouded over with anger.

"Ah," she said with a nod. A part of her wanted to go find the woman who caused Balder so much pain and she walked faster.

The land surrounding Amora's castle was rocky on one side and on the other thickly wooded. The castle itself was upon a high hill, and surrounded by a moat with a thick wooden palisade of sharp stakes. But the guard on duty at the gate looked bored.

"There is the tower," Loki whispered as he pointed to the tallest tower. It was made of dark stone with black shingles for the roof, but there were no windows.

"I hope the Queen is alright," Rhiannon whispered and Loki nodded.

"That guard doesn't look so tough," Natasha said as they looked at the guard and the guard yawned.

"He looks bored out of his mind," Loki mused. "Let's see if we can't use that to our advantage."

Loki. Rhiannon and Natasha moved closer while Natasha held up a hand and moved toward the guard. Before he could moved, she moved up behind him as she locked her arms around his neck and pressed her arms until he passed out. Looking around, she moved the body into the bushes as Loki placed him to sleep after Rhiannon checked the guard's vitals and Loki nodded. They headed across the bridge over the moat while Rhiannon looked down at the black shadows moving through the murky water and frowned.

"Wouldn't surprise me if those are meat eating fish," Natasha said in a soft voice and Rhiannon moved closer to Loki. They saw the doors to the gate were open as they walked into the courtyard and saw several more guards. There were also supply crates, some horses, pens with cows and pigs, and wooden stands with swords, axes and other weapons. Loki pointed toward the main doors to the castle as they headed for the doors then slid passed when the doors opened.

In her chambers, Amora lounged on a fainting cough as one of the female servants was attending to her nails and she frowned. The Shadowlings had returned and told her what Loki had said, but she didn't believe them.

"What are you up to, Trickster?" she whispered then waved her hand at the servant and stood up. She walked to the scrying bowl as she looked into the water and waved her hand. The mist swirled in the water when Loki appeared in the mist and she watched him playing with the children. Loki had left a duplicate of him, Rhiannon and Natasha and Amora frowned while watching him laughing. "Pathetic."

She walked to the window as she looked out at the courtyard and the window blew through her blonde hair.

Loki led Natasha and Rhiannon by the guards and servants when he saw one of the Shadowlings and the Shadowling barely gave him a nod.

"Looks like Amora got the message," Natasha said, looking back at the Shadowling.

"Yes, but did she believe them? She is no fool," Loki said when they came to the door which led up to the tower and he saw the large padlock. He cast an illusion before lifting the lock and used magic to unlock it. Slowly, he opened the door as they entered the dim passageway and torches flickered in iron holders on the walls.

They heard footsteps down the passageway and soon saw two large misshapen figures, which Loki suspected were either trolls or ogres.

 _You two take the one on the left and I will take the one on the right,_ he sent.

Rhiannon pulled her blowgun out and loaded a dart, while Natasha did the same with her little crossbow. Both women shot their missiles at the guard on the left.

Both hit their target and the ogre grunted and went to brush off the bee stings it had felt on its shoulder and neck.

Meanwhile, Loki threw both daggers and impaled the second ogre through the throat. It gurgled and collapsed to the floor.

The first ogre groaned as the paralysis dart took effect and went rigid then toppled over. Loki waved a hand, levitating the bodies into the shadows and they continued down the passage until they arrived at the stairs, which they ascended.

Up and up they went, senses ever alert for guards above and below them, the stairs spiraling endlessly beneath their feet. Thanks to Shoop, they knew which stairs contained traps and they avoided them.

As they approached the final stretch of stairs, Loki sent to the women. _Let me try and distract Skurge so you can slip by him. Your armor will turn you invisible and Natasha knows how to pick locks._

Both women nodded as Loki looked at Skurge and the torchlight shimmered on the sharp edge of the battleaxe. He had faced Skurge in the past and knew how dangerous the half-Storm Giant was when angered.

He also knew Skurge's one weakness.

Amora.

 _Rhee, please forgive me for what I am about to do,_ he sent and she gave him a confused look. They watched while Loki changed into Amora when he walked out of the shadows and headed for Skurge.

"Skurge," he said with Amora's voice and Skurge's eyes widened.

"Hello, My Love," he said and Loki gave him a cold look.

"Do not call me that! Who knows who's listening!"

"There is no one here except those dim-witted ogres and Shadowlings. They know better than to speak ill of us," Skruge said, walking closer after placing the handle of the axe against wall. Loki slapped Skurge's face hard enough for blood to trickle out of his nose and Skurge smiled. "My, you are in a playful mood."

 _No, what I am is about to be sick_ , Loki thought and Natasha and Rhiannon tried hard not to giggle.

"No, I am not in a playful mood."

"What has gotten you so upset?" he asked while Rhiannon and Natasha activated the armor then vanished. They headed for the door while Natasha knelt down and started picking the lock.

"There is someone in my castle pretending to be me."

"What!? It has to be Loki! That bastard half-breed," Skurge growled and Loki arched his eyebrows up.

 _Look who's talking,_ Loki thought then placed his hands on Skruge's chest. He coud feel the rise and fall of Skurge's breathing as Natasha finally got the lock open and he gave Skurge a pleading look.

"I saw them going into my chambers. Deal with them!"

"What if they say they're you?"

"Are you questioning me?! Kill them!"

"As you wish."

Rhiannon and Natasha had slid into the room by the time Skurge had turned, retrieved his axe and stormed down the stairs. Loki shifted back to his normal form then quickly ran to the door and entered the room. He slowly closed the door then turned to look at them and the women gave him a smug look.

"You call that a distraction?" Natasha asked.

"It worked, didn't it?" he asked and Rhiannon walked closer, lightly kissing his cheek.

The tower room was round and the single window covered with heavy drapes. On a dais a large elongated black crystal hung suspended in midair.

"I will need a hot bath when we get home," he grimaced. His eyes narrowed as he saw the six undead that surrounded the crystal.

Three were skeletons, two were draugr, and there was one incubus. Loki recognized the incubus because he knew a destiel, Aldrich, from Vanaheim, who was a courtesan. Aldrich was only half-incubus, but he had taught the Archmage to recognize others of his kind and the full demon which had spawned him.

"Let me handle the incubus," he whispered and the women nodded. They spread out around the room while Loki moved closer and prepared the spell to destroy the demon.

"Do you think you can hide from me, Trickster?" the demon asked while sniffing the air. "I can smell you."

"But can you find me?" Loki asked and the incubus laughed. The skeletons and the draugr looked at the demon while Rhiannon walked silently toward one of the skeletons and carefully drew Laevateinn out of the scabbard. The runes upon the blade shimmered as she swung Laevateinn and the skeleton made an inhuman screech then shattered into dust. Natasha kicked the other two skeletons as they shattered onto the floor and the incubus screeched.

"Come out and face me, Trickster!" the demon snarled then grunted after Loki slammed a dagger into its side.

The rune dagger penetrated the cursed flesh easily, and the demon hissed in agony for the spelled blade filled it with light and warmth, two things which were anathema to it. But it lifted its gaze to Loki's and almost ensnared the Archmage in its insidious gaze.

An incubus was a psychic vampire of sorts, meaning that it fed and grew strong off the emotions of others, especially desire and longing. Its eyes were shards of gray ice, one that reflected nothing of its inner soul, for indeed it had none. But they beckoned and danced and tried to pull Loki into them, using his longing for Rhiannon.

But even as he felt the drawing upon his spirit, Loki slammed up barriers around his emotions, and once again had cause to bless th e iron discipline he had learned before he took the Tests of the Seven. Unlike most men, he could wall his emotions away, as was often required when working great magic, and this he did now.

The incubus struck, certain it had mesmerized its prey.

Only to find that Loki was no longer in front of it, but behind and had stabbed yet another rune dagger into its foul heart.

Screeching, the incubus froze a moment.

But a moment was all Loki needed.

He cast the banishment spell, and watched as his magic ripped the demon apart and sent it wailing back to the cold Hel it was spawned from.

Knowing time was running out to free the queen, he shouted, "Keep the others away from me!"

Then he sprang towards the dais where the crystal hung.

Upon reaching it, he saw the spell web that encased it, and inside the Shadow Queen face pressed against the crystal. Even as he analyzed the web and how best to break the conjuring, the draugr surged at him, only to find their way blocked by the two lady warriors.

Rhiannon thrust Laevateinn into the undead flesh of the draugr before her, which wore the body of a young male, tattered clothes hanging limply upon its undead frame. The draugr snarled, showing rows of fangs and its eyes burned hellish red. The enchanted blade bit deep, and green ichor flowed on the stones and spattered her boots.

Grimacing, she withdrew, blocked a clawed strike and attacked again.

Natasha stabbed her rapier into the second draugr, hissing, "Hey Walking Dead! Your zombie apocalypse is over!"

The draugr moaned and tried to bite her, but she was fast, and brought up her main gauche, and the teeth closed on the blade and it screamed as the runes burned it.

Meanwhile, Loki discovered the traps within the spell web and chanted softly to unravel them before he started in on the main curse that prevented the queen from leaving the crystal.

 _You are good, Enchantress, but not good enough!_ He thought, and as his green magic touched the web it countered the traps and then he spun another to break the light binding.

"Loki! You almost done?" Narasha called as both blades slid through the draugr's ribs.

But Loki did not answer, for his concentration was all focused upon the spell weaving.

Rhiannon dispatched her draugr, but even as she did so, she heard the sound of booted feet thundering up the stairs. "Spite! It's Skurge!"

Natasha scowled. "Dammit! Can we prevent him from getting inside here?"

They ran towards the door, and Rhiannon used her frost magic to seal the door shut and put ice seven feet thick in front of it. "Hopefully that will hold long enough for Loki to finish what he must."

They waited, weapons at the ready, as the door shuddered and Skurge bellowed, "Trickster bastard! I will kill you, you misbegotten son of a whore!"

Skurge threw himself against the solid iron door again, furious because Loki's trick had caused him to harm Amora. He had almost taken her head off and only her magic prevented her death. But she was now recovering from the wound his axe had dealt her, and cursing Loki with every breath—as well as her duped lover.

 _Hurry, beloved!_ Rhiannon urged silently, while praying her spell held.

Loki's spell undid the light weave, but it was tenuous and tricky work, for there were spells upon it that needed to be unraveled first before he could simply banish the conjuring. He was aware yet not aware of the commotion Skurge was making, but he ignored everything, concentrating on removing the last ward until . . . there!

The light weave broke.

"Come out, Your Majesty! You are free!" Loki called.

The door shuddered and bent inward as Skurge threw himself against it.

"Trickster! I come!"

The crystal shattered and the Shadowling Queen emerged, barely half Loki's height, wearing a crown of jet and silver smoke upon her head.

"I thank you," she whispered. "To whom do I owe my freedom?"

"I am Prince Loki of Asgard," he replied, glancing towards the door. "And your freedom and your people's is not yet won." He thrust out a hand and summoned a Gate. "Quickly, Your Majesty! Through the Gate to Asgard!"

The Queen concentrated and summoned all the Shadowlings remaining in the castle. They flowed into the room and surged towards the glowing portal, upon the other side was the palace of Asgard.

Once the Shadowlings were through the Gate, Loki beckoned for Rhiannon and Natasha to follow. "Quickly!"

The two bolted through the portal and Loki turned to leap through just as the door snapped in pieces and Skurge slammed his axe through Rhiannon's ice wall.

As the ice shattered, Skurge thrust his head and part of his arm through, bellowing, "I see you Trickster! Your death has arrived!"

"Too bad, so sad!" Loki sneered. Then he stepped through the Gate and vanished as it shut.

Skurge exploded into the room, screaming in rage.

But all that was left in the room were shards of crystal and ice, winking in a glittering swath upon the floor.

**A/N: Next up-the wedding and the play!**


	66. The Light That Guides Me

**66**

 **The Light That Guides Me**

 _You are the light that guides me home, my heart given forevermore into your keeping. ~ Loki_

Natasha saw a very angry Balder waiting for her as she shrugged and he walked toward her. She then saw his face soften and he slid his arms around her.

"Hel, woman, do you have any idea how worried I was?!" he asked then placed a finger against her lips to silence her so he could continue. "Yes, I know you can handle yourself, but it doesn't mean I like the idea of you going off like that."

"So, saying I'm sorry won't work?" Natasha asked. Laughing, Balder picked up his love then kissed her and spun around in a circle.

"Is the Bad Lady gone now, Daddy?" Max asked while holding onto Loki's leg and looked up at him.

"No, but we were able to rescue the Shadowling Queen," Loki said and they looked at her.

"Greetings," the Shadowling Queen said while Shoop ran to her and she knelt down. "Oh! You're safe!"

"Yesssss," Shoop said with a nod.

"I thought... I thought she had killed you!"

"Misstresss ssssaid she wanted to, but ssseeing me ssssuffer would be a better punishment."

"She will suffer for this!" she growled then leaned closer. Everyone watched her kiss Shoop when a white light moved over him and she stood up. Shoop grew in height until he was as tall as Loki and he was no longer covered in shadows.

"Whoa," Belle whispered and Sam nodded.

"Shanori," Shoop whispered as he looked at the Shadowling Queen and she smiled at him.

"That's better," Shanori said then turned to look at them. "Shoop is my court protector. When Amora attacked, she changed him into a powerless Shadowling then encases me in that crystal. She also told me he was dead."

"And that's why you never tried to escape?" Rhiannon said and Shanori nodded.

"So, he's your husband?" Hunter asked.

"Not officially," Shanori replied. "Maybe someday."

Loki chuckled at the shocked look on Shoop's face and smiled. Talia slowly walked to Shoop. She wasn't sure about what happened as she sucked on her thumb and Shoop looked down at her.

"Shoop?" Talia asked as he knelt down and held his arms out. She ran into his arms when he hugged her then stood up. "Ooooo! You taww wike my Kwoki!"

"But I am still you friend, Little Princess," he said and she giggled.

"You my fwiend too!" Talia smiled.

Shoop set her down and she ran to Loki, hugging him about the knees and saying, "Kwoki home now!"

Her brother laughed and picked her up, and she studied his helmet.

She went to touch a horn and Loki shook his head. "No, ladybug. Those are sharp."

"Huwt my hand?"

He nodded. Then Aleta chimed in, "I'm not allowed to touch Daddy's helmet either. Cause I can poke my eye out."

For some reason all her brothers and sisters giggled at that statement.

"Are you well, Queen Shanori?" Balder asked.

"I am a little tired and hungry," Shanori said, taking Shoop's hand and wrapping their fingers together.

"Then let us retire to the palace," Loki said and she nodded.

"I am sure Father will wish to speak with you after you have rested," Balder said. They headed for the palace while Rhiannon noticed the look on her betrothed face and she lightly touched his arm.

"Are you alright?" Rhiannon asked.

"No, I am not alright. Amora knows we have rescued Shanori and I'm worried she'll take it out on the Shadowlings," he said then noticed several shadows moving near the trees. The red eyes shimmered, vanished then reappeared further down the road and he nodded.

After arriving at the palace and Odin and Frigga met Shanori, Shanori was given a room to rest and Shoop stayed to guard her.

Odin stood on the balcony as he looked over the kingdom when he felt liked he wasn't alone and turned, seeing Slanji.

"Greetings," Odin said with a nod.

"Greetingsss," Slanji said with a bow. "Thank you for sssssaving our queen."

"It was our pleasure. Are you and your people alright?"

"Yesssss."

"What happened after my son and his friends left her castle?"

"Onccccccce word of our queen'ssss resssscue sssspread, we abandoned the cassssstle."

"I take it that Amora was not pleased."

"No, she wasssss not. Which issssss why we are offering our ssssservicccesss to protect your kingdom from her wrath."

"Thank you," Odin said and Slanji stood next to him.

"It issss we who should thank you. It hassss been long ssssinccce we knew any peacccce."

"I assure you Amora will pay for what she has done."

Slanji nodded as they became quiet and the wind swirled the shadows around Slanji.

"My people tell me that ssshe wass badly injured. Ssskurge attacked and hurt her before he learned he wasss tricked by Loki." Slanji remarked. "I doubt ssshe will trouble you sssoon."

Odin was startled upon hearing Skurge's name. "Skurge the Executioner is with her?" Then he shook his head. "That should not surprise me but . . . it does."

"He ssservess her. And also he issss her lover."

The king raised an eyebrow. "Birds of a feather . . . as they say." He smiled at the Shadowling. "If you will help guard my realm, you may stay here in peace as long as you wish."

Slanji bowed. "Then we ssshall do ssso, Wanderer King. May we attend your son's wedding? I hear it iss sssoon."

Slanji nodded then moved away and Odin hoped he was right and Amora would not attack any time soon,

 _Amora's chambers._

Amora winced while a healer aided her with the wounds Skurge had inflicted and she growled.

"That fool," she whispered. She also cursed herself a fool for not realizing Loki would invade her home and yelped when the healer tied the bandages too tightly. "Watch what you are doing!"

"Sorry, Mistress," the healer said then quickly moved out of the room. Amora leaned back against the pillows as she sighed and looked at the ceiling. "Enjoy your victory for now, Trickster. Soon, you will lay bleeding at my feet after I destroy everyone you love!"

One good thing about her recent malady was that it would give her more time to plot Loki's demise, as well as the rest of the royal family.

All except Thor, him she planned to keep as her concubine, so she could rule with him as her puppet on the throne of Asgard. And perhaps she would keep the witch Sif alive too, to ensure Thor behaved himself.

She laid back on her bed, a wicked grin curving her lips.

~0~0~0~

The night before the wedding arrived as Rhiannon paced and was shaking with nerves. She knew she wanted to marry Loki, but there were things she still didn't know. This was one time she wished her mother was here as she shook her head and sighed.

"Mother, help me," she whispered while a knock sounded on the door and she looked at the door. Opening the door, she saw Frigga standing there and the Queen smiled at her.

"May I come in, daughter?" the older woman requested, her expression kindly. She wore a simple gold and white dressing gown and soft matching slippers, her hair in a braid.

"Of course, My Queen," Rhiannon said, and stepped back to allow Frigga inside. She fisted her hands in her own robe to hide their trembling.

Frigga went and seated herself on the small sofa in the sitting room portion of Rhiannon's chambers. "You look like you could use a cup of tea, dear. I have taken the liberty of sending for some peaches and cream tea. Now why don't you come sit here? What troubles you, child?"

Rhiannon went and perched on the divan, her fingers twisting themselves together. "Surely you will think I am foolish . . ."

"Because you are nervous about your wedding night?" Frigga asked shrewdly. "Oh Rhee, almost all young women are so on the eve of their nuptials. I know that I was."

She took the younger woman's hand and held it gently.

Rhiannon gazed at her from wide cerulean eyes. "You, My Queen?" she had a hard time imagining her serene and confident mother-in-law as being a nervous young bride.

"Oh, yes. I was so nervous that night. I thought I would faint dead away the moment Odin touched me."

Both of them giggled as Rhiannon shook her head and Frigga smiled.

"Was he...? Was he gentle with you?" Rhiannon asked.

"Yes, he was very gentle. He knew he was my first and he even ask what I wished for him to do as far as pleasuring me."

"I don't know what Loki likes."

"Then ask him," she said with a nod.

"He will not think I am . . . stupid?" Rhiannon asked, blushing. "I am sure that his first wife . . . she knew how . . ."

"Oh, yes, she knew! Remember, she was no maiden when they wed and she hated Loki touching her," Frigga said with venom on her voice.

"Not to mention she was so drunk, Loki nearly had to drag her onto the bed. He was nearly ill afterwards and asked me if it was normal for any woman, even her, to be so disgusted by him."

Rhiannon was glad Boda was dead as she could picture the hurt on her beloved's face and in his eyes and she frowned.

"How dare she treat him so? Loki is not disgusting," Rhiannon said.

"Aye he is not. But she shamed herself and him with her behavior," Frigga said coldly. "She never allowed Loki to find pleasure in her bed or as her husband. Now I know such is not the case with you. I know you love my son and he adores you. So you do not have to worry that you have no experience, dear. That will come in time, as you both learn what pleases the other." She sighed romantically. "When two people who truly love each other join together . . . it is the most magical and beautiful thing ever."

"Like with you and his father?"

"Yes, over the centuries, we have been through hardship as well as good times, but the one thing which never changed was our love for each other," she said then paused. "Even when Odin was possessed by his father's soul."

A love for all seasons," Rhiannon quoted softly. "Such a love I hope I shall always have with Loki."

"You do have it. You are his soulmate. His other half. As he is yours."

Slowly Rhiannon nodded. "I think . . . a part of me has always known that. From the moment I first saw him in the library."

"And he knew it that day in that cell. No one has ever showen him so much love and understanding or fought so hard for him."

"I will always fight for him. For he is my star in the darkness." She declared. "Now I feel silly, being so afraid when I know-here in my heart-" she placed a hand over her heart. "-that all will be well, for love is the most powerful magic."

"You are right. Love is the most powerful magic. As for feeling silly, all brides feel that way. I'm sure Natasha and even Sif will feel the same on their wedding day," Frigga said with a small laugh.

"Is it odd for me to miss my mother?" Rhiannon asked after a few seconds.

"No, it is not odd at all. But, you need to remember her spirit will be there and she will be so happy with you marrying your soulmate."

Rhiannon nodded as Frigga gave her a hug and she placed her head against Frigga's head.

"Now," Frigga asked as they moved back and they locked eyes. "Is there anything else worrying you?"

"Not really. Except . . . I hope Loki likes the suit I made him. The king was going to deliver it to him tonight."

"He will love it," Frigga said then headed out of the room and closed the door behind her. Smiling, Rhiannon walked out onto the balcony as she looked up at the clear night sky and sent a little prayer of thanks to the Norns for bringing Loki into her life.

 _In Loki's chambers..._

Loki stood in front of the fireplace as thoughts of Amora moved through his mind, but he shoved them aside and sighed.

"Loki?" made him turn as the door opened and Odin entered. He had something with him as Loki walked closer and Odin smiled. "This is for you."

Loki took the box wrapped with green ribbon from his father. "A wedding gift, Father?"

"Aye, from your bride." Odin laughed, his eye twinkling. "Go on, open it."

Loki walked to the bed when he placed the box on the bed and untied the ribbon. He lifted the lid of the box when his heart thumped hard in his chest and his eyes widened. He slowly lifted the suit out of the box as he looked at the craftsmanship and smiled.

The suit jacket was a soft silver silk with gold buttons and emerald green trim and snakes of gold and silver were etched on the pockets and cuffs. The silk pants were also silver with gold trim and the shirt was a soft white linen with emerald buttons.

Loki waved his hands to change clothes as he walked to the full length mirror and looked at his reflection. Odin walked closer when he slid Loki's gold cape over his son's shoulders and Loki stood a little straighter.

Loki had realized he forgot the gold belt and the green silk sash as he waved his hands and they appeared. Odin had gone to get Loki's crown as he placed the crown on his son's head and stood back. Loki noticed the tears in the corners of his father's eye as Odin smiled and Loki smiled back.

"Now here stands the future King of the Nine. You were destined to be so, even as Thor was to be King of Asgard."

"Then why do I feel so unsure?" Loki asked, taking the crown off.

"It is not about you being the future king, My Son," Odin said with a smile and walked closer. "You are unsure about tomorrow."

"I am getting married tomorrow."

"Yes, but, unlike the first time, you are marrying your soulmate."

"Why would that make me unsure?"

"Because you are in love. I felt just as unsure when I married Frigga."

"You?!" he asked with wide eyes.

"Yes, me!"

"I cannot believe you ever felt so . . ." he paused searching for a word that would not make him sound like a weak little boy. " . . . worried that you would disappoint your bride on your wedding night."

"I was."

"What did you do?"

"I just took my time. Asked her what she liked me to do. But, most of all, I was gentle. Like your bride, she was a maiden and didn't know what she was doing. You should have heard the giggling."

"She laughed at you?"

"As I laughed at her. Once the nerves were over, the rest was perfect. I never felt so connected to someone as I did that night with your mother. We became one person and we have stayed so since."

"I guess what happened with Boda..."

"What happened with that harpy should not cloud your thoughts about what will happen tomorrow night. Rhiannon is your other half. The missing piece of your soul. She would never do what Boda did nor will she make you feel the way you did while married to Boda."

"I . . . yes . . . of course she wouldn't . . .Rhee does not think I am a monster that belongs in a cage to be beaten with whips . . ." Loki shook his head, willing the dark memories back into the box inside his mind. "She sees only me. Only Loki."

"Because there IS only Loki to see," Odin stressed. "Boda never saw you true, son. Only what her twisted mind wished to see." Odin clasped his son's shoulder. "Like my sire, she refused to see the truth and was content to see only a lie. But she is gone and you need to put her from you. Tomorrow you begin a new life with Rhiannon. And everything that has gone before is dust upon the wind."

Loki took a deep breath. "You are right. I am being foolish."

"No, you are being a man in love," Odin corrected. "Just remember to breathe and take your time and everything will be wonderful."

"I shall, Father," Loki agreed, and was grateful for the advice and the handkerchief Odin handed him to mop the sweat from his brow. He also counted it a blessing that he knew spells to make a maiden's first time painless. His friend Aldrich had also written to him, giving him a courtesan's advice on love play, which the destiel assured would make her desire him like no other.

"You will be fine. When two people love the way you do, the heavens sing and the stars weep," Odin said, and then he laughed. "Now see, you have made this old warrior into a poet again."

Loki gaped at him. "You . . . wrote poetry?"

"Long ago, when I was a boy, before I met your mother. But my father burnt all my journals when I refused to become king and threw me out of his house. He said only a milksop fool would use words instead of a sword. But he was wrong." Odin coughed. "I . . . wrote a few poems for your mother when we courted. I think . . . she has them still."

Loki marveled at that fact and thought that indeed he and Odin had much more in common than he had ever known. For Odin too had grown up in the shadow of older brothers and a father who abused him, had a hidden Jotun heritage, magic, and now he revealed he did more than just swing a sword on the field of war—he also wielded a pen and wrote poetry.

"And the least shall be best," the sorcerer muttered.

"Just so," Odin nodded, his one blue eye gleaming. "Like you I was a third son—and therefore not supposed to inherit a throne. But the Norns weave as they will, and here I am. And thus it shall be for you also. It is written in the stars."

Loki smiled. "I shall strive to be worthy."

"You already are," was all Odin replied, and then he hugged his tall son, recalling when Loki was a tiny squalling blue baby that fit in the crook his arm.

 _Where did the time go? It seems like only yesterday I found Astra upon the battlefield and promised her to raise her son like my own. And now that son is taller than I am, a man and a king to make me proud._

He blinked away tears, and snorted at himself. _Odin, you sentimental old fool! Get hold of yourself!_

"Father? Are you all right?"

Odin coughed. "Fine, fine. There was just some dust in my eye."

Loki nodded, but Odin could tell his too-perceptive son was not fooled. Loki had never missed much.

"I think everything is set for tomorrow," his son remarked.

"Yes, I believe so," Odin replied. "You need not worry about the Enchantress disrupting your wedding or the honeymoon that follows. I have placed all the palace guards, Heimdall, and the Shadowlings on high alert. Not even a flea will slip past without them knowing."

"I know, Father. I trust you to keep disaster from my second wedding as you could not my first," Loki answered.

"I promise your wedding will be glorious," Odin vowed. "Now I will leave you to your rest, son. Sleep well." He knelt and petted Trickster, who was winding around his ankles. "Good night, Little Mischief."

Then the king departed, leaving his son to get ready for bed.

Loki removed his suit, tucking it back in the box for morning. Then he walked out on his balcony, his eyes seeking the bright star that had shone upon the hour of his birth that the Norse called Lokabrenna—Loki's Torch. He found it immediately and gazed on it, murmuring, "By the name of the star above me, I vow to always be worthy of the blessing the Norns have given me in my wife."

He closed his eyes and let the starlight stream over him, until his breathing slowed and he was at peace, the butterflies in his stomach stilled at last.

~0~0~0~

The morning of the wedding was filled with servants cleaning and decorating the palace and the chapel. The kitchen was busy preparing morning meals and two special meals for the bride and groom. The guards checking their armor for dirt and smudges and some even were bathing. Guests started arriving from other realms and were escorted into sitting rooms. Gifts were checked then placed on large tables. Finally, the wedding cake was placed in the oven along with smaller cakes for the children and smaller pastries and cookies.

Last night had also see the arrival of more guests, friends of Prince Thor and Loki from Midgard.

Jewel lightly pawed at Rhiannon's nose as she sighed then opened her eyes.

"Good morning, Jewel," she said and scratched the kitten's ear. Rhiannon found she wasn't nervous, yet there was a tingle in her stomach.

"Good morning, Mistress," the handmaiden said as she and two other handmaidens walked in the room and Rhiannon sat up.

"Good morning."

"Are you ready for some pampering?" one of the handmaiden asked with a grin.

"Shouldn't I eat breakfast first?" Rhiannon asked.

"It'll be here momentarily," the handmaiden said as she lifted Jewel off the bed and set the kitten on the floor. "Now, up you go."

Rhiannon moved the covers back as she got out of bed and wondered if Loki was awake.

 _Loki's chambers..._

The doors slowly opened while Thor and Balder led Tony, Bruce, Steve and Clint in the room and they saw Loki was still sleeping. Trickster was sleeping on Loki's chest as the tiny tail twitched and Loki sighed. They silently moved to the bed as Balder nodded and the Avengers tried not to laugh.

"Loki! Wake up! You're missing the wedding!" Thor shouted as the kitten screeched and darted off the bed ad Loki's eyes snapped open.

"What?! No! It can't be that late!" Loki shouted as thoughts of him missing the wedding filled his head and he tossed the blankets off. Tony, Balder, Thor, Bruce, Steve and Clint started laughing as he looked at them and the air in the room dropped.

"Oh! You should see your face, Reindeer Games!" Tony said as he laughed and sat down hard on the bed.

"Admit it, we got you good, Brother!" Balder giggled.

"Okay and I will get you back," Loki promised.

"So, how are you feeling?" Steve asked.

"I'm excited and, yes, a little nervous."

"That's natural. I was a nervous wreck the day of my wedding," Clint said.

"Yeah,he put his shoes on backwards!" Tony laughed.

Clint shot him a Look.

"You said you'd never tell anyone that," he said and Tony gave him a smug look.

"I guess I should get up," Loki said as he got up and Trickster crawled out from under the couch. The kitten hissed at them then walked to Loki and Loki leaned down to picked the kitten up.

"Bad," Trickster grumbled and Loki scratched the kitten's ear.

"Better apologize to Trickster or you might end up with a hairball in your shoes," Loki said, looking at them.

"Sorry," they said together.

The striped kitten sniffed then began to groom himself, the tag on his collar jingling.

Loki placed the kitten on the pillow then looked at the box with his suit inside and walked to the table. He picked up the green sash as he smiled and Thor walked to him.

"Need help getting dressed?" Thor asked.

"If you don't mind," Loki said and Thor patted Loki's shoulder.

"We'll go check to see if the children are up," Balder said as he and Thor left Tony, Bruce, Clint and Steve to dress Loki and they headed down the hallway.

"Get back here!" a voice said as they watched Talia running down the hallway and Joy was behind her. Halgran stood in the doorway to the nursery as she sighed and shook her head.

"What happened?" Balder asked.

"Oh, My Princes, the little one woke up in a mood and demanded to see your brother. We told her she can see him at the wedding, but she told us she wanted him now and ran out of the room," Halgran said.

"I'll see if I can find her," Thor said and went to catch up with Joy. He found Joy and Talia near Loki's sitting room as Joy tried to get Talia to come back and get dressed, but Talia shook her head.

"Want Kwoki!" the toddler shouted and Joy sighed,

"You can see him soon," Joy said.

"No! Now!"

She wore an expression that mirrored Thor at that age, only her brother did not know it. He frowned. "Little sister, go and get dressed with Joy. Loki is busy. You can see him later. "

Talia shook her head. "Want my Kwoki!"

Talia stomped her foot when she stormed into Loki's sitting room and sat down on one of the couches. She crossed her arms over her chest as she glared at Thor and Joy then looked away.

"What is going on out here?" Loki asked as he walked out of his room and was only half-dressed.

"Kwoki!" Talia shouted as she got up and ran to him.

"Are you making all this noise, ladybug?"

"Yeah! I wanna see you, but Tor said no!" she said and Loki looked at Thor.

"Why didn't you let her see me?"

"You were getting dressed," Thor said.

"You could have let her come in and say good morning," he said as he knelt down and Talia hugged him.

"Morning!" Talia said and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

"Morning," he said and ruffled her hair. "Now, why don't you go get dressed?"

"Wanna help you dwess!"

"I have someone helping me."

"Oh," she said with a pout then looked at Joy. "I go get dwessed."

"Good girl," he said, giving her another hug and she walked to Joy. They walked away as Thor watched Loki stand up and walk back into the bedroom.

"You're spoiling her, Brother," Thor said.

"No, I just know how to pick my battles. You will learn that once you have children," Loki said then closed the door and Thor sighed, shaking his head.

Tony poked his head out the door. "C'mon, Reindeer Games, we gotta get you to the church on time."

"Right," Loki said as he walked to them and Clint gave him an amused look. Thor opened the door while walking toward Loki and saw breakfast had been delivered.

"Finally," he said and walked to the table.

The men settled around the table as they started eating, but Loki felt too excited to eat.

"Better chow down," Clint said as he sipped on some coffee. "You don't want to pass out during the vows."

"Like you almost did," Steve said, pointing his fork at Clint and they laughed. Loki looked at the food then he started eating, but his mind wandered to Rhiannon.

 _Good morning,_ he sent while sipping on some coffee and placed the mug down.

 _Good morning,_ Rhiannon sent.

 _What are you doing?_ He sent.

 _I am eating breakfast. Though, honestly, I am not very hungry_.

 _Neither am I. I guess we should or one of us might faint during the vows._

 _Did you like my present?_

 _I love it and you._

He pictured her blushing as he smiled and nibbled on some bacon.

 _I love you, too._

"Brother, are you alright?" Thor asked as Loki blinked and looked at him.

"I'm just talking with Rhiannon," Loki said.

"Isn't that bad luck? Like seeing her before the wedding?" Tony asked.

"No, it's fine."

Tony nodded as they went back to eating and Loki made a small sigh.

 _Have you started dressing yet?_ he sent.

 _No, but Natasha and Sif helped me with my hair and your mother helped me with my makeup,_ Rhiannon sent.

I can't wait to see you.

I can't wait to see **you.**

 _Enough talking. Go get dressed,_ Frigga interrupted and Loki smiled.

 _Yes, Mother,_ he sent then went back to eating his breakfast.

A short time later, Rhiannon stood in front of the full length mirror as she looked at her reflection and she couldn't believe the person in the mirror was her. The gown was perfect. It hug her curves and the train was spread out around her.

"Wow!" Aleta said as she and her sisters sat on the couches and they were wearing the dresses Frigga has made them.

"Rheww pwetty!" Talia said.

"Thank you," Rhiannon said as she smiled and Frigga walked closer.

"There is just one last thing we have to do," Frigga said as she helped Rhiannon with her mother's jewelry and Rhiannon smiled. Frigga helped her sit when Sam walked over with a box and Frigga opened the box. She lifted Astra's crown out of the box while Rhiannon's eyes widened and her mouth fell open.

"The Crown of Frost and Fire belongs to you now," Frigga said, placing it upon Rhiannon's head.

"But I am not a queen yet," Rhiannon murmured.

"You lack only a ceremony," Frigga replied. "Once you marry Loki you become Jotunheim's uncrowned queen, and this is Astra's gift to you. From one queen to another."

Rhiannon stared at the reflection in the mirror, and smiled. "It . . . makes me look taller," she observed.

Frigga laughed. "That is what Astra said also."

"You look awesome!" Sam approved, taking pictures on her phone. "Wait till Dad sees you! He's gonna pass out."

Her sisters grinned at each other.

Then Talia said, "I frow the fwowers now?" She picked up her little woven basket of rose petals.

"No, dear," Frigga said quickly. "You only throw them when you walk down the aisle of the temple to Loki."

Talia's job in the procession was to strew flowers for the bride to walk over. Aleta's was to carry the sacred oil vial to her grandfather. Max would bring the rings, though this time they had tied them onto the pillow.

The other girls would carry Rhiannon's train, while Thor and Balder escorted Rhiannon to Loki at the altar.

Frigga sent one of her handmaids to see if the coach that would convey the bride and groom to the temple was ready.

"My Queen, the coach is ready," the handmaid said excitedly.

"Then let us process to it," Frigga smiled. She walked beside Rhiannon while the girls helped carry her train.

All of the palace guards and the servants lined the hallways to watch the bride walk by, smiling and waving. Rhiannon smiled back, managing to walk steadily to the courtyard entrance, where Loki awaited beside the golden coach pulled by Sleipner.

She appeared before him, a vision of such beauty that it was as if a goddess of old approached him to grant him her favor. His breath caught in his throat and for an instant he forgot how to breathe. Then his body recalled that it needed to do so and he exhaled softly, grinning with such delight that it seemed everyone nearby was smitten with his joy.

"Rhee!" he whispered her name like the answer to a prayer.

She drank in the sight of him, in all his glorious splendor, like a woman who had nearly died of thirst and only he could quench her parched throat. She noted that his suit fit him perfectly, enhancing his long legs and trim waist and flattering his shoulders, which, though not as broad as his brothers, were nevertheless well-muscled and defined, as a sleek cat stretching in the sun.

She answered his grin with her own, though in truth she did not think she had stopped smiling since Frigga had placed Astra's crown upon her head. She felt her heart skip a beat, and she glowed like ice set afire, the sun turning her hair into rivers of molten gold entwined with roses, lilacs, and jonquils. Crystals also sparkled in the strands along with gold ribbons.

Her feet danced over the stones and she said a single word.

"Loki."

She spoke his name like a benediction, and her cobalt eyes glittered with love.

Steve nudged Tony. "You better be filming this, Stark!"

Tony held up his phone. "Relax, Stars and Stripes. I've got this."

Rhiannon reached the coach and Loki held out a hand to assist her into the carriage. It was but a ten minute drive through the city to the temple. As she placed her hand in his, she felt a thrill of warmth and sparks crackled between them. "You look marvelous."

"And you look incredible," he replied, and his lips brushed the back of her hand like the flutter of butterfly wings.

She drew in a breath, the mere touch of his lips on her skin igniting a fire that warmed her from the inside out.

Loki helped her inside the carriage, sweeping her train to the side so she could sit down. He smiled at his daughters, then ducked inside the coach and shut the door. "Sleph, we're ready!" he called, knowing his son would hear him.

Sleph pranced and then started off, pulling the coach easily through the streets, where throngs of people lined the boulevards and avenues, waving, throwing flowers, and cheering.

"Bless Princess Rhiannon and Loki!"

"Congratulations!"

Sleph kept a steady pace, but was careful not to trot too quickly, lest he step upon a pedestrian.

Behind them processed the other royal coaches, drawn by four horses, that would convey the king, queen, and the rest of their family to the temple.

Inside the coach, Rhiannon commanded her heart to quit fluttering, as she gazed upon her beloved, who looked every inch the king he was born to be. His midnight hair tumbled down his shoulders, braided on each side with green and gold leather ties. She longed to run her hands through his hair, which she knew was softer than silk and begged to be played with.

 _Later,_ she told herself sternly.

Loki gazed upon the lady who was his soulmate and heart's desire and longed to kiss her, but refrained from doing so, not wanting to mess her hair or make up. He could be patient for they had plenty of time.

Petals of all colors drifted from the windows above as people cheered and banners with Loki's house colors draped over the balconies of some of the taller buildings.

"Pwetty!" Talia said as she tried to catch some of the petals and she placed them in the basket.

The carriages headed down the long path to the temple as Sleph snorted then slowly came to a stop. The other carriages stopped behind him when he shifted into his normal form and Rhiannon saw Sleph was wearing a white suit jacket, white shirt, white belt, white pants, white boots and Loki handed him a green sash with gold trim. He also slid a gold chain around Sleph's neck and the amulet at the end was etched in runes. The runes stated Sleph was his eldest son, something Boda never admitted to and went as far as stating Sleph wasn't even Loki's son, and Sleph smiled.

Loki opened the door as he disembarked from the carriage then turned and moved the train out of the way then helped Rhiannon out of the carriage.

Sam and the other girls went to straighten the train as Rhiannon nodded and the rest of the royal family joined them.

"By the Nine, she looks amazing," Sif said in a hushed voice and Thor slid his arm around her waist.

"As will you," he whispered and Sif felt a blush move across her cheeks.

Maypoles wrapped in green, white and gold ribbons lined the walkway as they headed for the temple and Loki held onto Rhiannon's hand. Talia had run to them when he looked down then held out his hand and she placed her tiny hand in his.

"Toss fwowers now?" she whispered.

"Not yet," he whispered and gently squeezed her hand.

The royal family and the Avengers entered the temple when Vanmarrion, who was sitting at the back, turned and his eyes widened. He saw the priestess giving Max, Aleta and Talia some last minute instructions as he turned and frowned.

"No, it can't be," he said, glancing back and Talia stood still as the priestess placed the crown of small flowers on her head. Shaking his head, Vanmarrion blinked and made a mental note to speak with Odin or Loki about her.

Loki flashed that devastating smile at his bride again before striding down the gold carpeted aisle to the altar, decorated in green and lavender ribbons with gold and white roses and purple orchids.

He mounted the three marble stairs to the altar then turned to face the guests. Behind him exquisite stained-glass windows caught the morning sun and haloed him with light.

"Whoa," Pepper whispered and Tony nodded as he filmed Loki standing there. Clint gave him a thumb's up as his wife gently nudged him then smile,d rolling her eyes. Their children were looking around the temple as the baby slept in her arms and Clint slid his arm around her.

Loki looked out at all the guests assembled to witness the ceremony and smiled. There were dignitaries from all the realms allied with Asgard. He saw his twin cousins Mitzi and Starkaad, the Ambassadors from Jotunheim. They towered a good foot above the other guests, even though they had shifted their size smaller than usual. Their blue skin etched with clan markings sparkled slightly like frost kissed by the sun.

Stefan sat with some of the healers as his best friend gave him a nod and Loki smiled.

Tavi sat with Eirunn next to the elegant Ambassador Elrith of Alfheim. He winked and grinned.

Loki was worried Eirunn would fuss about not being in the wedding party, but she just smiled at him and held up a Loki doll and Rhiannon doll. Tavi had bought her the dolls and she lightly tapped the dolls' faces together in a kiss.

Further back, he saw Mr. Gold, dressed in fine leather pants and a crimson tunic, seated next to a younger man in a blue tunic who resembled him save that his hair was darker. Beside him was a lovely dark haired girl in a cobalt gown. Next to her was a younger man in the silver robes of an Academy student. Loki knew they were the enchanter's children and he gave them all a smile.

Queen Shanori felt well enough to attend the wedding as she and some of the Shadowlings sat up in the balcony and she gave Loki a small nod.

To his surprise, Loki saw Jewel, Trickster and the other cats and kittens sitting on the windowsills and he noticed the female cats and kittens were wearing little flower crowns and the male cats and kittens were wearing green or gold ribbons as ties.

 _That had to be Aleta's idea,_ he thought with a small shake of his head.

"Are you ready, Brother?" Thor asked as he and Balder came to stand next to him and Loki swallowed a small lump in his throat.

"Yes," Loki said then Thor nodded and the music started playing.

The choir began to play the opening notes of the wedding march and everyone rose, their gazes turned to the gold filigreed doors.

The gold filigreed doors slowly opened as the priestess nodded and Max and Aleta headed down the aisle. They looked straight ahead as Loki smiled at them and nodded his head. Sam and the girls walked down the aisle as he noticed how lovely they looked and he gave them each a nod.

"Don't forget to breathe," Balder reminded him.

His sons and Malek entered and lined up along the aisle, holding long poles with ribbons that formed a canopy.

It was Talia's turn to walked down the aisle, but she was scared and the wicker basket shook in her hands.

"It's alright. Go on," the priestess said, but Talia shook her head.

"No!" echoed through the temple as Loki smiled and headed down the stairs. He didn't look at Rhiannon as he stood in front of Talia and she looked up at him. "I'm 'fwaid, Kwoki."

"It's ok, ladybug," he said as he lifted her up then turned around. He headed back down the aisle with his little sister in his arms and she gently scattered the petals. He knew Rhiannon was behind him as the wedding march started, but he didn't turn around. He heard the guests oooing and ahhhing as he slowly turned around and his heart skipped a few beats.

The light from behind her cast a soft glow as Rhiannon walked toward him and Loki hoped he didn't trip. He stopped then placed Talia down and Talia walked the rest of the way, tossing petals into the air. Loki wasn't sure if he was breathing as he held out his hand and Rhiannon smiled. She took his hand as he nodded and they approached the stairs. They stopped as Thor and Balder grinned and Thor mouthed "Breathe!".

 _You will not pass out!_ Loki told himself sternly. He knew full well his brothers, Tony and Clint had placed bets on whether or not one of them fainted.

He led Rhiannon up the stairs then stopped in front of the priestess and she made a small bow to each of them.

"On this day we are gathered here to unite this man and this woman in holy matrimony, as the Norns have willed."

The priestess gestured and the guests sat down, along with the wedding party. Talia sat on Frigga's lap.

"Well done," Frigga whispered and Talia smiled. Odin nodded in agreement and he placed the wicker basket on the floor near their feet.

The priestess lifted her hands and green and blue sparks drifted down upon the couple. "May you all bear witness to the vows spoken here today." She turned to Loki. "Prince Loki, you may begin."

Loki turned to face Rhiannon as the love in her eyes caused his throat to tighten a bit and he made a small cough. She reached up to cup his cheek in her hand and her thumb brushed away a small tear from the corner of his eye.

Then he spoke, the words flowing off his tongue despite the butterflies in his stomach. The acoustics in the temple were such that everyone could hear him without difficulty.

"I, Prince Loki Laufeyson Odinson, do take thee, Lady Rhiannon Snowfall Lyr, for my lawfully wedded wife. To have and to hold, in darkness and light, through good times and bad, I give thee my everlasting love and fidelity. I shall be thy sword and shield, thy boon companion, thy shoulder to cry on, and thy laughter when thou wakest in the morning. Thou art my last thought before I sleep and my first when I wake. Thou art the light that guides me home. My heart is given into thou keeping forevermore. The Norns bear witness, I pledge thee my troth."

Rhiannon tried hard not to cry as she lowered her hand then looked into his emerald eyes, which glowed with love for her and only her. _If this is a dream, I pray I never wake, for here before me is all I ever wanted, and there are no words to express how much I love him._

 _It's your turn,_ he sent and she softly laughed.

Moistening her lips, she answered, holding fast to his hand and blinking rapidly to clear her vision. "I, Lady Rhiannon Snowfall Lyr, do take thee, Prince Loki Laufeyson Odinson, to be my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold, in darkness and light, through good times and bad, I give thee my everlasting love and fidelity. I shall be thy sword and shield, thy star in the dark, thy shoulder to cry on, and thy laughter when thou wakest in the morning. Thou art my last thought before I sleep and my first as I wake. My heart belongs to thee. The Norns bear witness, I pledge thee my troth."

Loki smiled as he wiped her tears away and the priestess smiled at them.

Steve noticed Tony occasionally wiped his eyes as he nudged him and Tony glanced at him.

"What? I have dust in my eyes," Tony whispered and Steve rolled his eyes.

"Here," Pepper said, handing Tony some tissues and he sighed, wiping his eyes with one.

Halgran dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief Joy handed her as Frigga did the same with the one Odin gave her.

"Why Mama cwying?" Talia whispered.

"She's happy," Odin said. Talia noticed he was crying when she reached for the handkerchief and Frigga handed it to her. Talia knelt on Odin's lap when she reached up and wiped the tears from his eye. "Thank you, Darling."

The priestess took the vial of sacred oil and drew runes for Family, Love, Fidelity, and Inheritance upon Loki and Rhiannon's arms. The runes glowed and caused their arms to glisten. "May the Norns bless this marriage and what may come of it. Prince Maximus, bring forth the rings!"

Max walked up the stairs while holding the silk pillow in his hands and he smiled up at Loki and Rhiannon.

"We made sure not to glue them to the pillow again," Max whispered and Loki nodded, barely restraining himself from bursting out laughing.

Loki took the smaller gold knotwork band and placed the ring on his wife's finger. "With this ring, I thee wed."

Rhiannon took the larger gold knotwork band and placed the ring on her husband's finger. "With this ring, I thee wed."

The priestess then brought forth a gold plate with some currant spice cake on it and a golden chalice. "In the Norns names, I bid thee drink from the sacred chalice and eat of the holy bread, as two become one."

Loki lifted the chalice as he took a sip of the sweet wine then handed Rhiannon the chalice and she took a sip. He then fed her the currant spice cake as she smiled and she, in turn, fed him.

"Cake!" Talia cried.

"Shh!" Odin whispered. "You can have cake later."

Soft laughter filled the temple when Frigga handed Talia the cookie she had brought with her and Talia leaned against Odin as she nibbled on the cookie.

Vanmarrion scowled and muttered, "Ill mannered brat!" and the lady next to him glared at the Vanir king.

"No fair," Aleta whispered as Sam handed her a cookie and Aleta smiled. Tavi handed a cookie to Eirunn as she smiled and leaned against her daddy.

"With the gifting of rings and breaking of bread, I now declare thee husband and wife, in the sight of all here. You may seal thy vows with a kiss, my children!" the priestess said.

"With pleasure," Loki whispered when he moved closer, gently cupped Rhiannon's face in his hands and kissed her. The cheering and howls echoed around them as he deepened the kiss and sparks of green, gold and white light exploded around them.

Those watching gasped in awe.

"Dang, neither of them fainted," Tony grumbled and Pepper lightly slapped his arm.

"You owe me twenty bucks," Clint muttered.

Tony reached into his suit jacket pocket as he paid Clint and Clint slid the money into his pants pocket.

As Loki and Rhiannon moved back, a golden light shimmered around them and Loki noticed no one was moving.

"Greetings," Laufey said as he and three others appeared and Rhiannon saw one of them was her mother.

"Mother?!"

"Hello, Daughter."

Rhiannon reached for Larimar and the Star Watcher embraced her daughter.

"I miss you so much," Rhiannon whispered. Tears sparkled on their lashes.

"And I you."

They moved back as Larimar stroked her daughter's cheek then looked at Loki.

"Greetings, My Son," she said and he nodded.

"Greetings, Mother," Loki replied.

Laufey came and embraced Loki then Rhiannon and Loki saw the pride and love in Laufey's eyes. Astra approached and hugged her son and Loki lightly kissed her cheek. Astra then hugged Rhiannon as tears rolled down their cheeks and Astra patted her back.

"Who is he?" Rhiannon asked as she looked at the male Star Watcher and he smiled.

"Greetings. I am Mimir, the First Archmage of Asgard," the tall man with the long white hair in a braid down his back replied. He had a quirky grin and one eye was blue while the other was green.

"Greetings, Master Mimir," Loki said with a bow.

"There is no need to bow, Dear Boy. In fact, it is I who should bow to you," the old Archmage said.

"Why are all of you here?" Loki asked. "Not that I'm complaining."

"We wish to give you our blessing on your marriage, for one thing," Astra began. "And for another to tell you that seven days hence you should be crowned in the Hall of Frost in Jotunheim."

Loki's eyes widened as he gasped and Rhiannon felt a little dizzy.

"We are to become king and queen of Jotunheim?!" Rhiannon asked.

"It is time," Laufey said with a nod.

"Will we have to dwell there?" Loki asked.

"No. You may come and go as you wish. Your Council of Nine may dispense justice as you see fit," Laufey answered.

"And, as much as they would love to stay, we know your children have responsibilities on Midgard," Astra said.

 _As do I,_ Loki thought.

"If we do this, then our children will be heirs to the Frost Throne," Rhiannon said.

"Yes," Laufey said.

"Will the Frost Giants accept two half-breeds as their king and queen?"

"They will," answered Laufey. "For it was foretold that a king born of two races shall take a queen of the same for his bride and unite two warring realms in peace. That is you and Loki."

Loki slid his arm around her as Rhiannon nodded when Amora flittered through his mind and Loki frowned.

"What is the matter, My Son?" Astra asked.

"There is someone who might try to stop us," Loki said then explained about Amora.

Mimir looked disgusted. "That hussy gives all of us who practice the Art a bad name."

"And what she did to the Shadowlings was inexcusable," Larimar said with a shake of her head.

"I am just glad you were able to help their queen," Astra said.

"But I do not think she will try anything so soon. She would have to be a fool to do anything now that you are married," Mimir said.

"She will wait until she believes the odds are in her favor,"Astra remarked, her green eyes glittering silver. "When next she seeks your doom, my son, do remember this-holy fire shall put out the infernal cold of the Fimbul Winter."

"I'll remember," Loki assured her, knowing that Astra spoke prophecy.

Rhiannon frowned. "What does that mean?"

"You will know when it is time," Astra said cryptically.

Loki looked thoughtful. He knew Astra never Saw without it being important, and he figured it had to do with the battle he would eventually fight with Amora. But the Norns only allowed certain warnings to be given, and it was up to the one given it to heed it—or not. Loki had no intention of not listening.

"Is there anything else you would like to advise us on?" Loki asked the Star Watchers.

"Trust each other and in the love your heart feels," Astra replied, smiling. "And remember that someday a Queen of your blood shall rule Jotunheim."

Rhiannon looked startled. "A daughter? Not a son?"

"In Jotunheim, it matters not whether you are male or female, but whether you are born first," Laufey explained. "Therefore, a firstborn daughter can inherit as well as a son."

"I never knew this! I always assumed . . ." Rhiannon trailed off before she could finish her sentence which was to state that she had always assumed that inheritance favored the male, as her father had beaten into her after her mother had died. _He was wrong. About that and about so much else._

She smiled at her mother. "Will I see you again?"

"As the Norns permit," Larimar replied. "I am the youngest of the Star Watchers of the Four, thus I am limited in my interaction with you for now, daughter. But know that even if you cannot see or hear me, I am always watching over you."

"Just as I watch over him," Astra said, nodding her head toward Loki.

"Have you always done so?" Rhiannon asked curiously.

"Yes."

"That is part of a Star Watcher's duty," Mimir said. "We are the eyes and ears and sometimes the hands of the Norns. And we, the Four, are your Advisors, lass. As the Fates have decreed." He inclined his head to Rhiannon.

"How do I contact you?" she asked.

"You simply wish for one of us to speak to you, or close your eyes and dream," Larimar answered. "Though most times we will come to you when you need us."

Rhiannon nodded as Loki smiled at her and her thoughts drifted to their yet to be born daughter.

 _Will she have his hair and eyes or mine? Will she look like me or him? Will I be a good mother? Will I...,_ she thought then felt her mother touching her hand.

"Daughter, do not worry about the future. Live in the present. Enjoy the day," she sent to Rhiannon and Rhiannon softly laughed.

"I will," she sent and Larimar squeezed her hand.

"We must go now," Laufey said as the golden light started dimming and both Rhiannon and Loki felt a tightness in their chests.

"Be of good cheer, for you are that rare thing-a love to last forever, that not even death shall part," Mimir said, and waved his hand and a summer breeze drifted through the temple, redolent with sweet woodruff, rose petals, apples, and sunshine. "Our blessings go with you always."

Loki made a small bow as Mimir vanished and he looked at his parents.

Laufey embraced his son and said in Jotun, "You bring honor to your House, Loki, my son. May you and your bride know happiness unending."

"Thank you, Father," Loki murmured, and Laufey stepped back and faded into starshine.

"You wear my crown well, Daughter," Astra grinned. "As I knew you would. You shall make a fine Queen. And a better wife and mother." She kissed Rhiannon on the forehead. "Farewell for now." Then she flickered into stardust.

"You have always made me proud, darling. I simply was never able to tell you until now," Larimar said. "Never forget that I love you, and that you are loved. May hope and light be your companions for all of time." Larimar hugged her daughter and kissed her cheek, the same cheek that had once been scarred but that love had healed.

"I love you too," Rhiannon whispered, then she made herself let Larimar go. Her mother faded into starshine, and as the Star Watchers vanished, time resumed its normal course.

Loki blinked and saw Thor and Balder exchanging coins with each other, and wondered what each had wagered. He took Rhiannon's arm and escorted her off the dais and up the aisle, amid cheering, clapping and thrown rose petals.

Once they had reached the temple porch outside, a smiling Artos greeted them and handed Loki and Rhiannon purses of gold coins, which they tossed into the crowd. Such coins, called wedding gilder, were considered lucky and blessed. Loki replicated enough so all those gathered in front of the temple received one, handing some to the elderly and children that approached.

"The Norns bless ye and keep ye, My Prince and Princess!"

"I wish ye happy!"

"Ye are kind and gracious!" lisped a child who took a gilder from Rhiannon.

When all the coins had been distributed, the newlyweds returned to the coach, and Sleph blurred back into his horse form to take them back to the palace.

There was about four hours till the wedding feast and dancing, which was the time needed for the children to perform the play they would give Loki and Rhiannon as their wedding gift.

Tavi had met the children in the garden, where the play would be performed, as they got the stage ready and went over their lines one final time.

"Dad is going to love this," Sam said as she looked at the stage.

"It's certainly better than that drivel Mother had written," Fenris said.

"It was really bad," Serena said with a nod.

"Yep, it was," Hunter said and checked to see if there were enough seating for all the guests.

"Uh, guys, look," Nate said and they saw guests arriving. Word had spread through the palace about the play as Tavi and the children looked at each other and Tavi smiled.

"It's showtime," Tavi said and they went to get into costume.

Max and Aleta were in charge of getting Loki and Rhiannon to the garden and they found the newlyweds in Loki's sitting room.

"Hi, Daddy," Aleta said as she walked over and sat on his lap.

"Hello, spark. Did you and Max take a nap? It's going to be a long night," Loki said.

"We're not sleepy," Max said.

"Yeah, and we don't want to miss the surprise," Aleta said.

"What surprise?" Rhiannon asked.

"The one out in the garden," Aleta said, getting off of Loki's lap and took his hand. "Come on. We're going to be late."

Loki gave Rhiannon a puzzled look as Rhiannon shrugged and they stood up. Max took his new mama's hand as they headed out of the palace and headed for the garden.

"Perhaps Mother has planned some kind of refreshments and tea," Loki mused as he followed his daughter.

They entered the garden and saw the guests and the royal family seated around a large stage. Max and Aleta led Loki and Rhiannon to the front row.

"You sit right here, Daddy," Aleta said then looked at Rhiannon. "You sit next to him, Mommy."

 _Mommy?_ Rhiannon thought and her heart swelled with love for her new daughter.

"We'll be right back," Max said after Loki and Rhiannon sat down and both he and Aleta ran up the stairs and vanished behind the curtain.

"Brother, do you have any idea what's going on?" Thor asked and Loki turned to look at him.

"No, I have no clue," Loki said when music started playing and he turned to look at the stage.

The curtain opened slightly as Tavi walked on stage and was wearing a green tunic, gold pants and black leather boots. He had a green and gold bard's hat on his head and he held his lute in his hands.

"Daddy!" Eirunn shouted and clapped as he made a little bow to his daughter then looked at Loki.

 _What are you up to, Friend?_ Loki sent and Tavi smiled.

 _I am not the author of this surprise, Friend,_ Tavi sent.

 _Then who is?_

 _This is your children's gift to you and your bride, he sent and gave a little wink._

"Loki?" Rhiannon whispered and he looked at her.

"It appears the kids are going to put on a show for us," he whispered and Tavi started playing his lute.

"My King and Queen, lords, ladies, and especially the newlywedded Prince and Princess, I would like to present to you The Mischief Saga, a play in three acts, for your viewing pleasure! This play is written and performed by the talented Laufeyson children, as a gift for their parents. We hope you enjoy it!"

The curtains opened as the lights came up and Loki recognized the location. It looked like the Jotun battlefield where Odin found Astra and Sam and Fenris were on the stage.

Both were wearing battle armor as the sound of battle came from off stage and Fenris had some make up covering his right eye to make it look like he had lost it.

"Please, My Friend, promise me you will look after my son," Sam said while Fenris held her in his arms and he looked down at her.

"I promise," Fenris said while Sam closed her eyes. He gently rested Sam down on the stage when he stood and walked off stage. He returned with what appeared to be a baby wrapped in a blue blanket then he looked down at the baby.

"I promise to always love and care for you, Loki, as my own son." He bent his head and kissed the baby, who made a realistic cooing sound. "Now let us go to your new home and meet your new mother and brothers." He lifted his hand to the sky and called, "Heimdall, open the Bifrost!"

There was a flash of pyrotechnic rainbow light and when the flash cleared Fenris stood with baby Loki in his chamber at Asgard and Sam, as Frigga, lay in the bed.

"Odin, you've returned," she said and he walked to the bed.

"Yes, and I have brought Astra's son," he said and handed her the baby. "His name is Loki."

"Why have you brought him here?" she asked and he explained what happened to Astra. He gently hugged her as Sam looked at the baby and she sadly smiled.

"We shall honor the promise you made, and raise him as our own," she replied, then she cradled the baby to her and called, "Balder! Thor! Come and meet your new little brother!"

Some laughter came from the audience as Vince and Aleta, who was dressed to look like Thor, ran on stage and headed for the bed.

Vince and Aleta crawled onto the bed to sit near Sam as they looked at the baby then looked at Fenris.

"What's his name?" Vince asked.

"His name is Loki," Fenris said.

"Hello, Loki. I'm Thor," Aleta said then looked at Sam. "Where did he come from, Mama?"

"I carried him next to my heart in here," Sam rubbed her tummy. "You see, when a mama and daddy love each other, the love causes a baby to grow inside of the mama."

"Oh," Aleta said as she elongated the "o" and Loki saw the blush moving over Rhiannon's cheeks.

"Now, it is your job to look after Loki and make sure he keeps out of trouble," Fenris said with a stern look.

"We promise!" Aleta and Vince said together then the scene changed. Sitting on a rock was Nate, who was dressed as Thor, and he was holding onto a plastic snake.

"Wow! You are one cool snake," Nate said when he placed the snake down as a blue puff of smoke appeared and Max, dressed as Loki, popped up from behind the rock.

"Blergh! It's me!" Max said as he carefully jumped on top of Nate and they tumbled to the floor. He tickled Nate as the audience laughed then the curtains closed so they could help Nate off the stage.

 _It's better then stabbing him,_ Thor sent and both he and Loki laughed.

Tavi narrated a few more scenes from Loki's childhood, showing an older young Loki, played by Vince, learning magic with Frigga, played by Sam.

"Mother, may I ask you something?" Vince asked.

"What is it, My Son?" Sam asked.

"Why am I so different from Thor and Balder? They're stronger than I am and Father seems to love Thor more than he loves me."

Loki glanced at Odin as Odin sighed and Loki waited for the answer.

"Loki," Sam started as she gently touched Vince's cheek. "Being different isn't a bad thing. There are things you can do which your brothers cannot just as there are things they can do which you cannot. Thor, for instance, is blessed with the power to control storms themselves. He controls lightning and thunder and can make storms. Balder, though having no magic of his own, was blessed to be able to be friends with anyone or anything. Yet, he has a weakness."

"He cannot ingest or be around mistletoe," Vince said with a nod.

"You can't?" Natasha asked and Balder shook his head. "Guess we'll have to skip kissing under it at Christmas then."

He gave her a small grin as she took his hand and wrapped their fingers together.

"And you," Sam continued. "You, like me, can do magic and you can shape shift. I am sure they would love to be able to do that."

"So, it doesn't matter that I'm different?" Vince asked.

"No, it doesn't matter."

"And Father?"

"Your father does love you. He loves all his children and, if he does tend to favor Thor over you or Balder, it is because Thor is to become king someday."

"But Thor is always making fun of me and teasing me. I feel like I'm living in his shadow."

"Only if you allow yourself," she said and lightly tapped the tip of Vince's nose with her finger.

"Brother, where are you!? Come, let's go riding!" Hunter said off stage and Vince looked at Sam.

"Go on," she said as he ran off stage and the curtain closed. Tavi walked back on stage as he smiled and made a small bow.

"So ends the first act. There will be a small intermission while our actors prepare for the second act," he said as the music started playing and he walked off stage. Servants brought out some food and drink as the guests talked about the play so far and Loki leaned back against the chair.

"Aren't you liking the play?" Rhiannon asked.

"I love it," he said when he saw Sam and Belle peeking out from behind the curtain and he smiled, giving them a double thumbs up.

Talia stirred on Frigga's lap. "Mama, see my Kwoki. "

"Go on," Frigga said and Talia got off her mama's lap. She ran to Loki as he chatted with Vanmarrion when she stopped and Loki saw the fear in her eyes.

"Come here, ladybug," Loki said, but she shook her head. He glanced at Vanmarrion when Loki walked to Talia and lifted her up.

"He bad, Kwoki," she whispered and placed her cheek against his shoulder.

"He's not going to hurt you," he whispered as Joy walked by and he called to her. "Will you please take the Princess to get some punch?"

"Of course," Joy said as she took Talia from Loki and walked away. Loki looked at Vanmarrion when he walked closer and Vanmarrion gave him a smug look.

"I see you're still taking in strays," Vanmarrion sneered.

"Watch your words. She is my sister," Loki warned, his eyes glinting.

"What she is is trash. A mistake."

"What she is is your _granddaughter_."

"I never recognized her as such."

"So you send a guard to take her out in the middle of the night in a cage and order him to dump her in an alley to starve?!"

"He was supposed to kill her."

Rhiannon noticed the air was becoming ice cold as she looked at Loki and saw the anger in his face.

"She lived like an animal and was digging for scraps of food in people's trash."

"Only fitting. Like I said. She is nothing more then trash. Something which should have been aborted years ago."

The ice cold wind blew through the garden as Thor, Tony, Bruce, Clint and Steve looked at each other and small snowflakes fell from the ground.

"Uh, I think someone's ticked off Loki," Bruce said as he looked at Loki and Vanmarrion.

"That's not good," Tony said and Thor walked toward his brother.

Loki felt his anger building as the snow fell and he balled his hands into fists. He started to raise his fist to punch Vanmarrion in the face when Rhiannon placed her hand on Loki's wrist and he looked at her.

"Beloved, I believe your father wishes to talk to you," she whispered and he looked at Odin. Odin did look concerned as Loki nodded and she led him toward his father.

"What ails you, My Son?" he asked and looked at Vanmarrion.

Loki explained while he calmed down and the snow stopped then quickly vanished.

"How dare he say such things?!" Odin growled, but Loki placed his hand on his father's shoulder and shook his head.

"Now is not the time," Loki said and Odin nodded. The music started again as they went to sit down and Vanmarrion gave Loki a smug look.

The play continued, with everyone shocked at what occurred with Boda and Thanos.

Tony, Bruce, Clint, Steve and Natasha were impressed with the kids pretending to be him and Tony softly laughed at the part where Fenris, acting as Loki, poked Jorgy, who was supposed to be him, in the chest with the staff. They had used an illusion to show Loki being pounded into the floor by the Hulk and Bruce had covered his eyes with his hands.

"Bad monster! Hurt my Kwoki!" Talia has shouted and Bruce sank lower in the chair.

"She doesn't know it was you," Steve whispered.

"Think she'll forgive me if I buy her a pony?" Bruce whispered and Steve smiled.

Suddenly there came a yelp from Vanmarrion. Heads turned and they saw the Vanir king scowling and rubbing his head. A broken cherry tree branch lay by his feet, the tree above his head now missing a branch from the suddeb wind that rushed through the garden.

Loki nudged Rhiannon and hid a smirk. "I believe my little sister has had her revenge."

Rhiannon chuckled. "You think she did that?"

"She has wind and air magic. Any sort of weather magic rouses when your emotions run high. She is afraid of Vanmarrion and doesn't like him."

"One can hardly blame her," Rhiannon declared. "That man, king though he may be, is a wicked old bat! Too bad the whole tree did not fall upon him for being such a cruel niding!"

"Indeed," Loki nodded. "He had better stay far from Talia and me or I shall be hard pressed to hold my temper."

"As shall I." His wife agreed.

Loki put his arm about her. "Let us ignore the petty despot, love. And enjoy our gift."

"That is a wonderful idea," she grinned at him, sipping her punch as they watched the remainder of the play.

Loki and Rhiannon were amazed at the versatility of their children and also touched by how they played both Loki and Rhiannon, with style and flair and humor but most of all with sweet displays of love.

Rhiannon had tears in her eyes as she watched the final scenes, where they had the wedding, and she clutched Loki's hand and whispered, "Oh, beloved, it's so beautiful!"

Then Tavi began to play his wedding song that he had written, his brilliant voice soaring above the tune he strummed upon My Lady.

"One night when the moon was a'gleaming, and all was dark and still,

I gazed at the sky, saw a star brightly burning,

it was you, showing me the way home . . ."

He sang on, coming to the refrain:

"All the stars in the sky cannot compare

To the night I saw you standing there

Waiting for me to share

Your heart and make me your own.

Your love like a beacon

Showing me the way home."

Tavi played the melody and then sang the final stanza.

"You are my heart, my star in the night,

Pointing the way with your heavenly light.

To stand beside me, proud and true,

Loving me for who I am, that is the magic of you.

For you are mine and I am yours,

And when my heart beats it beats for you,

The light that guides me home."

When the song ended, Sam lightly kissed Fenris and the curtain came down.

Tavi bowed to his audience and said, "And so ends this play, and the song you just heard is my gift to my best friends."

Everyone stood and applauded and Loki sent, _You outdid yourself, Tavi. That song was incredible._

 _No, your kids are incredible,_ Tavi sent back, then the curtain opened, and all thirteen of Loki's children plus Malek came out and took a bow amid thunderous applause from all the guests, even the pinch-faced King Vanmarrion.

People threw roses and candy up on the stage, and the children all linked arms and bowed again.

"Loki, we have such amazing children!" Rhiannon beamed.

"We do indeed," he agreed, laughing. "The most amazing children in all the Nine." He beamed with pride and love.

Then he took his wife in his arms and kissed her, his hands gently caressing her face, joy sparkling through him like the finest of frost wines.

"Aww, Norns!" Vince groaned. "Do we _have_ to see the kissing part?"

 **A/N: Hope you all like that part of the wedding! More to come next chapter!**


	67. Dancing the Night Away

**67**

 **Dancing the Night Away**

 _A creature of frost and fire, she danced upon the air~ Loki_

"Did you like it, Dad?" Belle asked, her eyes shining as she came up and hugged him after the encore. She was wearing her Lorekeeper regalia, and Loki cupped her chin in his hand and thought at how his little girl was growing up into a fine young woman in the blink of an eye.

"It was marvelous, little raven. Better than any play we ever saw on Broadway," he told her sincerely. "Did you write the script?"

She nodded, suffused with pride. "Yes, with some help from Abby and Tavi here and there."

"Belle was the real author, Father. All I did was proofread and give some minor suggestions," Abby said.

"You were also amazing, Abby. How did you manage to put all this together without me and your mother knowing?"

"Bestefar gave us the room on the third floor to rehearse in," Abby explained. "After Belle wrote the play, we took rehearsals, and everyone played parts."

Loki looked over at Fenris. "You did a wonderful job as both your grandfather when he was young and me when I was grown."

Fenris stood taller. "Thank you, Father. My shifter talent helped. And I do look a lot like you."

"You are as handsome as your father," Rhiannon laughed and hugged Fenris, who was several inches taller than her. "And as skilled in shifting."

She turned to Jorgy next. "Jorgy, you played your Uncle Thor to the life. And that evil monster Thanos. I nearly fainted during that scene when he . . . hurt your father. It was very realistic."

"Thank you, Mother," Jorgy said, looking slightly embarrassed. "Being a shifter helped a lot and Father told me how Thanos looked and acted."

"All of you have made us very proud," Loki told them. "This was a very touching and thoughtful gift."

"And the best part is that it was better than the dumb one your ex-wife put on!" Sam said.

"Worlds better," Rhiannon assured them. "I wouldn't be surprised if someone from the Asgardian Actors Guild comes and asks if they can have a copy of the script to perform it again in the city playhouse."

"Really?" Belle gasped. "Do you really think so?"

"I do indeed," Rhiannon smiled at her new daughter and kissed her cheek.

"We had fun, Mommy!" Aleta chirped and hugged her.

"Yeah, Nate and I really liked playing Uncle Thor and you as the snake," Max giggled and Loki ruffled his hair.

After Loki and Rhiannon finished hugging their children and telling them what a wonderful gift they had been given, the children went to get changed for the wedding feast. "I need to fix my hair and have Sif help me put my train up," Rhiannon said to Loki. "I shall meet you in the hall, Mistokin."

"I'll be waiting," Loki chuckled. Then he turned and looked down when he felt a tug on his hand.

"Kwoki, we eat now?" his sister asked.

"In a bit, ladybug," he said as he looked at Vanmarrion being treated by Stefan and Vanmarrion mumbled for him to be careful. "How about we go get you changed for the feast?"

"I wanna wear m'pink dwess."

"All right," he said and they walked away.

Odin had seen Vanmarrion getting hit by the branch as he walked over and Stefan nodded to him.

"How is he?" Odin asked.

"He is a little concussed, but he's fine," Stefan said and Vanmarrion glared at them.

"I'm bleeding," Vanmarrion hissed.

"It was merely a scratch," Stefan said as he walked off and Vanmarrion sat down on the bench. Odin sat next to him when he turned and Vanmarrion saw the anger in the AllFather's eye.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Vanmarrion asked his old friend.

"Where do you wish me to start?" Odin asked. "You seem to have forgotten that it was my sons and their army who made it so you were sitting on the throne. If they had failed, your usurper general would have killed you."

"No, I have never forgotten that."

"Then you need to be more respectful towards your host's family."

"I have nothing but respect for you and your family."

"Then why did you just upset my youngest son?"

"I was just being honest about that brat, Talia."

"She is your granddaughter," he said with a growl.

"I never wanted her."

"Was this due to her mother's husband being a commoner?"

"She was meant for better things!"

"So, her feelings meant nothing to you?"

"Of course they did."

"Then I don't see why you disowned her?" he asked then sighed. "My best friend, Astra, was common born. But it never mattered to me if she was royal or common. She was my friend and the Archmage of Asgard. Then, one day, she fell in love with Laufey..."

"The King of Jotunheim?!"

"Yes," he said with a nod. "Even though he knew she was common born, their love for each other was so strong, he was willing to give up everything for her. She didn't wish him to do that and she became Queen of Jotunheim."

"But Asgard went to war with Jotunheim."

"True, and I regret that. It never should have happened."

"How did his father react to him marrying a commoner?"

"He didn't like the idea, but he then recognized his son's love and gave them his blessing."

"The fool," Vanmarrion said and Odin sighed.

"Why are you being so stubborn? Don't you see. It never mattered where someone is born, but what they do. My friend helped Laufey bring peace to Jotunheim and the people loved her as much as they loved him."

Vanmarrion shook his head as Odin rolled his eye and felt like he was talking to a wall.

"What I don't understand is why he took in that little brat. He has enough children already," Vanmarrion grumbled.

"He didn't. I did."

"You took her in?!"

"Yes, and my wife and I love her more than you will ever know," Odin said as he stood up then turned to look at him. "And it doesn't matter to either of us that she has half-common blood in her veins. It is also sad that you do not wish to get to know her. She is a handful, but she is also a loving and caring little girl."

Vanmarrion watched him leaving as he blinked and pressed his lips into a thin line.

He recalled the last time he had ever spoken to his daughter. He had gone to the house she lived in with her husband to try and persuade her to come back home where she belonged.

"Father, what are you doing here?" his daughter asked as he stood in the main room of her house and he glared at Talia.

"I am here to give you one last chance."

"One last chance?!"

"Yes, I want you to abandon this foolishness and return to court."

"Father...!"

"Do you understand the shame you have brought upon us?! You are royal born but, instead of marrying the man your mother and I arranged for you to marry, you go off and marry...him!"

"I love him!"

"And what have you show for it?!" he asked and looked at Talia. "A bastard child no one will care about!"

Ayla's sea green eyes flashed with temper. "Talia is not a bastard! She is as rightfully born as I am! And my Ragnar is a good man-kind and decent-unlike Lord Thierry who was a nasty lecher!"

"You would have learned to love him!"

"No, I would not! I have heard the rumors! Thierry would have beaten me and turned me into a whore for his friends!"

"Liar!"

"No, I am not!" she shouted as he moved toward her and grabbed hold of her arm. "Go and ask my brother Lucien, he will tell you the same."

"You will come home with me now!"

"I am no longer a child, Father! Now release me!" she snapped, and her hand wove runes in the air.

Vanmarrion moved back as he glared at her and she breathed hard through her nose.

"You dare harm your father!?"

"I will if you come at me again! Now, get out!" Ayla shouted.

"Then I have no daughter nor do I have a granddaughter!" he shouted then left the house, his temper getting the better of him and speaking words he had not meant to say.

Four months later Ayla was dead.

Vanmarrion felt the same pain of loss as he did that day as he got up and headed back to the palace. He walked into the feasting hall when he saw Odin sitting on the throne with Frigga sitting next to him and Talia was sitting on Odin's lap. She was wearing a pink dress with puffy sleeves and pink ribbons were tied in bows to hold up her pigtails. She was giggling while Odin tickled her and Vanmarrion's mind replaced them with him and Ayla at Talia's age.

Regret moved through him in waves when Vanmarrion turned, left the room and wiped away the tears which were rolling down his cheeks.

 _In Loki's chamber..._

Loki had changed into a white tunic, a green vest with gold trim, green pants and black leather boots as he lounged on the bed and Trickster hopped onto the bed. He settled on Loki's lap as he scratched the kitten's ear and Trickster's ear. He thought about the little prank his brothers and the Avengers had played on him and he looked up at the ceiling.

"But what can I do?" he whispered and Trickster looked at him.

"About what, Papa?" the kitten asked.

"My brothers and friends woke me up and told me the wedding had already started when it hadn't."

"That was mean."

"I know, but it was just a prank"

"We could wake them up tomorrow by screeching really loud."

"That does sound like a good prank. And, knowing how much they'll be drinking at the feast, they will be hungover."

"Then we can do it?!"

"Yes," he said and Trickster purred. "But I want to do something as well."

He became silent and thought. A smile moved over his lips as he thought of something and Trickster looked at him with a puzzled look.

"You thought of something?!"

"Yes."

"What are you going to do?"

"I am going to cast a spell on their glasses of Champagne so it will become a bubble drink. When they drink it, their heads will become encased in a bubble."

"Will they be able to breathe?"

"Yes, but, when the bubbles finally pop, their faces will be covered in glitter."

"Oh! That is a good prank!"

"I shall give you and the other cats pheasant with gravy tonight." Loki promised.

"Oooooo!" Trickster said and his tail swished back and forth. "I shall go tell them!"

Trickster hopped off the bed then left the room and Loki smiled.

He also remembered to leave the wedding favors for his staff, their favors were gold coins, which amounted to an extra week's pay, for doing so much work to prepare for the wedding. He knew that Claire and Artos would be back here to set up the room for the wedding night as he had asked, and he left Artos chocolate cupcakes and Claire apple wine as a thank you also.

Getting off the bed, Loki smoothed down his hair as he looked at the bed and thought about the wedding night. He knew Rhiannon would be nervous and worried about what they were going to do and he thought of a way of making things easier for her.

"I don't want her to be frightened," he whispered then paced for a few minutes. Suddenly, he got an idea and laughed. "Oh, that's perfect."

A knock on the door made him turn as Claire and Artos entered the room and they nodded to him.

"May we start setting up now, My Prince?" Claire asked.

"Yes, you may. And there are cupcakes for you, Artos, and apple wine for you, Claire, to take home after you're finished," Loki said.

"Thank you, Sir!" Artos said with wide eyes.

"That is very gracious of you, Sire," Claire said.

"I just need two things. I need a bottle of Frost wine and some chocolates."

"I know where I can get them."

"Why do you need them?" Artos asked and Loki felt a blush move across his cheeks.

"Hush, lad. It's not proper to ask such a thing." His mother reprimanded softly.

"Sorry, sir," he said and Loki nodded. He left the room so they could get started, heading for the feasting hall. He stopped when he saw Vanmarrion sitting on a bench and anger moved through him. He started to walk by him when Vanmarrion called his name and Loki turned.

"Please. Sit," Vanmarrion said as he pointed with his hand to the bench and Loki sat down. They were quiet for a few minutes when he sighed and Loki saw the pain in his eyes. "I am a fool."

"You just figured that out?" Loki asked.

"Yes, I have. Norns, all I wanted was for Ayla to be happy."

"She was."

"But I was too stubborn to see just how much she loved Ragnar."

"Yes, you were."

"And due to my stubbornness, I lost her not only to him, but to death," he said and placed his head in his hands. "Hel, am I really that much of a monster?"

Loki was quiet for a moment, studying the Vanir king, who despite his advanced age was still a handsome man. His eyes were the same color as Talia's, though his hair was more gold than red. "Before I spoke to you just now, I would have said yes. However, I can see now that what you did was done out of grief and anger and not a true wish to kill my sister. Not that excuses what you did, but a true monster would not regret what was done, nor be speaking to me now." He could tell, with his uncanny perceptions about people, that the king was not truly the hardhearted beast that he seemed at first.

"I had one of my guards break into her home, take her daughter, put her daughter into a cage and ordered him to kill her! It was only a miracle which allowed him to just abandon her and she somehow ended up here."

"Do you truly regret your decisions?"

"Yes, I do," Vanmarrion said sincerely. "But it's too late. How can I ask her to forgive me after I wanted to kill a member of my bloodline?!"

"Are you speaking of Ayla or Talia?"

"Both."

"You could talk to her. Talia may be young, but she does understand things. As for Ayla, you could go to her grave and tell her."

Vanmarrion looked at him as he thought things over then nodded.

"I will do that as soon as I get home," Vanmarrion said as they stood and headed for the feasting hall. Loki led him to Odin as Odin looked at him and Talia was leaning against him.

"Father, King Vanmarrion wishes to speak with Talia," Loki said and Odin gave Vanmarrion a doubting look.

"Do you wish to speak to him?" Odin asked and Talia looked from him to Vanmarrion.

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "He mean. He yeww at Mama. He made her cwy. He huwt her."

"Yes, I did," Vanmarrion said as he lowered his head and sighed. "I was so angry with her, but I didn't mean to hurt her. My stubborn pride and my temper have always been my worst faults."

"You caww me bad name."

"I know and I whole-heartily apologize."

"Why mad at Mama?"

"I wasn't happy that she married your father."

"Daddy nice."

"Yes, he was, but I wanted her to marry someone else."

"He nice?"

"Not really, but I thought she would learn to like him."

Talia frowned at him as Vanmarrion gave her a pleading look and she leaned more into Odin's chest.

"You sent bad man."

"I know."

"He put me in cage."

"I know."

"He take me hewe."

"Yes, he did."

"He weft me hewe."

"Yes, he did."

"I no haf a bed. No food. I awone."

"I know that, but I also hope you will give me a chance to show you how sorry I am."

 _Loki, what is going on? He wanted to kill her,_ Odin sent and Loki looked at him.

 _I think seeing how loving you and Mother are with her... How loving all of us are with her has shown him how much he's lost and he is trying to make amends,_ Loki sent and Odin arched an eyebrow.

 _If she agrees then I will as well, but he will be watched. One wrong move..._

 _I understand_ , Loki sent then looked at Vanmarrion. Vanmarrion watched Talia as she thought things over when she looked at Odin and blinked.

"What do, Daddy?" she asked.

"It's up to you, darling. He seems sincere about wanting your forgiveness," Odin said and Vanmarrion nodded.

"And it would be nice for you to have a grandfather," Frigga said. Talia reached her arms out to Vanmarrion as he gently lifted her off Odin's lap and he held her against him. She looked at him when she smiled and slid her arm around his neck.

"My g'andpa!" she said and Vanmarrion felt his heart squeezing a little in his chest.

"And you are my granddaughter," he whispered and kissed the side of her head.

"You Kwoki, Tor and Bawdar's g'andpa, too," she said, her bright sea green eyes sparkling with intelligence.

"If you wish." He recalled that Ayla's eyes had been the same way.

He returned her to Odin's lap as she smiled at him and Vanmarrion nodded, walking to his seat. Odin gave Loki a look as Loki shrugged then went to sit down with his family.

"What was that all about, Brother?" Thor asked, looking at Vanmarrion.

"It looks like we might have a new grandfather," Loki said then explained what happened and Thor and Balder gave each other a confused look.

"I don't mind if you don't," Balder said.

"Just as long as he doesn't try anything against her," Thor said.

"I have a feeling he won't," Loki said and raised his glass toward Vanmarrion and Vanmarrion raised his glass.

There was a hush as everyone looked towards the front of the hall. Rhiannon entered, escorted by Sif, Natasha, and her new daughters. She had changed her bridal gown for another gown that was beautiful lavender and gold silk with a bodice of amber and amethyst jewels. There was no train upon this dress and the skirt was soft rippling Alfar silk that only came to her ankles, showing off her matching silk dancing slippers. Her hair was now piled upon her head in a bunch of braids and had a small demi veil over the back of it.

Once again Loki found his breath was stolen when he gazed upon his wife. He gave her a brilliant smile and she returned it. He stood and pulled out her chair for her as she approached him, her face glowing with love for him.

"That dress looks incredible on you," he murmured as she was seated and he pushed her chair in. "You make the stars jealous."

"Your mother made it for me," she laughed. "And you look good enough to eat, as Nastasha would say."

Loki laughed softly. "Thank you, darling. This will be easier to do our dance in later this evening." His eyes roamed her appreciatively.

"Mine also," Rhiannon winked, and she took his hand beneath the table and squeezed it. "What did I miss while I was getting ready?"

As Odin's page poured them some frost wine, Loki explained what had gone on with Vanmarrion and Talia.

"That sounds good but are you certain you can trust him?" Rhiannon asked.

"Father will not allow her to be alone with him," Loki reassured her. "But when I spoke with him—you know I cannot be lied to—he seemed genuinely regretful and he did apologize to Talia. He is a stern warrior, but he does love his family. His wife died several years ago, and he has never remarried. Queen Layla was very dear to him, and I think much of his anger and bitterness stemmed from losing her and a year after it, Ayla defied him and married Ragnar. Apparently he quarreled with his daughter the last time he saw her, and before they could mend things, she died of the plague. In his grief and anger he lashed out at Talia. Which he says he regrets very much now."

"Would he try and take her from here?" his wife asked.

"No. He knows better. I think right now it is enough that he has Talia's forgiveness and he is allowed to visit her. She is his only granddaughter."

"Then I pray that he enjoys his granddaughter while he is here," Rhiannon said quietly.

"Yes. Now let us enjoy this fine meal that Kara and her under chefs have cooked for us," Loki smiled, and clinked his glass with her and drank. "Skål, Rhee!"

"Skål, Loki my love!" she drank too, laughing as the bubbles in the wine tickled her nose.

Seeing the newlyweds toasting each other, everyone else in the hall picked up their goblets and horns and drank, also toasting them.

Loki smirked and watched as Thor, Balder, and the Avengers all drank their wildflower mead.

Rhiannon saw his expression and nudged him. "Why are you looking like that?"

"Like what?" he asked, affecting innocence.

"Like the cat who has just landed in a bowl of cream," she pointed out.

"You'll see," he said mysteriously.

"Loki . . . what did you do?"

"First you ought to know how I was woken up this morning," he responded, and told her what his brothers and friends had done.

"Oh! That was rather . . . annoying of them," she chuckled. "Now tell me!"

"But it's a surprise . . ."

"Loki!"

Before he could speak. Thor coughed slightly and a huge bubble appeared about his head. It was golden and sparkled slightly.

"What in Hel!" the Thunder God cried, but with the bubble about his head his voice sounded squeaky and funny.

Bubbles encased the heads of Balder, Tony, Steve, Clint, and Bruce also. Each were the color of whatever they had been drinking.

"What is this stuff?" Bruce queried, touching the bubble lightly.

"It's a bubble, obviously!" Tony drawled. "Why am I wearing this?"

"I feel like I'm Diver Dan!" Clint joked.

"Loki! Are you behind this?" Balder demanded, and his voice sounded even squeakier.

"How do we get this off?" Steve wondered.

"I don't think you should poke at it," Pepper warned.

The kids saw and began giggling hysterically.

Tony rolled his eyes. "Okay, Laufeyson. Now take the fishbowl off. This isn't a Bubble Yum commercial."

Loki and Rhiannon burst out laughing.

"Loki!" Thor yelled. Then he went and popped his bubble. As if that were a signal, the other bubbles popped too—leaving their faces covered in glitter.

"Ahh! I'm all sparkly!" Thor yelped.

"Oh no! They've become Twilight vampires!" hooted Hunter.

His siblings, except for Abby and Fenris and Sleph, who didn't get the reference, all burst out laughing.

Tony tried to wipe the glitter off his face, but only succeeded in smearing it worse. "Damn! How do I get this off?"

"Take a shower?" Pepper suggested.

"Maybe later," he winked at her. "I'll just pretend I'm Elvis."

"Who is Elvis?" asked Balder.

"The King of Rock and Roll. A famous singer." Bruce replied.

"Well, no one can say that I'm not dazzling," Clint laughed, and raised his glass to Loki in a salute.

"I certainly won't!" His wife Laura giggled, and wiped some glitter off his face with her napkin.

"OMG! Uncle Bruce is Dr. Cullen!" Sam snickered.

"Oh please!" Bruce groaned.

"And Uncle Thor is Sparkles!" Vince laughed.

Thor rolled his eyes.

"Did you do this, Loki?" Balder demanded.

"Who me?" Loki drawled. "Well, gosh, Balder, didja wake me up this morning by screaming in my ear, brother dear?"

"Well . . . yes . . . . but . . ."

Loki looked smug. "Payback's a bitch, isn't it?"

"I think you look cute," Natasha told her intended and Balder smiled.

"You have a nice glow, Steve," Pepper teased the blond man and he blushed.

"I will be able to see you in the dark," Sif remarked and Thor started laughing.

That prompted the rest of them to join in and Rhiannon relaxed and felt the last of her tension melt away and she was able to enjoy the banquet that followed.

Odin had seen the prank and he and Frigga laughed quietly.

"They shiny!" Talia said with a giggle and took a sip of milk.

The servants started serving food as the sweet aroma of roasted beef, lamb and chicken filled the air and platters of steamed vegetables were placed on the table. Roasted or mashed potatoes were in silver bowls and wide varieties of breads and rolls were in wicker baskets with small crock pots of fresh butter sitting next to the baskets.

The servants served the kittens and cats the food Loki promised them. The felines purred and their tails flicked back and forth. Loki glanced at them as he thought about the prank they would pull in the morning and he sipped on some wine.

Music as well as pleasant conversations and laughter echoed around the room as Loki glanced at Rhiannon and she saw the look in his eyes. She placed her hand on his leg as she leaned closer and he kissed her lips.

"Oh yuck!" Vince said.

"We're trying to eat here," Nate said.

"Get used to it," Loki said and the boys rolled their eyes.

After the meal was over, the music changed and Loki stood and held out a hand to his bride. "Shall we dance, My Princess?"

Rhiannon rose gracefully and took his hand. "I would be delighted, My Prince."

She felt slight butterflies in her stomach but once she touched Loki's hand, they settled. She thought about what sort of dance they would do, focusing upon mentally preparing herself for what was to come.

Loki gave a nod to Tavi and they moved over to the ballroom, which was set up next to the feast hall. The ballroom was vast with thousands of mage globes lighting the candelabras and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The floor was made of golden apple wood and shone like a mirror and the walls were covered in gilt with the royal crest and banners of other nobles of the kingdom. There was a raised platform for the musicians and along the walls were spindle chairs and small tables so dancers could sit and drink and eat the snacks served.

Loki and Rhiannon entered and saw that some of the wedding guests were already present and more soon followed and were seated. Loki separated from Rhiannon and pointed his hand at the floor and ice spread across it, several inches thick. Rhiannon did the same on her side until the whole floor looked like an ice rink. Loki gestured and his boots became ice skates and so did Rhiannon's.

The music's tempo suddenly became quick and upbeat, the rhythm of the ancient dances performed by the Horse Folk. Tony looked at Steve, "What is Reindeer Games up to? Looks like they're gonna have a skating competition or something."

"I don't know. Sounds like a flamenco to me," Steve replied.

Loki glided out onto the frozen surface and stood waiting for Rhiannon to join him, his hand held out in a welcome gesture to her.

She glided over, her feet sure upon the ice, holding a gold silken scarf whose length trailed onto the floor. She made a gesture and one end of the scarf landed at his feet.

Smoothly, Loki picked up the end and then they began to dance, moving their skates in a rapid series of steps that flowed together like they were one person. The scarf wove in and out as they swayed and turned about the ice in time to the fiery music.

Loki did a series of tapping moves with his skates while placing one hand on his hips and the other holding the scarf, smiling with delight at his bride, who playfully yanked the scarf from his hands and skated about him, the scarf and her hair trailing like golden wings behind her, a creature of air and fire, she seemed to float above the ice.

Clint's mouth hung open. "Holy hot damn! They are really good!"

"Like gold medal good!" agreed Natasha, clapping in time to the music.

"I knew Loki could skate, but I didn't know Rhee could also." Balder murmured as they watched the two soar across the ice like eagles in flight, matching each other in tandem.

"Whoa!" Hunter cried as Loki suddenly put an arm about Rhiannon and lifted her into the air.

Her gossamer skirt fluttered like petals as she was carried effortlessly across the ice for three heart beats before Loki set her down on one skate.

"Wow!" Aleta said and Max nodded.

Belle squeezed Wulf's hand as they watched Rhiannon twirl away from Loki, spinning in a dazzling spiral and then he gently towed her back to him. He danced about her, his movements elegant and passionate and though behind him the music swelled to a crescendo and people clapped in time to it, Loki had eyes only for his bride.

Rhiannon beckoned him with a finger and like a magnet to a lodestone he came to her and once more they danced together across the ice.

"Are you sure the kids should be watching this?" Steve asked and Tony hushed him.

Watching Loki and Rhiannon dancing cause a small ache in Natasha's chest and Balder looked at her.

"What's wrong?" he whispered.

"I guess I miss dancing," she whispered and he slid his arm around her.

Rhiannon curled an arm about Loki, feeling herself blush slightly, her skates shushing across the ice. "Having fun?" she asked.

"Always," he replied. "Ready?" he asked as they skated faster and on the third revolution he picked her up and she held her arms out like a bird in flight as his boots blurred across the ice while he held her over his head.

The cheering and applause echoed around them as she smiled down at Loki and he grinned up at her.

"Now, Goldenwing, let us show them how we fly!" he laughed and as he set her down they soared over the ice and then flew above it in a series of quadruples that left those watching breathless at their grace and power.

"Yay! Kwoki and Rhee fwy!" Talia shouted and clapped.

"Go, Dad!" Sam shouted.

"Go, Mommy!" Max and Aleta shouted.

Pepper gasped. "That was a quadruple axle! Nobody can do that!"

"My brother and his wife can," Thor said proudly.

"I could do that," Tony grumbled and Peppper gave him a puzzled look. "Well, one at a time."

"Sure you could," Pepper said, patting his arm.

Loki could feel his heart thundering in his chest and it wasn't from the dancing. Rhiannon's hand in his as they danced caused sparks to shoot through him. _When my heart beats it beats for you._

Rhiannon looked deeply in his eyes as they sparkled and she found herself getting lost in his gaze. _Even though I get lost in your eyes, I know they will show me the way home._

Slowly the music wound down and they spun gracefully to a stop, ending the dance with Rhiannon's scarf wrapped about Loki as she hugged him, love written all over her face. "I love you."

"I love you as well."

Applause erupted around them as she leaned closer and lightly kissed his lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss and she moved her fingers through his hair.

"Get a room!" Clint shouted as his wife gently shoved him and Loki moved back, looking at his bride.

"Eat cake now?" Talia asked as she looked at Odin and Rhiannon placed her forehead against Loki's chest as he rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

Rhiannon broke away from him reluctantly and Loki vanished the scarf as they skated off the floor. A gesture from both returned the floor to its normal state and Loki then swapped their skates for their shoes.

The other guests headed for the dance floor as Balder bowed to Natasha and she smiled, taking his hand. Sam watched as the others started dancing when she felt someone tap her shoulder and she was surprised to see Peter standing there. Loki had asked Tony to bring Peter to surprise her and she admitted he looked amazing in a tux.

"I can't believe you're here," Sam said as she stood and he glanced at her in her dress.

"I can't believe this place is real," Peter teased and he led her to the dance floor.

"Remember to mind your hands, Kid," Tony whispered as they walked by and Peter nodded.

Loki gave him a warning look as Sam and Peter started dancing and Peter gave him a nod as well.

Wulf looked at Belle when he stood and made a little bow.

"Princess Belle, may I have this dance?" he asked. Belle was floored as she nodded and he held his hand out. She took his hand as they walked to the dance floor and Mister Gold smiled. Loki was shocked to see them as Belle grinned at him and Loki winked.

"They grow up so fast," he whispered then started dancing with Rhiannon and she slid her arms around his waist.

"Loki, who is that boy dancing with Sam? I've never seen him before."

"That's Peter Parker. He's Sam's unofficial date. She goes to school with him back in New York. I had him and his aunt over the house for Yule dinner."

"He seems like a nice boy."

"He is."

"And Sam seems smitten with him."

"Yes, she is," Loki said while Peter gently spun Sam in a circle and Sam laughed.

Wulf tried to spin Belle, but she turned too quickly and bumped into Thor.

"Sorry," Belle and Wulf said and Thor nodded. He watched them dance when Sif tapped his chest and he looked at her.

"Leave them alone," she said as he sighed and she placed her head against his chest.

"Me dance!" Talia said and Odin carefully stood up and carried her onto the dance floor. Thor, Balder and Loki watched as Odin lowered Talia onto his feet and moved side to side as she held onto his fingers.

"Don't worry," Tony whispered to Loki. "Pepper is filming it."

"Thank you," Loki whispered.

"Now that is a beautiful sight," Frigga said to Vanmarrion as she watched her husband and daughter.

"It is indeed," the Vanir king murmured, recalling that he and Ayla danced just that way long long ago, at his son's wedding.

"Go," she whispered and Vanmarrion got up and walked to Odin,

"May I cut in?" he asked and Odin looked down at Talia. She looked at Vanmarrion when she went to stand on his feet and she reached up for his fingers. Tears appeared in his eyes as they danced and Odin walked to sit next to Frigga.

"G'andpa good dancew," Talia said and Vanmarrion smiled.

"Your mama used to dance with me like this."

"Mama good dancew?"

"The best," he said as he gently lifted her up and held her in his arms.

Whatever pain and resentment finally faded as he spun around in a circle and Talia giggled.

Fenris watched the others dancing when he noticed a young woman standing alone and his heart seemed to beat faster. He had never seen her before as he walked closer and made a little bow.

"Hello," he said and Heidel noticed how handsome he looked.

"Hello. You are Prince Fenris, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yes."

"My name is Heidel."

"Would you...? Would you like to dance?" he asked, pointing with his hand toward the dance floor.

"Yes, I would," she said, taking his hand. Loki watched as his young son started dancing and he wondered who he was dancing with.

"Who is that?" he asked and Rhiannon looked at Heidel.

"That's Heidel. She is a novice healer," she said and he gave his son a look of approval.

"Whoa, I didn't know Fen could dance," Vince said.

"Neither did I," Nate said.

"We were all taught how to dance," Sleph said. "It was a part of our education."

Heidel was amazed with how well he could dance as she looked deeply into his eyes and his eyes seemed to shimmer in a golden light. She had heard the rumors about Fenris being some sort of monster, but he had a sweet face and amazing eyes and she felt a small tingle move through her when he smiled.

"You are an amazing dancer," she said as she blushed and he was shocked.

"Thank you," he said then looked down at his feet. "You're pretty good yourself."

Both of them fell into awkward silence as they danced and Fenris began to feel something for her.

"No, she wouldn't want a monster like me," he thought with a small shake of his head and she titled her head to one side.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

"Tell me."

"Um...," he said then looked down. "I was wondering if you think I'm a monster."

"No, I don't think that."

"You don't?!" he asked, looking up.

"No. I have heard rumors that you were, but I don't believe them."

He felt his heart jump as he nodded then felt his throat tightening. He hadn't much experience with girls before as he tried to figure out what to do next when she placed her hand on his shoulder and he locked eyes with her.

"Do you want to get some punch?" she asked.

"Oh yes!" he said and she took his hand, leading him off the dance floor.

Jorgy raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Looks like my little brother finally found a girl that he likes and who likes him. Good for him."

Then he went to ask a girl in a saffron gown to dance.

Loki turned from dancing with Rhiannon to dancing with Aleta, holding her in his arms and swaying gently to the music. "Are you having fun, spark?"

"Uh huh! But when are we gonna cut the cake?" his little girl asked.

"Soon," her father promised. He spun around with her, laughing.

He saw Rhiannon dancing with Max and the two of them were twirling and laughing.

Serena danced with Vince, and Lucy with Bruce. Abby twirled with Hunter, who looked like he would have rather been dragged behind a team of wild horses.

The music came to a stop and Loki set Aleta down. He was about to signal one of the servers to wheel over the wedding cake when he saw, out of the corner of his eye, a familiar face. One he hadn't seen in years. He froze, his mouth dropping open.

 _It can't be! I thought she was dead!_

Rhiannon released Max and told him and Aleta to go and sit down at their table. As the children ran off, Rhiannon went and tapped Loki on the arm. "Loki, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Maybe because I have," he muttered. "Look over there by the pillar,"

Rhiannon stared where he pointed and then she almost fainted. "Brunhilde!"

 **A/N: Thanks to a friend of mine for helping with this story. Much appreciated!**


	68. Forevermore

**68**

 **Forevermore**

 _My heart is yours, forevermore. ~ Loki_

Brunhilde beckoned and her two former students approached the pillar where she stood in shadow. "Is it really you, Teacher?" Rhiannon queried.

"Aye, little hawk, I am here," Brunhilde replied, smiling at her. "Though I cannot call you little anymore. You have grown up and spread your wings, I see." She hugged Rhiannon.

Then she turned to Loki. "As have you, My Trickster Prince." She chuckled as she tilted her head to look up into his eyes. "You who once moaned about the fact that you were smaller than your brothers have now grown taller than even they are." She hugged him also.

"It is wonderful to see you again," Loki murmured. "We thought you were dead!"

"It is only by the grace of the Norns I survived," she answered.

"Have you come back to Asgard then?" asked Rhiannon as Brunhilde drew away from Loki.

Her old teacher shook her head, her dark braids twisting together. "No, little hawk. I cannot. I must remain hidden, lest the Goddess of Death find me and finish what she began long ago."

"Then you do not wish to tell my father you are here?" Loki asked, though he already knew the answer.

"No. My appearance must remain a secret for now, Loki." Brunhilde replied.

"Where have you been living?" Rhiannon asked curiously.

"Here and there, as the wind takes me," the Valkyrie replied.

"How did you survive?" Loki wanted to know.

"As I told you, it was by the grace of the Norns. I was wounded, and fell. I should have died then, but for some reason my sisters fell on top of me and covered my body. Believing all of us slain, Hela took her forces and advanced upon Asgard. By the time I woke and crawled out of the pile of bodies, Odin had banished Hela into her stone prison."

"Why did you not tell my father you lived?"

"You can ask that, who knows well the Valkyrie Code, My Prince?"

Loki sighed. "With your sword or upon it," he muttered.

"Aye. To my shame, I did not die, and I thought it best if everyone assumed I was gone. So I slipped away and hid in the woods and mountains. And that was where I met young Rhiannon one summer's day."

Rhiannon smiled reminiscently. "I will never forget it. When I first saw you, I was afraid you would hurt me for trespassing. Instead you let me sit by your fire and shared bread and fruit with me."

"You were a starvling little waif," Brunhilde remarked. "But like Loki, I could see the potential in you. And so I trained you as I did him. Now I come to congratulate you on your marriage. How strange are the twists and turns of Fate."

"Our destiny was written in the stars," Rhiannon replied.

"We thank you for coming." Loki began.

"Dad?" Lucy called out as she walked closer and was surprised when she saw Brunhilde. "Who are you?"

"I am Brunhilde," she said with a bow.

"This is my daughter, Lucy," Loki said. Brunhilde looked at Lucy when a cold chill skittered through her and Loki noticed the look on her face. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Brunhilde said then knelt down in front of Lucy. She studied Lucy's face when the face of one of her slain sisters appeared in her mind and she quickly stood up.

 _No, it can't be_ , Brunhilde thought.

"Is there something wrong?" Loki asked puzzled by the way his old teacher was studying his daughter.

"I'm not sure," she said. "Is she your daughter by birth?"

"No, I'm adopted," Lucy said.

"Do you know who your mother was, child?" Brunhilde asked.

Lucy shook her head. "No. I was found in a trash can as a baby."

Brunhilde nodded as she moved closer and lifted her hand.

"Maybe I can help you find out who she was, if you wish."

"Sure," Lucy said with a nod.

Loki wondered why Brunhilde wanted to help Lucy remember as Brunhilde placed her hand on Lucy's arm and closed her eyes.

Images flashed before the Valkyrie's eyes and then she Saw what had happened in the past.

She saw a Valkyrie holding a newborn baby wrapped in a blanket while one of her sisters hovered nearby, their winged horses grazing.

"We have to hide her!"

"Where can we hide her that Hela can't find her?"

"There is only one place!"

"You mean...Midgard?!"

"Yes!"

Brunhilde move back as her heart slammed in her chest and Lucy titled her head to one side.

"Did you find anything?" Lucy asked.

"Yes, I found something," Brunhilde said.

"What did you find?" Loki asked, placing a hand on Lucy's shoulder.

"Your daughter is half Valkyrie."

"I am?!" Lucy asked with wide eyes.

"Yes," she said with a nod. "You see, one of my sisters, Lucindi, had done one thing we were not supposed to do. She fell in love. He was a warrior on Midgard and she told me he was very handsome and brave."

"Did she tell you his name?" Rhiannon asked.

"No, but she did give me this," Brunhilde said as she reached into her pouch and removed a folded photograph. She unfolded the photograph as she handed the photograph to Lucy and Lucy looked at it. "You look just like your mother."

"She's so pretty," Lucy said in a soft voice.

"What happened to her father?" Loki asked.

"She told me he had died in battle. Something about his war machine hitting something and it exploded," Brunhilde said sadly. "Even though he was not of Asgard, she asked the Norns to let her take him to Valhalla so she can visit him."

"Did they...? Did they let him go?" Lucy asked with tears in her eyes.

"Yes, they did."

"What happened to Lucindi?" Loki asked.

"After he had died, she found herself with child. We were not sure if a half-Valkyrie would have any powers, but, the moment the babe was born, we saw she did have power. In fact, her powers were stronger than any Valkyrie before her."

"Wow!" Lucy said and Loki smiled at her.

"When Hela found out about the babe, we knew she would take her and use her powers against us," Brunhilde said.

"Whoa!"

"Is that when you thought it would be safer to hide the babe?" Loki asked.

"Yes, and the only place we could think to hide her was on Midgard," Brunhilde said then looked down. "But, seeing how we didn't know her father's name or where his family was, we had to abandon the babe."

"In a trash can?!"

"Please, My Trickster Prince, do not fault our decision."

Loki could see the pain and regret in her eyes as he nodded and Lucy looked at the man in the photo. He was handsome, with dark hair and eyes, and his smile caused her to smile.

"Dad, do you think Uncle Tony could find out who he was?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, I think he could," Loki said then looked and Brunhilde. "Am I right in thinking Lucindi died in the final battle with Hela?"

"She was... She was the first to die. Hela had demanded she tell her where the babe was, but Lucinid refused to tell her," Brunhilde said and tears rolled down her cheeks. Lucy handed the photo to Loki then hugged Brunhilde and Brunhilde wrapped her arms around the little Valkyrie.

"Do you think...? Is my mom in Valhalla?" Lucy asked.

"I pray that she is."

"Will you teach me how to be a Valkyrie?"

"No, I am afraid I cannot. It is too dangerous for me to be in one place for too long."

"Why?"

"Because Hela is still after me. But, do not worry. I trained your new mother in the ways of the Valkyrie and your father as well. They can help you hone your powers if you let them."

"Dad's been helping me, but it would be neat to have someone to train with," Lucy said, looking at her new mom.

"But this doesn't mean we will never meet again," Brunhilde said with a grin and Lucy nodded.

"I wish I had something to remember her by," Lucy said and Brunhilde smiled.

"I do have this," Brunhilde said when she reached into the pouch on her belt and removed a small silver Pegasus charm and a leather bracelet. "These were your mother's. She wore the charm in her hair all the time. She wanted to give them to you when you were older and she had come to Midgard to bring you home, but..."

Loki and Rhiannon watched as she braided the charm into Lucy's hair and the charm shimmered in a bright light. She placed the bracelet in Lucy's hands as Lucy sniffed and Brunhilde looked at Loki.

"Thank you, Teacher," Loki said.

"You are so welcome," she said as she stood up. "Now, I must go."

"Do you need anything? Food? Water? New clothes?" Rhiannon asked.

"I did sneak into the kitchens earlier and only took enough food to last a while."

"Are you sure you can't stay?" Lucy asked.

"No, Little Daughter, I cannot."

"Then may the Norns watch over you," Loki said. She hugged Loki, Rhiannon and Lucy when she disappeared into the shadows and Loki held Lucy to his side.

The sounds of horns made them move back as they headed back to the table and they sat down. The doors opened as several bakers carried in the large wedding cake, with small cakes for the children, and Loki and Rhiannon's eyes widened.

One side of the cake was ice blue with spun sugar icicles and sugar snowflakes and the other side was red, yellow and orange with spun sugar flames. The cake topper was two hawks with their wings spread out in a heart and the bottom tier had Loki and Rhiannon's names etched in rune letters.

"Cake!" Talia said, pointing at the cake and Odin nodded.

Tony used his phone to take photos of the cake when he gave Loki a thumb's up and Loki laughed. Loki stood up as he held out his hand and led Rhiannon to the table. She looked at the cake while the servant handed Loki the silver cake knife with a green, yellow and white ribbon tied to the handle and he nodded.

"It looks so beautiful," Rhiannon sighed.

"So are you," Loki said and gave her a kiss, causing cheering and whistling to fill the air.

"I really hate to ruin it."

"As do I," Loki said when he held the handle of the cake knife out to her. They cut a small piece of cake when Loki saw it was a white cake swirled with strawberry filling and he licked some frosting off his thumb. Tony had told him about a reception tradition of shoving the cake in the bride's face, but Loki couldn't bring himself to do something like that to Rhiannon. He held the piece of cake in his hand so she could take a bite and she smiled. She took the piece of cake from him then held the piece of cake up so he could take a bite. He was shocked when she pushed the rest of the piece into his face.

"Yes!" Tony said as he pumped his fist into the air and laughter echoed around them. Loki spit out some cake as he looked at his bride and she gave him a worried look.

"He told me it's a wedding tradition," she said, pointing to Tony.

"He told me the same, but I didn't want to do it to you," Loki said with a mock angry look then moved closer and kissed her.

Now they both had frosting on their faces and laughed.

After the cakes were cut and the pieces were served with some ice cream, Loki and Rhiannon danced for a while when he decided it was time to retire to their bedroom and he gave her a pleased look.

"Why are you smiling?" she whispered.

"I believe it's time for us to retire for the night," he said. She knew what he meant as she blushed then nodded.

"Should we tell the others?"

"No, they are expecting us to sneak off," he said and she followed him out of the room. They passed some guards, who gave them pleased looks as they passed by, when they came to Loki's bedchambers and the guards opened the doors. She gasped at the decorations, the bucket of frost wine in the ice bucket near the bed and the box of chocolates sitting on the bed. She looked at Loki when he lifted her into his arms and they entered the room. The guards closed the doors while he carried her to the bed and set her on the rug.

The bed was covered in fragrant rose petals of all colors.

Loki coughed. "I . . . uh . . . listened to a song on my iPod—that's an electronic music device on Midgard—that talks about a man laying his bride down on a bed of roses. So I thought . . . it would be fitting . . ."

Rhiannon sniffed the air appreciatively. "I love the scent of roses, Loki. It always reminds me of the wild rose bush that my mother and I used to water when I was small."

Loki smiled, then walked over to the table and began setting up the chessboard.

"Loki, what are you doing?" Rhiannon asked, puzzled.

"Setting up for our game," he answered and then poured glasses of frost wine for each of them and set them at either end of the board. He brought the box of chocolates over as well.

"Game? You want to play chess?"

Loki sprawled in one of the chairs and then said, softly, "Welcome, darling, to the very first ever game of Red Hot Love Chess."

"Love Chess?" Rhiannon stared at him.

"Where you play for kisses . . ." he purred. "Every time you lose a piece, your partner gets to claim a forfeit, or undo a piece of clothing . . . until checkmate occurs and after that, darling, we take off all our clothes and make love all night long . . ."

The look of sweet seduction he sent her made her quiver down to her toes.

"Is that a challenge, Loki my love?" she asked, batting her lashes like she had seem some of the maids do to a man they fancied.

She glided over and sat in the chair opposite him. "What sort of wine is this?"

"Frost wine."

She took a sip. It was silky smooth, sweet as honey but with a kick at the end.

"Well?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I like it. It has a little bite to it . . . like a certain prince I know."

He grinned lazily and sipped his. "Mmmhmmm . . .smooth like silk with a little nip at the end. Like a certain Healer." He licked his lips. "Ready?"

"Always." She picked up a pawn. "White moves first."

He countered by moving his knight and the game was on.

By the fifth move he had captured her pawn and claimed a kiss as a forfeit . . . choosing to kiss her ear . . . and nibble on it as well.

"Loki!"

"Yes, Rhee?"

"You are a tease," she declared. "Now go sit down so I can beat you next round."

"As you wish," he said sassily and he sauntered back to his chair.

Before she moved however, she murmured, "Loki? May I ask you a question?"

"Of course, darling. What do you want to know?"

"When you kiss me, how does it make you feel? I . . . I mean, do you just do it because you are obligated to or . . ." she stared down at the chess pieces.

"Rhee, I kiss you because I want to. Not out of duty. You make me feel so good, like chocolate and strawberries, or reading a good book. Sometimes I want to kiss you and never stop," he admitted.

"You do? Then you don't find me . . . repulsive because of what my father . . . what he made me do . . ." her hand shook a bit as she picked up her glass and drank.

"Never. Do you find _me_ disgusting because I can turn into different animals?" he countered. "Because Boda used to say that I was no better than a beast wearing human shape and my touch repulsed her."

Rhiannon jerked her head up to stare into her husband's emerald eyes. "I am the same as you, Loki. And you are _not_ repulsive! You are handsome and brave and kind and you make me feel safe when you hold me. And when you touch me I . . . I almost forget what has gone before."

"That is how I feel about you and what happened with your father," he said earnestly. "What he did was unnatural and cruel. Something that should have happened to no one. That it did to you makes me want to weep and then stab something to death. But it does not change the way I feel about you, Rhee. You are beautiful, within and without, and I shall love you for all of infinity and beyond."

She blushed and looked at her feet. "I love you, Loki—all of you. You were never a beast—Boda was and she proved it in word and deed. It's too bad she is dead, because I would have liked to bash her head into the floor a few times and break all her teeth for spewing such lies about you. You did not deserve her venom or her infidelity."

Loki let out the breath he did not even realize he had been holding and studied the board. "Your move, Rhee."

She examined the board and then moved a piece, capturing his pawn. "I claim a forfeit!" she giggled. "You need to . . . take off your boot."

"Very well." He pulled his left boot off and tossed it in the corner. "My turn."

He moved his bishop and took her knight. "Hmm . . . now I can claim a forfeit . . . this time I want you to . . . take off your right slipper."

She toed off her golden shoe and gently kicked it next to his lone boot. She rested her stocking foot on the table leg and saw Loki watching her and grinning.

He could not help but imagine what lay beneath that stocking, the silky soft calf with skin white as snow begging to be caressed and . . . he snapped his head up to the pieces on the board like he had been tazered. _There is nothing wrong with looking at your wife,_ he reproved.

 _You lust after me like a dog in heat!_ Boda mocked. _Your hands like a beast's pawing at me!_

 _Shut up, you hag and go back to Hel where you belong!_

Furious, he cast the whiny sneering voice from him, caging it in the recesses of his mind. He would not share this wedding night with his late wife again.

"Loki?"

"I'm fine." He picked up his bishop and moved it.

Rhiannon tried to concentrate upon the chess pieces arrayed before her, but her gaze kept straying to Loki. She watched the hollow of his throat moving up and down, wondering how by Odin's Good Eye she could find such a thing as seeing a man breathe erotic. Yet she recalled the way his breath tickled her cheek as he had clasped her close during the ice dance, and the soothing thump of his heart when she placed her head on his chest and felt a stirring deep within her, like the swift beating of a hawk's wings.

That single glimpse of his frost white throat made her want to see more of what lay beneath, yet at the same time she felt shy. She moved a piece and nearly cheered. "I captured your castle!"

He laughed huskily. "Then I owe you a forfeit, my love."

She looked him up and down. Did she want a kiss? Or . . . Swallowing, she said, "Take off your jacket."

He shrugged the fabric from his shoulders and the smooth undulating movement, like a snake shedding its skin, made her mouth go dry.

Clad only in his lawn shirt and pants, with one boot, he returned to the table, pretending not to see her discombobulation.

 _Does she truly like what she sees? Or is she afraid?_

Rhiannon saw the hesitation in his eyes, and knew he was wondering if she feared him touching her, the way Boda had. So in order to alleviate that fear she said, "Loki, I want you to kiss me."

"What do you like?" Loki asked, his fingers toying with the pawn.

"I do like the kissing, and when you hold me tight. I feel so very safe. As if no person or force could hurt me." She replied with a blush. He grinned, standing and his fingers brushed her cheek as he walked behind her. His lips ghosted over her jaw and she shivered in delight.

"That is very nice." She said with a giggle. "My stomach feels so strange."

"How so?"

"Like there is a tickle from inside." He tapped her shoulder, his finger making a circle.

"May I kiss here?" He asked her and she nodded. His lips brushed over It, and she gasped, her hands gripping the table to ground her.

"You may stop me at any moment, this is a night where we find eachother. But I will not make you feel any pain or fear Rhee, you have my word." He said, and kissed up the pale skin to her throat. He felt a soft tremble under his lips and she gasped as he found a spot under her ear. Her hand cradled his head, and she bit her lip.

"I trust you my Husband." She whispered, her heart singing how much she loved him as she spoke those words. His hand wrapped around her shoulders and she leaned into him. "I am yours, and you are mine."

"Aye, yours alone," he whispered, as fire licked through him and warmed all the icy places that Boda had frozen. "And I will cherish you always my beautiful, happy, wife. For you fill me with joy, and I am to give you every wish you could ever dream of. All I ask back is that you always love me." He said, and she turned toward him, looking into his eyes. The truth in them shining and she kissed his lips. "I will never hurt you, and I will always love you. My hands are to protect your heart, and nurture your children."

Her hand caressed his cheek and then slipped into his hair, tangling delightedly in the thick sleek strands, dark to her light. "I will never degrade you as she did, nor make you ashamed that you spoke vows with me," she vowed. "For you are the star that I followed out of the dark and there is no one like you in all the realms. And for that I love you best of all."

"The hawk rules the sky," he murmured. "And my heart."

"You make my heart soar," she whispered. "Now tell me what you like."

"I like . . . your arms around me, your hands in my hair, stroking through it like it was fine silk. I like when you kiss me, all fire and sweetness and you do not shrink from me when I hold you close. You do not call me a coldhearted monster, and you love me as I am, imperfect thing though I be."

"We are all imperfect. But true love means finding an imperfect person and seeing how they are perfect—just the way they are." She sought his shirt buttons and slowly undid them, one by one. "You are my perfect, Loki."

Her hands trailed slowly down his neck and he moaned softly in pleasure.

She froze. "Loki, did I hurt you?"

"No, no, love," he assured her, smiling like a lazy cat. "You made me feel something I have never felt before with a woman. You made me feel loved and wanted." He took her hand and placed it on his collarbone. "Touch me again, sweetheart."

She did so and he purred, his eyes lidding like a contented cat's in the sun.

"Rhee..." He whispered and she pointed to a spot over her breast. He looked at it and she smiled gently, her hand taking his and pressing it to that place. She placed her hand over his heart, a silent reminder of their love and she smiled at him. He lifted her in his arms, and she kissed him as he carried her out of the room.

"You bring me to life," he responded, his voice like crushed velvet. "And with this body, I thee worship."

"Make me your true wife, and I only ask that you act as if I am made of the finest glass." She whispered, her lips close to his. She took in a breath, smelling his skin, and the aroma of peppermint, frost, and a tang of spice rose to her nostrils and she wrapped her arm around him.

His hand sparkled with blue and violet sparks. "Tonight our hearts shall beat as one, together entwined upon the spindle of Fate, and you shall know only pleasure as I know only pleasure from you." The sparks drifted over her in a gentle rain, the ancient magic ensuring that even though a maiden, she would feel no pain when they joined together.

"I love you." She whispered, and he smiled at her. He leaned her forehead against hers, and she laughed.

"Say that again. I beg you." He whispered and she laughed, her hands holding his cheeks and she kissed him again.

"I love you, Loki."

"And I love you. Forevermore." His mouth captured hers, she tasted of sweet honey and chocolate and he adored the way her lips fitted to his.

He lay her on the bed, the scent of crushed rose petals surrounding her. The candles smelling of sweet woodruff and lavender danced in their holders alongside the bed. Together they disrobed, and Loki whispered, "My love, tell me what you wish. "

"I wish for you," she purred,her hands sure and pulling him on top of her.

"Are you sure? You need not prove anything to me, my darling. I am patient, I learned in a hard school. I can wait," he told her, hesitating.

"I have something to prove...to myself. That I can be the woman I want to be," she answered as he lay beside her. "I've allowed my fears to lay out my path for me far too long Loki. I want to make my own path...and tonight I'm taking the first steps."

"Then let us take them together, beloved. One step at a time, until the shadows are no more." He lay on the pillow and gazed at her, his green eyes sleepy with desire and love.

She reached for him and as she did so, her father's specter rose mockingly in her head.

 **Go on, stumble and fall but don't expect anyone to be there to catch you.**

 _Oh but there will be and he is right here with me._

 **No man would want you except for one thing,** her father's voice taunted.

 _That was all YOU wanted me for, Father! Your own flesh and blood and your unholy desire for me that made me a prisoner of my fears all these years but no longer! I will not be their prisoner or yours again!_

 **And how shall you defeat me, Rhee? I will always be there between you.**

 _I will defeat you by replacing the pain you've given me with the pleasure I find with my husband in a holy union Father!_

He laughed mockingly _. **Can your half-breed husband give you pleasure? He couldn't with his first one!**_

 _She was a drunkard and a whore who didn't know a real man from a stump!_

Suddenly she burst out laughing

Loki stared at her. "Rhee? What is so funny?"

"I am...oh gods...I am...I am imagining your ex wife...with a stump!"

Loki smirked. "It needed to have something pointed!" Then he began to laugh also. "They did say she could have done it with a statue if it had pants!"

"Oh stop, stop...I can't...oh the imagery..."

Tears of mirth streamed down her cheeks.

"Now you have it in _my_ head . . .Could you see the headlines? Woman Assaults Tree Stump . . .It Was Hard Up!" He laughed so hard his sides ached.

"And she would have splinters in...in..."

"Oh Norns! Oh . . . I can't . . .!" he giggled uncontrollably.

"You! My belly hurts and I'm going blind because I'm crying so much!"

Loki turned and kissed her, his joy and hers melding into one. "My Goldenheart!"

"Teach me how to fly, Loki!" she urged.

"As you wish."

He laughed and proceeded to grant her wish, loving her with every fiber of his being, at turns sweet and gentle, wild and passionate, conjuring magic with the merest brush of his fingers against her sensitive skin, until they lay spent, entwined in each other's arms, their love kindled and spun upon the golden spindle of fate, reborn out of the ashes of despair and darkness, never to be denied again.

The candles flickered, and eventually burned out. And together, a new world opened for the lovers, a world of joy and love they both had never known before.

The jealous morning dawned over the sleeping couple, the fair haired woman safe and protected by the arms of the dark haired man. She stirred, pulling the blanket over herself, and rolled to admire the sleeping face of her husband.

Rhiannon giggled and straightened his hair with her fingers, he opening an eye and smiling at the shy woman bloomed. He ran a thumb over her cheek and sighed, his free arm circling her and he kissed the tip of her nose.

"How do you feel?" He asked her and she giggled.

"Alive. Loved. And in love." She said and he hugged her close to him.

"I have a gift for you," he said and she blushed as he slipped his hand under the pillow. His hand opened over a locket, and she looked suprised at the golden case with the two hawks in flight.

"Oh! Loki, this is gorgeous!" she exclaimed in delight.

"Open it!" he urged, sounding like a child on Yule.

Her fingers undid the clasp and she opened it to reveal a miniature portrait of him, pure love and joy shining out of his face.

She saw the inscription on the inside and nearly cried. _One heart, one soul, a love to last forever, Your Loki._ "This is the most beautiful piece of jewelry I have ever owned!" She held it out to him. "Put it on me, please."

He lifted her hair out of the way and clasped the chain about her neck. "There! It looks lovely."

"I have something for you too!" she rose from the bed, pulling on a wrapper as she did so, and went and got the white box with the green ribbon. "To start our new life together."

"Thank you!" he untied the ribbon eagerly. He lifted the beautiful watch from the box and grinned at how intricate it was. "Rhee, this is splendid!" He carefully opened it and saw her picture and smiled. "Now I will always know what time it is because I will be looking at you all day!" he laughed and then listened to the tune it played. "What a lovely song!"

"It's called "Mischief"," she told him. "Turn it over."

He did so and saw the inscription and blinked back tears of joy. "Your heart is my star, that guides me home safe in your embrace, until time ends. Love always, Rhee." He read aloud. "I will cherish this always, just as I do you, my darling wife." Then he placed it back in the box to wear later. He gave her a speculative look. "You know, I feel like taking a nice hot bath . . . with bubbles." He arched an eyebrow. "Care to join me?"

"I . . .Yes! Let us be wicked today." She grinned, then she scooted off the bed to begin filling the tub, thanking the Norns that Odin had installed indoor plumbing with dwarven engineers before the wedding.

 **A/N: Thanks to my Loki Ladies for their help with this chapter!**


	69. Bubbles, Babies, and Bugs

**69**

 **Bubbles, Babies, and Bugs**

 _Surprise! You've been invaded and the victim of two-year-old blackmail! ~ Loki_

 **A/N: In the interests of preserving your electronic devices, please do not eat or drink anything while reading this chapter! You have been warned!**

The morning sunlight glided across the floor while the door opened and several cats and kitten crept into Balder's room. Natasha was sleeping next to him as her head rested on his chest and her finger lightly moved over his side. Valiant, Balder's cat, hopped onto the bed as he moved closer to Balder's head and the other cats and kittens settled on the tables and the war trunk at the foot of the bed. Suddenly, the cats and kitten screeched as Valiant loudly meowed in Balder's ear and both he and Natasha woke up startled.

"Rrrroooow!"

"By the Nine!" Balder said as he wiggled his finger in his ear and Valiant gave him an amused look. "What was that for?!"

Valiant only turned and swatted him with its tail as the cats and kittens left the room and Natasha gave him a puzzled look.

"What was that all about?" she asked.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling Loki is involved," Balder said and hoped the ringing in his ear stopped soon.

Clint, Bruce, Steve and Tony were awoken to the sound of cats and kittens screeching in their ears then a swat in the face with a tail and Tony smiled.

"I think Reindeer Games got back at me for that little prank we played on him," Tony said and Pepper lightly tapped her fingers on his chest.

"I told you he would," she said and he kissed the top of her head.

RumpleBumple led the other cats and kittens into Thor room as Sif slept under the blankets and Thor was finished getting dressed. He picked Mjolnir off the chair when RumpleBumple nodded and the felines wailed in an unholy chorus. "Mmmrrrrrooow!"

Startled, Thor let go of Mjolnir as the hammer slammed down onto his right foot and the pain nearly crossed his eyes.

"By the Norns!" he yelled as Sif sat up and saw the cats and kittens sitting on the bed. RumpleBumple walked to Thor then swatted him with his tail and Thor looked down. "Why did you do that?!"

Thor lifted the large cat off the floor and held RumpleBumple in his arms while he looked at the other felines. He saw the smug look on Jewel and Trickster's faces when Thor realized who put the cats up to this prank and he laughed.

"What is so funny?" Sif asked.

"It appears my little brother has gotten even for the prank we played on him yesterday," he said, limping to the bed and placed RumpleBumple on the bed next to her.

"Is your foot broken?" she asked and he looked at his foot. It looked swollen and red as he leaned against the pillow and barely wiggled his toes.

"It might be. But it's not the first time I dropped Mjolnir on my foot. I'll go to the infirmary after breakfast," he said, giving her a kiss.

"I knew he was going to get even."

"Aye, so did I," he said and looked at his cat. "What do you think he gave them as payment?"

"I did see them eating pheasant during the wedding feast," she said, rubbing RumpleBumple's ears and the cat purred.

"It was so good," RumpleBumple said with a dreamy look.

"Well, I better get up and see if the others fell victim to the prank," he said as he got up and half limped out of the room. The other cats moved closer to Sif as she smiled then softly laughed, shaking her head.

~0~0~0~

Talia missed her Kwoki terribly. She'd been told numerous times that she would see him soon but the little tot wasn't willing to wait.

Thor was at his wit's end. His foot was throbbing awfully from this morning's mishap with Mjolnir and he was in no mood for his baby sister's antics right then.

"If this is what having kids is like, forget it! I don't _want_ any!" He would sooner be shaved bald, he muttered to himself.

"Why you wanna be shaved bald?" Talia queried.

 _By the Nine, the girl had super hearing!_ "Ummm...ummm...no reason."

"Tor, you say..."

"Never mind what I said."

"But..."

"Kwoki can shave ya bald if you reawwy wanna."

 _Oh and you would too, brother!_ Thor thought bitterly. Not that the Trickster hadn't done it before. Well, he hadn't done the actual shaving but he was the cause _for_ the shaving.

Loki's many excursions to Midgard with Mr. Gold had given him an endless supply of ideas for practical jokes and on this particular day he decided to make everyone think Thor had what they called 'head lice'.

Thor was certain it was payback for the teasing he and Sif had subjected him to though his brother staunchly denied it.

"Thor, there's something crawling in your hair," eleven-year-old Loki had announced at dinner one night.

"No there isn't!" the blond boy argued. But his scalp crawled and he scratched it.

Sure enough there was something crawling in there.

"Ewww...ewww...get it out, get it out!"

Loki moved his chair away from him. "Not me, Brother! I'm not getting your bugs on me!"

"BUGS!"

Several dropped onto his plate.

Maids gasped and screamed in horror.

"He's got those...those...NITS!"

"Frigga, do something!" Odin ordered, looking shocked.

"What?"

"He has to be shaved. That's how you kill em," a maid replied.

"And everything he's had his head near's gotta be scrubbed."

"I don't want my head shaved," Thior bawled.

"If you don't they're gonna come back. Laying eggs in there."

"Eggs! Eggs!" Frigga looked like she was about to faint.

"Hundreds, maybe thousands of em...and this stuff can spread from head to head."

"You mean...we'd all get 'em?" Loki asked fearfully.

"If you don't already."

"And after you cut the hair you gotta burn it."

"I don't want my hair burned!"

"I am not going to have bugs all through this palace either," Frigga said angrily.

"I'll wash it! I'll wash everything just don't shave my hair!" Thor howled.

"Washin's not gonna get 'em out, boy. Probably too many eggs in there now just waitin to hatch." The maid put in.

Thor glared at his brother. "You did this, didn't you!"

"Not my fault you like to go runnin around with greasy hair!"

"He is right, Brother," Balder put in. "I told you to go and take a bath two days ago."

"I hate takin a bath!"

"Yeah we know 'cause you smell bad too!" Loki pointed out.

"I do not!"

"Do too."

"DO NOT!"

"Do too! Cat boxes smell better'n you!"

"Shut up, Loki! Before I knock you inta next week!" Thor snapped, clenching his fist.

"You smell like a horse's rear end too!"

"Enough!" Odin ordered. "You will both behave like princes, am I clear?"

"He started it!" Thor accused.

"And I'M finishing it!"

"Thor, you will take a bath _and_ you will have those...those _bugs_ removed even if we have to cut your hair to do it!" Frigga added angrily.

Thor was seething. He didn't know how Loki did it but he knew his brother was responsible for his predicament, not missing a bath or two.

Suddenly he blinked and came back to the present as Talia tugged on his tunic. "Tor, I see my Kwoki now?"

"Umm...tomorrow you can. he ahhh...needs to be alone for a little while with Rhee."

"Why?"

"Because they just got married."

Talia looked puzzled. "But I wanna see him! I no see him awl night!" she stated, as if it were the worst calamity in the world.

 _Now how am I gonna explain this so she understands?_ he thought

'Why, Tor? Why?" she persisted, getting into her stubborn mode, her sea green eyes glinting with urgency.

"Ahhh..well you see when people get married, they ahhh...wanna be alone with each other for a few days..."

 _Dammit, Loki why didn't YOU explain this to the kid before you left!_

 _I'm a fool to do your dirty work, oh yeah..._ he sang in his head.

"Want my Kwoki!" his baby sister whined. For reasons unknown to any of them, Talia had chosen Loki to hero-worship and latch on to and she was so attached to him that their mother feared the child would become heartbroken when Loki finally left Asgard to return to New York.

"You'll see him when he gets back!" Thor snapped, frustrated. He lacked the patience Loki had with small children.

"Now!" she yelled, glaring at him. As her temper roused, so did her magic, causing a wind to stir.

"I said LATER now stop it!"

"Mean! I tewwing!" she shrieked and raced out of the royal dining hall to find Frigga.

But as she ran down the hallway, she recalled that Loki's room was at the other end of it, and she turned towards it.

Thor was ready to strangle Loki for taking off and leaving them to deal with his holy terror.

Claire, Loki's cleaning maid, had just arrived at the room and knocked. Loki called from the bathroom. "Is that you, Claire?"

"Yes, My Prince. I am here to fix the bed and dust. May I come in?"

"Yes. But just dust the sitting room and make the bed for now. We will be occupied in the bathroom."

She giggled. "Of course!"

 _Bathtime_! Talia thought from her hiding place. _Love bathtime!_

She'd forgotten her bath toys but it was too late to go back and get them now

Claire went to grab the dust cloth and then realized she had forgotten the lemon oil in the closet. By the Nine, I am so scatterbrained! she scolded herself and then left to fetch the oil.

Talia darted out of the shadow of the pillar by Loki's door and scurried into the room.

She couldn't wait to surprise him.

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Loki had just stepped into the huge tub with Rhiannon. They had chosen wintergreen cranberry bubble bath and the water would have been deemed cool by anyone's standards except a half-Jotun's. But for Rhiannon and Loki, the water was delightfully warm and smelled glorious.

"Would you like me to wash your back, darling?" Loki purred, picking up the loofah.

"If you wish..."

Smirking, her husband ran the sponge around her back in circles, massaging and lightly scrubbing her silken skin. "How's that feel?" his mouth was inches from her ear.

"Divine," she giggled, turning and looking at him archly. "Wash my hair?"

"As my lady wife wishes," he responded, and lathered her golden tresses with the apple shampoo she loved. As he massaged his fingers through her hair, he told her a funny story about Thor and him when they were children, and how he had played a prank upon his brother that made everyone think he had contracted lice.

"How did you manage that one?" Rhiannon laughed.

"I swapped his comb for one a servant's child who actually had lice had used. And then I glamoured it to look like my brother's. It was revenge for him saying I behaved like a girl because I preferred my books over running ten laps around the practice field and pounding the practice dummy into the ground." Loki answered, rinsing her hair. He sniffed appreciatively. "You smell good enough to eat, love!" He kissed her neck.

"You keep that up and we're going to have to cut this bath short..."

"I don't know as I'd really mind that . . ." he admitted. "Would you?"

"Let me think about it..." she murmured, chuckling.

"While you're thinking, would you wash my hair?" he asked, and switched places with her.

"I'd love to!"

She found the fresh rain smelling shampoo he used and lathered it into his hair.

Loki leaned back as her slender fingers rubbed it through his scalp, luxuriating in the feel of his wife's touch and the cool water with the bubbles all around him.

"Baftime! Yay! I come in!"

"Nine Hels!" Loki yelped. "Talia?!" His evergreen eyes were wider than saucers. "No!"

"I wanna play in the bubbles!"

Rhiannon began trying to cover herself with as many of the bubbles as she could. "Loki!" Rhiannon cried. "Talia, please go away!" she sank further into the bubbles so the child would not see something she shouldn't, forgetting her husband still had soap in his hair.

"But I wanna play!' she wailed. "Lemme in!"

Soap dripped into Loki's partially opened eyes.

"Ow! Nine Hels, ladybug!" he yelped, his eyes stinging so much he couldn't concentrate on a spell.

"Kwoki, why you n'Rhee takin'a baf togedder?" the nosy little imp asked.

"Ummm, well..." Rhiannon blushed.

"Cause boys 'n girls not 'llowed to baf togedder."

Loki groped for a washcloth. "Ow! Blast! Talia, what are you doing in here?" he groaned, as he dabbed his eyes with the clean cloth, blushing like a sunset.

"Miss you!"

"By the Nine, ladybug!" he sighed. He hastily covered himself with bubbles.

"Kwoki mad?"

"No, but . . . you really shouldn't be in here," he muttered.

"Why?"

"Uh . . . because . . . it's not proper . . . umm . . ." Loki stammered, his silver tongue deserting him.

His baby sister put her hands on her hips, imitating her mother.

"You baffing togedder an tats not...roper!"

 _Norns help me!_ Loki thought. _I am being lectured by a two-year-old!_

"Yous in big twouble cause m'gonna teww!"

"What? What do you mean you're gonna tell!?" Loki's eyes almost popped from his head. "Talia Elayne, you be a good girl now and keep this a secret."

Behind him Rhiannon gasped.

"Nope 'm tewwing 'wess you wet me come in!"

 _Good Gods he's being BLACKMAILED_ , Rhee thought. _By a toddler!_

"Now listen, ladybug . . ." Loki began, scrambling for words to distract the little imp. "This tub isn't big enough for three of us and . . . and . . . you can take a bath after we're done, okay?"

"No! Wanna baf NOW!"

Rhiannon winced. Talia in a temper could wake the dead in Valhalla.

Loki scowled warningly. "Young lady, do not scream at me. No tantrums or else you know what you get."

"You MEAN! Lemme take a baf!"

"Sweet Valhalla on a ski sled!" Loki moaned. Why did these things always happen to him? "Let's make a deal."

"Kay what?"

"You can take a bath with Rhee. But first you need to go into the bedroom so I can get out of the tub. And if I let you do that, you do not say anything about what you saw us doing. Deal?"

If looks could kill the god would've been dead on the spot.

Loki put his head in his hand. _Why me? Norns, this is worse than when Aleta walked in on me in the shower!_

"Fine! I baf wif Rhee!"

"Now scoot, ladybug!" he made a shooing motion with one hand. Bubbles flew across the tile.

"I be back!"

"Now do you want to tell me how you plan to get us out of this one?' Rhee demanded once she was out of earshot.

"I'm sorry! But she caught me by surprise," he muttered. "I can't cast a memory altering spell on her. I won't use my magic like that on children."

"Then I guess we can indulge her but you owe me for this!"

"Yes, dear," he sighed. "This was _not_ how I planned on spending this morning." He stepped out of the tub, treating her to a scrumptious glimpse of his naked backside before he summoned a towel to dry himself off.

"Just for _that_ you owe me DOUBLE!"

He turned and lifted his eyebrow. "Whoa there, Spitfire. Thor was supposed to be watching her." Loki wondered if Thor had deliberately let Talia in his room to get back at him for the wake up call the cats had given him that morning.

She leaned back in the tub and grinned at him. "So you'd better save your energy. because I will wear you out."

"Aye, my golden hawk," he laughed, and pulled on his clothes, slowly so she could enjoy the view.

"RHEE READY FOR MY BAF!"

"Oh no...she's coming..."

And the timing couldn't have been worse.

Loki swore in Old Norse. Then he went to pull his pants up and tripped over the towel. Next thing he knew he was sitting on the floor. _Real smooth, Laufeyson!_

Rhiannon couldn't help laughing.

"Rhiannon! It's not funny!" he cried, flushing. "Talia, you wait right there!"

"Why?"

"Never mind why!" he cried, yanking his pants up. "Mimir's Eye!"

"This was your idea!" Rhee taunted.

"Hurry up wanna baf!"

"If you have a better idea, Goldenheart, now's the time to tell me," he groused as he snatched up his tunic and pulled it on.

She threw up her hands helplessly. "I wish I did!"

He huffed and opened the door. "Okay, ladybug. Your bath awaits." He gestured inside.

Talia ran into the bathroom. "Gotta go potty," she informed him. "Kwoki hewp."

"I'll get her," Rhee offered.

Talia shook her head. "Want my Kwoki."

Loki sighed. "Okay. Yggdragsil's Roots!"

After she had finished, she looked up at him expectantly. "Where my sticker, Kwoki?"

"It's in my backpack," he sighed. "You can have it after you take your bath."

"'Kay!" she sang and held her arms up so her could take her dress off.

She made a beeline for the tub and jumped in. Water and bubbles splashed everywhere.

"Talia, by the Nine!" Loki groaned.

"I take baf wif Rhee!" the intrepid minx sang.

Loki rolled his eyes. "Little minx!" _That was what I was supposed to be doing!_ He huffed and walked out of the bathroom, thinking, _next time I am locking the damn door to the bathroom!_

While Loki tended to Talia, Sif had helped Thor walk to the infirmary. His right foot had swollen to the point he couldn't keep his boot on and the pain in his eyes made her feel like crying. Stefan saw them as he walked closer and Sif sat Thor on the bench.

"What happened?" Stefan asked.

"Loki happened," Thor said.

"What did he do?"

Thor explained the prank he, Balder, Bruce, Tony, Steve and Clint pulled on Loki the morning of the wedding then about the cats and kittens wake-up call and Stefan tried hard not to laugh.

"Follow me," Stefan said as they headed into the examination room and Sif helped Thor onto the examination bed. Stefan looked at the screen as he pushed the buttons and Thor looked up at the ceiling.

"Sif, do you remember the trick Loki played on my and told everyone I had head lice?" Thor asked, glancing at her.

"Yes, I remember. You had to take a bath and your mother had to cut your hair down to the scalp." Sif said.

"I heard that story," Stefan said as he looked up from the screen. "You needed a special cream to stop the itching."

"That isn't as bad at what Loki did to me."

"What did he do?"

"Believe it of not, but this is not my real hair," she said and Stefan gave her a puzzled look. Everyone had always commented on how beautiful Sif's dark locks were and some noble women suggested it had to be a wig.

"Aye, it's true. She used to be a blonde," Thor said.

"What happened?" Stefan asked.

"It was right before my coming of age party," Sif said as her mind drifted back to that day and she sighed. "I was walking by the training arena and stopped to watch Loki sparring with an older boy. He was royally trounced and the boy said he fought like a girl..."

"His name was Lothar and we had "words" afterwards," Thor said with a growl.

"But what you didn't know was I had told Lothar Loki didn't fight like a girl as much as he fought like a toddler," Sif said with a shake of her head. "If I had know how hurt he was, I would have apologized on the spot. Lothar agreed then he started flirting with me. He said my hair was like silken sheaves of wheat and it was my best feature. That I could get any man with hair like that. I was humbled, but Loki must have thought me being bald would scare off any suitor. During the night, he slipped into my room and cut then shaved off my hair. When I awoke the next morning, I was totally bald. My mother assured me my hair would grow back, but Loki had cast a spell to prevent it from growing back. We went before Odin and Frigga and I told the AllFather what had happened."

"How did Odin react?" Stefan asked.

"He was angry more at Loki then at me! He demanded Loki craft a wig to replace my hair and Loki complied. What I didn't know was he used some darkness of night on the wig and cast a spell so the hair would fit permanently to my head and the hair would grow. When Loki placed the wig on my head, I was shocked with how it looked and told him it was perfect."

"It is," Thor said with a smile then looked at Stefan. "Is my foot broken?"

"I am afraid so," Stefan said with a nod. "Nothing I can't fix."

"Good," Thor said and, after Stefan had set the bones and wrapped Thor's foot in a cast, Thor was placed in a hospital bed. Sif returned to the palace to explain to Odin and Frigga what had happened and assured them Thor would return before dinner.

~0~0~0~

Loki was grumbling a little to himself about his newlywed time with his wife being interrupted as he waited for Rhiannon and Talia to finish with their bath. He drank a cup of coffee that was waiting on the tray on the table in the sitting room. He did not touch the lovely breakfast though of fluffy bacon and cheese omelets, fried onion potatoes, strawberries, and cinnamon toast shaped like hearts. He just cast a keep warm charm over it so it would be hot while he waited for Rhee to come out.

There came a hasty knock at the door and Balder called, "Loki? Rhee? Are you two decent?"

"Come in, Brother," Loki called.

Balder pushed open the door, his midnight blue tunic slightly askew. "Sorry if I'm interrupting, but have you seen Talia? The little scamp got away from Thor and he had to go to the infirmary because he dropped Mjolnir on his foot."

Loki groaned. "Hel, again?"

Balder nodded. "He got surprised by the feline alarm clock this morning."

Loki shook his head. "Oh Norns! I never meant for that to happen. I will go see him later."

"Have you seen our baby sister? I figured she might have come here."

Loki nodded. "She did. She is with Rhee, taking a bath, the little imp!"

"By the Nine! Loki, I'm sorry, we should have kept an eye on her . . ." Balder sighed regretfully. "But that scamp is quicker than greased lightning. And stubborn as Thor when she wants something."

"The something being me," Loki surmised.

"Aye. We told your children you and Rhee needed some adult time, and they just laughed and said TMI—whatever that means." The warrior prince told him.

"That stands for Too Much Information," Loki explained. "Meaning they don't want to know any details."

"I see," his brother replied. "So how are you enjoying married life with your new bride?"

"It's wonderful. So far," Loki said, grinning. "Now if only a certain little girl would go and play with her nieces . . ."

As if he had conjured her, Talia walked out of the bathroom.

Starkers, wearing Rhee's lacy bra that Loki had bought for her for the honeymoon. It was lavender and very eyecatching, especially on a two-year-old with nothing else on.

"Kwoki! I's a big gwirl now!"

"Nine Hels!" Balder cried, gaping like a landed fish. "Loki! She has . . . uh . . . holy Valhalla . . . Rhee's . . .!"

Coffee spewed out of Loki's mouth.

"Sweet Valhalla on a ski sled, ladybug!" Loki managed to gasp before he burst out laughing while simultaneously turning scarlet. He doubled over, his eyes streaming tears. "Oh . . . oh Norns . . . help me . . .!"

"Put some clothes on, little sister!" Balder stammered.

"I wear big gwirl clothes wike Rhee!" Talai declared proudly.

Balder face palmed himself.

Loki nearly asphyxiated from laughing. Then he heard a click and saw his wife leaning against the doorjamb, holding his phone and giggling while blushing, clad in her robe and slippers.

"Rhee!" he protested.

"What's good for the goose is good for the gander!" she teased, waving the phone at him. "By the Nine, Loki, I think I am missing some personal items!"

Loki pointed to Talia. "I believe that belongs to you."

"Somebody corral that wild filly!" Balder muttered while trying not to laugh from behind his hand.

Both the God of Mischief and his Healer wife cracked up laughing while Talia looked from one to the other and frowned.

"It not funny, Kwoki! I'm a big gwirl!"

"Oh Norns!" Rhiannon gasped and then swooped down and covered Talia with a towel. "Talia, suppose we get you dressed like a big girl?" She ushered the toddler back into the bathroom and shut the door.

The brothers then heard hysterical laughter coming from inside.

"Brother, is that kind of thing normal behavior for little girls?" Balder asked Loki.

"Uh, yeah, it is. You mean you don't know? Your daughter never did anything like try on Karnilla's clothes?" Loki chuckled.

Balder shook his head. "If she did, I certainly never knew about it."

"Well, there's never a dull moment when you have a toddler around," Loki smirked. "Especially when you ask what have you got in your hand?"

Balder raised an eyebrow. "What happens then?"

"They run away like their butt is on fire," Loki replied gleefully. "Because usually they've touched something they shouldn't."

The two brothers started laughing again.

"Hel, this reminds me of the time you ran down the hallway when you were a toddler," Balder said as he calmed down.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Loki said with a blank look.

"You were around her age. It was bath night. You had gotten out of the tub and you were covered with bubbles. Running down the hallway, you were screeching and telling everyone who saw you you were a bubble monster."

"I bubba mon'ter!" echoed in Loki's head as the memory of smiling servants giving him a mocked shock look and he growled at them.

"I had gotten out of the tub to chase after you . . ."

"Loki, get back here!" filled his head and a small smile moved across Loki's lips.

"Halgran had left Thor with one of the maids and came running after us."

"Get back here, you little imps!" Halgran's voice said and Loki felt like laughing again.

The palace guards concealed grins and stared up at the ceiling. But none of them ever forgot their two little princes running starkers through the palace.

"Now I remember. Didn't Helgran give you an interesting nickname afterwards?" Loki asked.

"Yes, she did," he said with a nod.

Loki struggled to recall what Halgran had nicknamed Balder but the memory was fuzzy and he couldn't grasp it.

Balder thanked the Norns his brother didn't seem to recall it, because it was pretty embarrassing. But then, Halgran had always called a spade a spade.

 _Oh well,_ Loki thought. _I will recall it eventually._ Then he wondered how the rest of the family would react when he told them the tale of the Bra Baby.

"Dad, are you and Rhee awake?" came from the hallway as the kids entered the room and Loki sighed.

 _Am I not going to have any alone time with my bride?_ he thought and Aleta and Max ran to him.

"Morning!" the toddlers said together and he knelt down to hug them.

"Where's Rhee?" Sam asked.

"She is getting Talia dressed," he said as he stood.

"Why is Talia in here?" Hunter asked and Loki told them what happened.

His son nearly busted a gut laughing. "OMG, Dad! She's like up your butt!"

The girls started laughing as he rolled his eyes and Aleta reached for the phone.

"I wanna see the photo," she said and he showed the kids the photo.

"You need to send that to Uncle Tony," Max said.

"No, there is no way anyone is going to see this," Loki said.

"Yes, Loki, spare us!" Balder chuckled. "My virgin eyes!"

Loki snorted. "Your virgin eyes, Brother? They stopped being that when you were thirteen and saw Ryka the kitchen maid and Sven in the hayloft!"

"What were they doing in the hayloft?" Aleta asked.

"Ahem! Never mind, spark," Loki answered.

"But I wanna know!" she persisted.

"They were . . . ah . . . playing Leap Frog," Balder answered.

The other kids burst out laughing.

"What's so funny bout Leap Frog?" Aleta asked Max.

He shrugged. "I don't know."

"Grown ups are weird," Lucy stated.

The door opened when Rhiannon and Talia walked out of the bathroom and Talia ran to Loki.

"I dwessed now. Can we go haf bweakfast?" Talia asked, wrapping her arm around his leg.

"I believe Loki and Rhee wish to have breakfast in here," Balder said.

"But I wanna eat with him!"

"You can eat lunch with me," Loki said as he looked down. "But, first I think you need to go see Thor."

"Why?"

"He dropped his hammer on his foot and had to go to the infirmary,"

"Tor huwt his foot?"

"Yes, and I think he needs a big hug. Can you go give him one?"

"Yeah! I do dat!"

"Then let's go see him," Balder said as he held out his hand and she took his hand. They watched him leave the room as Loki nodded his head and smiled.

"Well, let's go eat and leave them alone," Sam said and ushered the kids out of the room.

"Thank you," he mouthed as she closed the door and he turned to look at Rhiannon.

"Now . . . where were we?" he queried seductively, waving a hand and the door locked.

"I think we were having a bath," she said, walking closer then took his hand before leading him to the bathroom.

The dining hall was full as Loki led Rhiannon inside for a light lunch and they walked to the table. He had made a mental note to go see Thor later as he helped Rhiannon sit down and the kids smiled at him.

"So, I heard you had something funny happen this morning," Tony said and Loki glared at Balder.

"I didn't say a word," Balder said, holding his hands up.

"No, Talia is telling everyone about her bath," Sif said as she giggled.

Loki face palmed himself. "Great! I knew she couldn't keep it a secret." He glanced apologetically at his wife. "Sorry."

"It's fine," she whispered, patting his hand.

"Hand it over," Tony said as he held out his hand.

"Hand over what?" Loki asked.

"Your phone. I want to see the photo."

"Tony, stop, he's embarrassed enough," Pepper said. Sighing, Loki handed him his phone and Tony and Pepper looked at the photo. "Oh, she looks so cute!"

Tony broke out laughing as he handed the phone to Clint and Clint snickered.

"Reminds me of when our daughter did that," Clint said and his wife nodded.

"I did not!" his daughter protested.

"I have the photos," he said, lightly ruffling her hair.

Natasha looked at the photo then she looked at Balder and he slid his arm around her shoulders.

"I cannot wait for our daughter to do something like this," he whispered and she nodded. She handed the phone to Steve as he looked at the photo and blushed. Bruce blushed as well when he handed the phone back to Loki and Loki placed his phone away.

"I guess all kids go through their naked phase," Tony said after he calmed down.

"Loki ran down the hall naked once," Balder reported, chuckling, then told them the story about the bubble monster. They howled as Loki rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"I remember that day," Frigga said. "Afterwards, Helgran called you "Streaker."

"She called Loki that?!" Steve asked, his eyes wide.

"No, she called Balder that," she said with an amused look.

"Yes, that was the nickname!" Loki said and Balder blushed.

"I bet you looked just adorable in your birthday suit, Streaker," Natasha murmured and Balder buried his face in his hands as he snorted a laugh.

"Mo-o-ther!" he groaned.

"What?" Frigga asked innocently.

Her son sighed and wished that Asgardians developed memory loss like mortals. This was too embarrassing for words!

"Wait till Thor sees," Bruce remarked. "He might laugh himself off the bed!"

"Laughter is the best medicine," Rhiannon grinned. She eyed her mother-in-law. "So did little Thor ever do something like that?"

"Yes, at my house when he was de-aged," Loki answered. "Bubble trouble!"

"Here too," Odin replied.

"Tell, Father!" Rhiannon begged, her cobalt eyes shining.

"Yes, let's hear it," Loki urged. "Because I don't know this story."

"Yes! This ought to be good!" Sam giggled to Peter.

They leaned forward expectantly to listen.

Odin cleared his throat. "I believe this was when Thor was three, and Loki was a baby." He looked at his grandchildren. "Your uncle was mighty fond of playing like he was me fighting off enemies of Asgard. One day he went into the armory and took my helmet off its stand and put it on, along with my cloak and one of my leather tunics . . ."

Everyone giggled at the thought of a little Thunderer wearing a too big helmet and tunic.

Odin smiled reminiscently. "Of course, the helmet was too big and slid over his eyes. And my tunic was swimming on him. But he marched out of that armory with his toy hammer and ran down the hall after one of my hunting hounds bellowing, "I am Tor, God of T'uner!"

Everyone started laughing.

"The dog ran, Thor ran and well . . . my tunic slipped off him and next thing you know he was naked wearing my helmet and waving the hammer. There was some fancy dignitary from Vanaheim visiting with his wife, and they were very . . . ahh . . . prim and proper. They came out of their room and processed towards the mead hall," Odin struggled to keep a straight face. "Just as Thor came streaking down the hallway. You never saw a man turn so red in your life. I thought he was going to have apoplexy! And his wife took one look at my son and fainted dead away!"

Tony and Steve doubled over laughing.

Odin chuckled. "She was a . . . rather hefty lady and the thud she made when she hit the floor . . .My dog started howling!" Then he began to laugh too, until tears came out of his eye.

"I wish . . . you had gotten a picture!" Loki snickered. "That would have been priceless!"

"Yeah, Mr. Loki! Blackmail city!" Peter giggled.

"You better believe it!" the God of Mischief smirked.

~0~0~0~

A bored Thunder God looked up from reading a military history of the Muspelheim War as Loki and Rhiannon entered his hospital room. "Hello, Loki and Rhee. I guess Sif told you about my silly accident."

"What are you reading?" Rhiannon asked. "Is it a good book?"

Her new brother shrugged. "I've read it before."

"She did and I apologize," Loki began. "I never meant to make you hurt yourself, the cats were only supposed to wake you up."

Thor waved a hand in dismissal. "I was already up. And my palm was wet from washing my hands so it's really my own fault Mjolnir slipped."

"Nevertheless, I am sorry you were hurt."

Thor rolled his eyes. "Loki, I've hurt myself worse during a spar, so quit beating yourself up for it. The only thing that's bothering me right now is the fact that I am bored to death in here."

"Yes," Loki said, walking to the chair near the bed and placed his hands behind his back. "I hope it's not too badly broken."

"No, it's not."

Suddenly, the cats and kittens ran into the room as they headed for the bed and hopped up. RumpleBumple strolled over to sit on Thor's lap and Thor saw the sorrow in his pet's eyes.

"Oh, don't look at me like that," he said with a grin and scratched RumpleBumple's ear. "I am not angry with any of you."

"That is good to know," RumpleBumple said.

"He said that was good to know," Loki translated, picking up Trickster.

"But I am a little sore with you," he said as he looked at Loki.

"Are you saying you weren't expecting me to retaliate from the prank you pulled on me?" Loki asked.

"I was expecting it."

"I am still sorry you were injured."

"As I am sorry for scaring you."

"Now, that is over with," Rhiannon said as she walked to Loki then carefully sat on the edge of the bed. "You need to tell him what happened with Talia."

"Has something happened to our sister?!" Thor asked, getting worried.

"Perhaps this will cheer you up," Loki took out his phone. "While you were in here, Talia was trying to grow up in two seconds."

"What are you talking about?" Thor asked and Loki handed him the phone. Thor looked at the photo when he started laughing and shook his head. "Oh, by the Norns, that is so funny!"

"Not as funny as what happened before that," Rhiannon said and told him about their interrupted bath. The thunderous laughter spread through the infirmary as Loki rolled his eyes and puffed out a breath of air.

"I am never going to live this down, am I?" Loki asked.

"Not for a while," Thor said as he handed Loki back the phone.

"At least she wasn't walking around with a helmet on her head and causing a woman to faint," Rhiannon teased and Loki reminded Thor about what he had done as a toddler.

"Father said she caused a large dent in the floor after she fell," Thor said, giggling at the memory.

"That must have been the talk of the palace for weeks!" Rhiannon laughed.

"It was," Thor nodded. Then he said with a smirk, "Next time, Little Brother, when you want to be alone with your wife-shut the damn door!"

"It was shut. I just forgot to lock it," Loki said.

"And how many children do you have?!"

"Good point."

"So, when are you leaving for your honeymoon?" Thor asked.

Loki looked at Rhee. "Would you like to leave for Avaross tomorrow?" he asked her. Avaross was a secret island also known as the Archmage's Retreat, it was a magical haven for nearly extinct creatures and Loki had a tower there. Only he and one other person were ever permitted on the island and it was a place of peace and serenity unmatched in all the Nine. No one could get to it except Loki and whoever he chose to bring with him.

"Yes, that will be fine," she said.

"I just hope a certain little girl will allow you to leave," Thor said.

"I'm sure Mother will be able to handle that," Loki said when a cloud moved over his face. "I'm just wondering what to do once I have to go back to Midgard."

"You'll think of something, Brother," Thor said.

Loki prayed his clever brain could come up with a solution, because he didn't wish to imagine what kind of misery a brokenhearted toddler would put the palace through.

"Hel, I am bored," Thor said as he looked at the ceiling.

"When did Stefan say you could go back to the palace?" Loki asked.

"He said something about before dinner."

"Well, it is before dinner," his litter brother said with a grin and Thor nodded.

"I'll go see if I can find him," Rhiannon said, leaving the room and Loki sat on the chair. He looked at Thor when Thor noticed the worry in his eyes and frowned.

"What ails you, Brother?" Thor asked.

"I was thinking about Amora. She hasn't done anything since we freed the Shadowlings."

"She knows she has been beaten and, hopefully, will leave us alone."

"I hope you're right," he said as Rhiannon and Stefan entered the room and Stefan walked to the bed,

"I've been told you feel well enough to go back to the palace," he said.

"Aye. My foot does ache, but not bad enough for me to stay in bed," Thor said.

"Then let me do one final check and get you a walking boot. Once you get back, I need you to sit and keep that foot raised."

"I promise," Thor said. After Stefan examined him then helped him get the walking boot on, Thor followed his brother and sister-in-law back to the palace and the cats and kittens followed close behind them.


	70. The Grace of Avaross

**70**

 **The Grace of Avaross**

 _A sweet interlude to refresh and rejuvenate the soul, mind, body, and heart. Such is the Peace of Avaross. ~ Loki_

Upon waking the next morning, Loki found Rhiannon's arm and leg wrapped about him, she slept entwined in his embrace, and he was reluctant to release her. So he stayed where he was upon the pillow, his wife relaxed against him in a boneless heap, while his cat slept upon the pillow beside his ear. Today they would go to Avaross, he mused, and spend a week there upon the island none save the Archmage of Asgard could trod-unless he chose to bring another with him. Which almost never happened. Loki wondered if Astra had ever taken Laufey there. It might have been so, given that she trusted the Jotun king with all her secrets. Then too, time on the island ran differently than time upon Asgard, Avaross was outside the main time stream, and so a week spent upon its peaceful shores would amount to but a day in Asgard.

Sunlight spilled across the light sheet over the newlyweds, and turned Rhiannon's hair to glittering gold. Loki smiled as he gazed upon his wife, thinking he was truly blessed to have such a lady at his side and sharing his life, his heart, and his bed.

He glided the backs of his fingers across her shoulder, enjoying the silken feel of her skin on his. She stirred at his touch, her lashes sweeping up until he cobalt eyes gazed into his own. "Good morning, darling."

"Good morning," she murmured. She noticed how the sunlight caused some of his dark locks to shimmer in a blue glow and how dark his emerald green eyes looked. Her mind wandered to waking up and seeing silver and white sprinkled in the dark hair like stars and small crows feet etched in the corners of his eyes.

"Did you sleep well?" Rhiannon asked.

"I never slept better," he said then lightly kissed the tip of her nose. She moved so her head was resting on the center of his chest and his soft and steady heartbeat comforted her. She giggled when a low growl from his stomach filled her ear and he moved his fingertips over her arm. "What is so amusing?"

"Your stomach is growling."

"Should we get up and have some breakfast?"

"No, someone will bring us something. Are you excited about our trip?"

"I am. Avaross is a place of peace and renewal. You will see when we arrive. It is also a place where none can disturb us save the wild creatures who make it their home."

"Does that mean we don't have to lock the door?" she teased and his chest rumbled with his giggle.

"Yes, we don't have to lock the door."

"Did you create this haven of yours?" she asked curiously.

"No. The First Archmage, Mimir, did so. The island was always there, in the Northern Sea. Mimir simply placed wards upon it so none could trespass and then he took the island out of time. He built a tower upon it and allowed the wild creatures of magic to come and dwell there-because even then they were in danger of being hunted to extinction or of dying off because their habitats were being lost as people settled in the wold places of Asgard. Avaross is also built upon the intersection of almost all the planet's lay lines-the magical lines of Power that crisscross the earth which a mage can draw upon for energy. It is how Mimir created the spell to take Avaross out of time and to fix a Gate for him to travel from here to there."

"Do you use the Gate as well?"

"Yes. It is easier than conjuring up one myself."

"What sort of creatures live on the island? Are they dangerous?"

Loki shook his head. "Not really. There are some predators, but they keep to their territory and they hunt only for food. And they do not see me or any I bring with me as such. There is a balance there that is found nowhere else, and you can wander freely and not worry about coming to harm."

"I must sound like a child."

"No, it's natural to wonder about places you haven't been to before. I used to ask questions when Father would take Thor and I with him to visit neighboring realms."

Rhiannon went silent as she listened to his breathing and heartbeat and moved her hand down his chest to his stomach.

A light tap came from the door as it opened.

"Kwoki, you 'wake?" Talia asked as she looked around the side of the door.

"Yes, ladybug. We're awake," he said and she walked in the room. She headed for the bed as she climbed up and Rhiannon moved the sheet up to cover herself. "Good morning."

"Morning."

"Did you need something?"

"Mama say you go bye-bye."

"Yes, Rhee and I are going on our honeymoon,"

"I wanna go."

"I know you do, but we're just going to be gone for a day."

"Reawy?"

"Well, where we're going is out of time, so it will be a week for us while only a day passes here."

"Okey, but you pwomise to come back. I'll miss you if you go 'way fowebber."

Loki felt an ache in his chest over the thought of when they would have to go back to New York and he held his arms out. Talia snuggled onto his lap after he had sat up and he wrapped his arms around her.

"I promise we'll come back, but there might come a time when Rhee, Fenris, Sam, Lucy, Abby, Aleta, Belle, Serena, Hunter, Nate, Vince, Max and I have to go to Midgard."

"Why you go thewe?"

"That's where I live."

"You wive hewe!"

"But not all the time."

"Can I...? Can I go dere and see you?"

"Yes, I think Father and Mama will bring you for visits."

"And you take me fun pwaces?"

"Yes, we can go to fun places."

"And you come visit?"

"Yes, we'll all come and visit you."

"But I miss you."

"And I'll miss you."

"I'm sure we'll find away for you two to talk to each other while he's on Midgard," Rhiannon said and Talia nodded.

"Yes, I'll have to think on that," Loki murmured, kissing the top his his baby sister's head. Her hair smelled like strawberries from the shampoo Frigga used to wash it.

"Would you like to have breakfast with us?" Rhiannon asked and Talia nodded.

A short time later, breakfast was served and the three of them ate breakfast in bed.

Afterwards, Loki sent the little minx to get dressed and they got dressed also. Servants brought their trunks and Loki's backpack by the courtyard to be sent through once he opened the Gate. Then Loki and Rhiannon went to see the rest of their children and bid them goodbye and remind them to not drive their uncles and grandparents crazy while they were gone.

"Have fun, you two!" Sam waved at them from the castle entrance.

"Don't get sunburned!" Hunter laughed.

"Bye, Mommy and Daddy!" Max and Aleta chorused, holding onto Fenris and Jorgy's hands.

Rhiannon felt excited yet nervous at the same time as she stood by the trunks and he walked to her.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yes," she said and Loki opened the Gate.

He gestured for her to preceed him through the glowing portal, where she could see a stretch of sandy beach below the green marble stones of the tower courtyard. The tower was on a grassy knoll, with a sparkling stone path winding down towards the beach. Flowering shrubs and tall fir trees flanked the tower entrance on either side, and gold runes were etched into the stone

The air was filled with the aroma of flowers while white birds with long curly tails flew overheard and the sound of wind chimes came from her left. She didn't hear Loki walk up behind her as he slid his arms around her and she leaned back against him.

"Oh... This place... This place is amazing!" she said as he smiled and she placed her hands on top of his.

Taking her hand, he led her up the sparking stone path towards the beach and the sand shimmered in the sunlight.

The water was a bright blue and green and she loved how clear the water was. He led her to the water then helped her remove her shoes and she felt the cool water flow over her toes. He removed his boots as he placed her shoes and his boots on the sand and they started walking.

Time did seem to stop as they walked, but neither of them spoke. She leaned against him as he slid his arm around her and she held him around his waist.

The soft shush of the waves on the shore lulled them into a kind of dream like state, and the breeze ruffled their hair, singing a soothing refrain.

Loki stopped to pick up a shell as he dusted the sand off and showed the shell to her. The mother of pearl on the inside of the shell was glowing with a rainbow of colors and the outer shell was a soft pink color.

"We should bring that back for Talia," she said. Loki looked for two more shells, one for Aleta and one for Max, as he picked them up and placed them in his pocket. A short time later, they returned to the arch as he moved her closer and lightly kissed her lips.

"Shall we go to the tower now?" Loki asked and she nodded.

He waved a hand and their trunks were transported to their bedroom and he led the way inside the tower, opening the doors with a gentle push. He spoke two words and the runes glowed softly as they passed. "Now the tower will recognize your magical aura, and will permit you to come and go."

Nodding, Rhiannon took a step, but yelped when he picked her up and carried her over the doorway. She held onto him as he carried her to the middle of the main hallway then set her on her feet. The doors closed behind them as he looked deeply into her eyes and she reached up to brush a stray hair out of his eyes.

"Now we are finally alone," he said. She gave him a shy smile when he took her hand and took her on a tour of the first floor of the tower.

Beyond the entry way was a tall spiral staircase that led up into the higher recesses of the tower. Along the right side was a large sitting room with comfy chairs, a thick rug woven of soft wool, a mahogany table and a marble fireplace. There were shelves of books along the walls and a large window that looked out upon a green lawn that sloped down to a thick forest.

Rhiannon walked to the bookcase, peering at the books then she removed one of them that seemed interesting. He watched her look through the book when he gazed at the painting over the marble fireplace and blinked. With a wave of his hand, the painting changed to a portrait of Rhiannon in her wedding gown and she nearly dropped the book when she saw the portrait.

"Loki...!" she gasped and he softly laughed.

"I never liked that painting. This is much better," he said, walking to her and placed the book back on the shelf.

"We will have plenty of time to read later," he assured her. "Come, let me show you where my workroom is, and the kitchen and the storeroom."

She followed him out of the room when they went down the hallway and he opened the large carved wooden door. "This room is warded so that no magic will escape and do damage to anything or anyone in the tower," he explained. She stepped in the room, looking at the tables near the walls, the bookcases filled with books, scrolls and parchments and the large table at the center of the room. The ceiling was covered in a painting of the Nine Realms as well as Yggdrasil and the World Tree seemed to shine in a gold light.

Two large oak cabinets stood between three long windows and small shelves lined the walls.

Rhiannon wondered what was in the jars and bottles, but she was a little startled by the small animal skull sitting on the shelf.

"That was here when I first came to the tower," Loki said.

He led her out of his workroom when they headed for the kitchen and she was shocked with how large the kitchen was. A large kitchen island was at the center of the room with two large stoves to the left of the room and the sunlight came from the stain glass windows.

"Do you know how to cook?" Loki asked.

"My father forced me to learn. He said my cooking was terrible," she said then lowered her head. "He accused me of trying to poison him more than once. Kara taught me how to make the biscuits and the meat pies we ate on our picnic, but otherwise I am not very good."

"Rhee," he said, sliding her arms around her and kissed the side of her head.

"Will you teach me how to cook? I would like to learn how to cook our children's favorite foods."

His heart jumped when she said "our children" and he smiled.

"I would love to."

He led her to the large doors as he showed her where the pantry and storeroom was and she jumped from a small spider dangling from a web when they went into the root cellar.

"Now, if you are in the kitchen and need something, just say what you want and the tower will give it to you," Loki said and she nodded.

"Would you like to help me make lunch?" Rhiannon asked.

"Yes. How about I show you how to make Max and Aleta's favor lunch."

"What is it?"

"It's mac and cheese with bacon. We can also make a salad."

"What do we need first?" she asked, looking around.

"We need a pot with some water in it," he said as he pointed to the pots hanging from the holder over the kitchen island. He showed her where the macaroni was then they picked a sharp cheddar for the sauce and she cut the bacon into small pieces.

She helped him cut the vegetables for the salad, as well as some ham and chicken, and he showed her how to make a simple oil and sweet vinegar dressing. She admitted to herself how much she loved cooking with him and he gave her an amused look. He drained the macaroni as she stirred the cheese sauce and he added the macaroni into the sauce. She used a small spoon so he could taste the sauce when he nodded and she smiled. He sprinkled the cooked bacon, he insisted on cooking it the first time, into the sauce as she stirred and placed the mac and cheese onto the plates. He took the plates outside to the small white stone table as he placed the plates down and she brought out the bowls with the salad. He waved his hand as the silverware and glasses filled with white wine appeared and she placed the bowls on the table.

He held out the white wooden chair as she sat down then he sat across from her and they started eating. He could tell she was wondering if he liked the meal as he placed the fork down and she looked at him.

"It's perfect," Loki said, reaching his hand out to her. She wrapped their fingers together as she scooped some salad onto her fork and fed him. He chewed then swallowed when he fed her and she blushed. He leaned closer to kiss her lips when the bush rustled and a small pair of mice appeared.

"Oh, they are so cute!" she said.

"And hungry," Loki said as he waved his hand over some small tomatoes to remove the dressing, leaned over and held out his hand. "It's alright."

The small mice scampered to him when they took the tomatoes then scampered off.

"Thank you," one of the mice said.

"You're welcome," Loki said, sitting up.

After they finished eating, Loki waved his hands and the dishes went into the kitchen. He helped her stand as she looked toward the kitchen and gently squeezed his hand.

"We should clean up," she said and led him into the kitchen. Washing the dishes ended with a small water fight and their laughter filled the kitchen.

The afternoon was spent reading while resting on the couch and cups of tea and a plate of chocolate covered strawberries sat on the table. Loki had fed her one of the strawberries then kissed her and she wiped his lips with a napkin.

"Nothing tastes sweeter than your kisses, Rhee," he told her softly. "Tomorrow I can show you my vault where I keep most of my gold and magical items that I either inherited from the previous Archmages, or made, or traded for. The gold in the vault comes from selling my potions, enchanted items, and salves and sometimes for performing other services for the people of Asgard. Like my master's fee for an apprentice. Though if someone cannot afford my fees I generally will allow them to pay whatever they can or nothing at all. I never charge for healing children."

"Have you had many apprentices?"

"Several over the centuries. One of them, as you know, was my niece Jorunne. But I have had good students too. Like Lady Solveig, whose baby Max and Aleta and Little Loki found. She came to the wedding with her husband." He smiled softly. "There have been a few others, though most of my students were those I taught at the Academy of Magic and Medicine. It's rare for me to take a private apprentice unless he or she needs my tutoring exclusively. And they are normally children aged ten and up."

"Because it is easier to teach a child control over their magic, yes?"

Loki nodded. "Correct. The sooner a Gifted child learns control and acceptance of his or her magic, the easier it is for them to master their Gift. However, I have taught a few adults also, ones who unconsciously suppressed their Talents." He chuckled.

"Were they noble born or commoner?"

"Both. Magic cares not for station, and neither do I. I treat all of my apprentices the same, no matter what they were born as. Of course, sometimes that did not always sit well with some of my noble students. They felt that they were above certain tasks and spells."

"I am sure they soon learned differently," she smiled at him and ate another strawberry.

"Aye, they did . . . eventually. I will tell you a rather amusing story about one of my apprentices later. For now, let us relax a bit. The tower will have unpacked for us. Our bedroom is on the second floor right next to the large bathing chamber. At the top is the observatory, where I often go to stargaze and note the movements of the stars and planets. The celestial bodies often herald shifts in the magical forces of Asgard, so I tend to note certain phenomenons."

"May I look with you? Do you have a telescope?"

"I do. A very advanced one. We can do that tonight. I believe there is to be a meteor shower around midnight."

"Oh! How exciting! I have not seen one since I was a little girl when my mother was still alive."

He smiled at her enthusiasm. "Then we must be sure to see this one. Tomorrow we can explore the island, swim in the sea or in the Pool of Renewal, and I can show you some of the local flora and fauna. We can hunt if we wish, or fish, or gather wild herbs and fresh fruit for dinner. Or simply do nothing at all but laze about in bed."

She gave him a mocked-shocked look. "Laze about in bed? Like a spoiled noble? I have never done that before."

He laughed. "Then perhaps this week you ought to try it. With me. I haven't done something like that since . . .I can't recall when. Perhaps before my rebirth. But maybe it's time we remedied that, darling."

She grinned at him, her smile like the sun coming out after a rainstorm. It warmed him from his head down to his toes. "I think I would like to try it, Loki. If only for a day."

He nodded. "Then we shall. We can do whatever we wish, for this is our time, Rhee. Time to share, time to explore, to dream, and to love. With no one looking over our shoulders and judging us, or interrupting us."

"That sounds like paradise. Like a little bit of Valhalla here on Asgard."

"In a way, it is," he told her, then he set his book down and drew her to him and kissed her, their mouths joined as one in passionate abandon.

When they finally drew away, both were flushed and their hearts were quickening.

Rhiannon didn't want the intimacy to end, and she drew in a breath and said, "Perhaps we ought to . . . go upstairs . . ."

"if you wish," Loki drawled. "Or there's the rug in front of the fire." He waved a hand at the thick plush white fur. "That's from a snow beast of Jotunheim. Whose pelt is so thick it feels like a mattress when you walk on it. Or lay on it," he said suggestively.

She eyed him as one would a pure spring after thirsting in the desert. "Oh? Yet another thing I have never tried."

"Would you like to?"

She glanced at the rug, then back at him. For an instant she hesitated. Then she threw caution to the winds and murmured, "Yes. Let us test this theory of yours, Loki my love."

"With pleasure, my brilliant wife." He purred throatily, his voice like rough velvet to her ears. He drew her onto the fur and together they made slow gentle love upon the sleek thick pelt, reveling in their newfound freedom to do what they wanted.

After a light dinner and a long bath which almost saw them missing the meteor shower, he led her up to the observatory. He opened the door as she entered the room and she looked up at the domed ceiling. The darkness of the sky spread over them as the stars shimmered like small diamonds and the moon was barely a sliver in the sky. A large telescope was at the center of the room as she looked at the gears which turned the telescope to a different position and there were two eyepieces at the end of the telescope.

"Oh!" she gasped as she looked at the large charts and maps pinned to the walls and tall plants sat in pots in the corners. There were smaller windows and a small balcony outside and brightly colored constellations were etched on the tile flooring.

Loki closed the door as he waved his hands to light the floating mage globes and she turned, seeing the grin on his face.

"This place is amazing!" she said, walking to one of the maps pinned to the table to the right. "Did you make these charts?"

"I made a few," Loki said, joining her at the table. "Most of these were here for ages."

"If it wasn't for the starlight illuminating the room, I would have walked right into the telescope."

"I have done that a few times," he teased and she giggled. He led her to the telescope when he pushed the buttons and the sliding doors on the dome opened. He pulled the levers while the telescope rose into the air and Rhiannon held onto her husband. He checked the eyepiece then gestured and she walked to the eyepiece. She peered into the eyepiece when the stars appeared before her eye and she was amazed with how brightly they glowed.

Loki used the other eyepiece to look at the stars and began taking about the constellations. He also showed her the sun Asgard orbited and she smiled.

"Amazing," she whispered. Loki checked the sky then he moved his hands and the room became dark. Rhiannon moved closer as he slid his arms around her and pointed upward. Rhiannon looked up when the sky was lit by the bright streaks of light as the meteor shower began. Some of the streaks were long and flickered while the shorter streaks were gone in an instant and he led her to the telescope. She looked in the eyepiece when one of the meteors appeared and she gasped. The tail of the meteor seemed to wiggle and shimmer then it was gone. Brilliant streaks of light lit up the heavens and they laughed as the stars rained down around them.

Loki watched her enjoying the celestial phenomenon, an old song playing in his head. "Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, never let it fade away . . ."

He knew that this memory of Rhee and himself on the observatory would never fade.

The shower was slowing as only one of two meteors moved by and he leaned over until his lips were near her ear.

"Make a wish," he whispered. Rhiannon closed her eyes as she made a wish and he kissed her cheek. "Don't tell me what it is."

"I won't," she said in a soft voice and the lights came up. She hugged him when he kissed her lips and she wove her fingers through his hair.

"Thank you," she said after they moved apart and he smiled.

"You are so welcome," he murmured then led her out of the room and the door closed behind them. One last meteor moved across the sky then flared and four faces outlined in starlight smiled.

The next morning they slept in, dreaming sweetly in each other's arms. Loki woke first and decided to surprise Rhee with breakfast in bed. He flew out of the window in his hawk shape and found a low growing honey peach tree and picked two of them. He also found other berry bushes and picked them as well. Then he hurried back to the tower and put together a breakfast of oatmeal, Icelandic yogurt, fresh cut fruit, and some bacon. He arranged it all on a tray with a pot of apple cinnamon tea, and some pretty purple and pink tropical flowers. Then he blinked upstairs, arriving just as his wife had begun to awaken.

"Your breakfast, my beautiful queen," he murmured.

"All this for me?" she gasped, sitting up.

"Well . . . some of it is for me," he laughed softly and kicked off his boots, climbing on the bed next to her while he set the tray to hover.

"This is delicious," Rhiannon exclaimed while she ate some of yogurt and fruit. "This came from here?"

"Yes. There are a variety of fruit trees in the gardens around the tower and also wild. I can show you where in the forest. I made the oatmeal and the yogurt."

"You can make yogurt?" Rhiannon was impressed.

"Yes, Grisel, Kara's mother, taught me. I had some here though preserved with magic, in the cold room. But I can show you how if you wish." He began to eat his own, enjoying the sweet taste of the peaches and berries over the slightly tangy yogurt and maple oatmeal with crunchy bacon.

Rhiannon thought she had never tasted such wonderful food, not even in the king's palace and said so, making her husband color slightly.

"What do you want to do next?" Rhiannon asked.

"We could to a spa day," Loki said.

"What is that?"

"You'll see," he said as he picked up the tray and vanished. Rhiannon leaned back on the pillows as she smiled and sniffed one of the flowers she had removed from the tray. She looked over at the night table and opened the drawer. Inside she saw a small leather covered box. Picking up the box, she opened the lid. Nestled within were small vials of oil. She opened the stopper of one of the vials and the sweet scent of honey filled her nose.

"Ah, you found the massage oils."

"What do we do with them?" she asked. He took the box from her when he looked through the vials and opened a vial with light blue oil inside. She watched as he removed the stopper and dripped a few drops of oil onto his hands. He placed the box and the vial on the night table when he rubbed his palms together and grinned. She watched him take her right hand when his fingers barely touched her skin and he rubbed the oil over her hands and fingers. When he moved his fingers over her pulse point, he felt her pulse quicken and he kissed her wrist.

He repeated with her other hand as she breathed in the cool scent of peppermint and his hands moved up her arms to her shoulders. His eyes were slightly glazed over as he looked at the nightgown she was wearing and he waved his hands. The nightgown appeared folded at the foot of the bed as she looked at him and blushed.

"Look at me," he said as she nodded and he moved his hands over her shoulders, lightly pressing his thumbs into her skin. She felt his fingers moving over her skin as she sighed and he gently rubbed her neck. He kissed her lips as his fingers caressed her hair and he barely kneaded her head.

"This feels amazing," she sighed, half closing her eyes.

"Roll onto your stomach," he whispered in her ear. Nodding, she rolled onto her stomach as she slid her arms under the pillow and he poured a few more drops of oil onto his hands. Rubbing his palms together, he started massaging his hands along her lower back and sides.

"Where did you learn to do this?" she asked.

"My cousin, Joanne, taught me. She is the half-mortal daughter of Lady Idunn. Her father came from Midgard."

"Her father is mortal?"

"Yes. They met on Midgard during the second of their world wars," he said and moved his fingers up to the middle of her back. She felt a tingle moving through her as she sighed and he smiled. "Jo is an empath and a healer. She is also a psychologist. If it wasn't for her, I would still be crippled with self-hatred and nightmares after my rebirth."

Rhiannon felt her heart hurting with thoughts of how broken and hurt Loki was as she sighed and he kneaded his hands over her upper back and shoulders after placing more oil in his hands. Her muscles relaxed as she felt sleepy and he leaned over to kiss the spot between her shoulder blades.

"Stop," he whispered and she blinked.

"Stop what?" she asked.

"Stop thinking about my past. It's over and I want to only think of the present."

"I see," she said as she rolled over and sat up. He waved his hand as she became redressed and she reached over for the oil which smelt like honey. She placed some oil in her hands as he looked at her hands and she gave him a sly grin. "Your turn."

Loki gave her a pleased look as he removed his bathrobe and leaned against the pillow. He watched her carefully apply the oil to his hands and fingers and she marveled at how long his fingers were. They were the strong graceful hands of a master mage and a poet as well as a warrior. She kissed both pulse points on his wrists as her hands glided over his arms and she traced the muscles with her fingers. He was sinewy like a great cat and she loved the feel of his skin on hers.

His skin tingled as she moved her hands along his shoulders and her thumbs brushed against his collarbones. She rubbed his neck as his muscles relaxed and he giggled when she brushed her thumbs against the ticklish spot behind his ears.

"Are you ticklish?" she asked with a slight purr to her voice.

"Only there," he said and she kissed his lips.

"Why do I have a feeling you are lying to me?"

"I might be."

"Go onto your stomach," she said and he gave her a slightly startled look.

 _Stop worrying, Laufeyson. The scars are gone,_ he thought then rolled onto his stomach. He slid his arms under the pillow as she poured more oil onto her palms and massaged along his lower back and sides. He felt her fingers digging into his skin as her hands moved up to the middle of his back and she leaned down, kissing his back. He wanted to moan, but kept silent and she placed more oil on her palms. His skin smelled like honey as she kneaded her hands along his upper back and the back of his neck. He felt relaxed and sleepy as she leaned over and he looked at her with hooded eyes. "That was amazing."

"Do you want to rest?" she asked as he rolled onto his back and placed her hand on his chest.

"No," he said as she saw the look in his eyes and he waved his hand. A white linen cloth appeared as they wiped their hands and she crawled on top of him. They fell asleep in each other's arms a few minutes later and a light breeze caused ripples in the curtains.

"What do we do now?" Rhiannon asked as she woke and he wrapped his arms around her.

"Well, Sam did let me borrow some of her spa stuff," he said as he got out of bed and she moved the covers up. He removed a pedicure/manicure kit, a tube of facial cream then picked up a towel off the small table and walked to the bed.

Rhiannon gazed at him curiously as he gathered a small basin filled with very warn water and squirted some lemon verbena hand soap in it. "Are we going to wash our hands?"

"Soak them, darling," he replied, and placed the bowl on her lap. "Go on, put your hands in there and let them sit for about ten minutes. It will soften up your nails so they are easy to trim and shape."

She did so, the fragrance of lemon verbena wafting to her nostrils. "This smells lovely."

"It's lemon verbena. Aleta likes it so I figured you might too." Loki smiled.

"And where did you learn this?"

"Uh . . . you remember using Nate's tablet? Well there is a website called youtube—it has videos of how to do everything from cooking to giving manicures and pedicures. I watched a few videos when Sam was going to have a spa birthday party so I knew what to do to help and what things to buy for it. And now, love, you will reap the rewards of all my hard work." He gave her a sweet yet seductive grin that made her heart race like a wild mustang's.

After the ten minutes were up, Loki dried her hands with the soft towel and then opened the kit and removed a small metal tool that looked like a mini file. Then a small pair of curved scissors. He gently trimmed and shaped her nails and filed them smooth, working quickly and gently, answering her questions about New York as he did so. She loved how intent he was on his task, yet at the same time he paid attention to her, and made her feel cherished as she had never been in all of her life. Gods, how she loved him!

After was finished, he massaged some sweet smelling hand lotion into her fingers and then said, "See? Now we are ready to put a little color on." He opened a second box and Rhiannon saw this one contained small glass bottles of different color paints. "Go on, darling. Pick one."

Rhiannon studied all the colors, and had a hard time choosing which one she preferred. Finally she pointed to an emerald green color. 'I like that one, Loki."

"Me too," he chuckled and removed it from the box along with a bottle of clear polish and some diamond hard top coat.

He applied the clear base coat first, explaining why as he did so. Then he put on the green she had chosen, stroking it over each nail evenly. He allowed it to dry, then applied a second coat. As he did so, he thought of something.

"Did you know you can wear more than one color?"

"You can?"

"Yes. Watch." He picked out a gold glitter shade and then carefully made three stripes across the bottom of each nail. "See?"

"Loki, that looks beautiful!"

"I'm not done," He then picked out a small amber jewel and placed it on the top of three of her nails. "There! And now we apply the top coat and let it dry."

He finished one hand and after the requisite time, did her other one. "What do you think?" he asked when he was finished.

"I think . . . there are no men like you, Master Mischief." Then she leaned over and her lips claimed his as a reward.

Her kiss tasted of honey and peaches and he groaned in pleasure.

"You are very welcome, Rhee." He managed after a time. "Now, would you like me to do your toes also?"

She had never felt so pampered in her life. Loki had her soak her feet in a basin of water with some bath salts and then he massaged her feet and ankles with his marvelous hands, working out all the stiffness. He carefully used a pumice stone and made her giggle then applied lotion and painted her toes with the same polish. When he was done, Rhiannon felt like a queen.

"You spoil me, Loki," she murmured.

"That's a man's prerogative, sweetheart," he said simply and began putting the tools away.

She put a hand on his arm. "Wait. May I give you the same treatment you have me?"

He nodded and she carefully gave him a manicure, painting his nails with a clear polish and rubbing some sweet cinnamon lotion on them. When she did his feet, her long hair tickled him and he laughed, the sound so joyous it made her heart sing to hear it.

Afterwards, they relaxed, reading aloud to each other from books of poems and riddles. Lunch was a simple affair—slices of fresh bread with cranberry goat cheese and thinly sliced ham, more fresh fruit, and gooseberry tarts. They drank water fresh from the spring that welled up below the tower, with a bit of lemon in it and a teaspoon of sugar. It was refreshing and slightly sweet.

Then they played chess again, finishing the game they had begun on their wedding night.

Loki had known the renewing peace of Avaross before, yet this time he shared with Rhee was sweeter and more fulfilling. And still there was more to come.

After a light supper, Loki and Rhiannon strolled the gardens while the stars shimmered overhead and the breeze moved through their hair. She felt him slide his arms around her as tiny lights flew out of the bushes and swirled around in elaborate patterns. They stood stone still as the lights flew around them and Rhiannon noticed the lights were actually little pixie-like creatures. The little creatures darted around them then flew away as she softly laughed and he smiled.

"Will-o-wisps," Loki whispered.

They returned to the tower some time later as they slid under the covers and Loki read some of his poems to her. She fell asleep to the sound of his voice and heartbeat as he looked at her, but didn't dare move. He wiggled his fingers as the room became dark except for the light from the fireplace and Loki watched her sleep until his eyes closed. He drifted off to sleep with the feeling of their love wrapping around them and he made a contented sigh.

The next morning dawned bright and cheerful. Loki woke to the aroma of bacon and biscuits, blinking and opening his eyes to find he was in bed alone. Until his lovely wife appeared in the doorway with a tray of food.

"Good morning," she said as she walked to the bed and he sat up. She set the tray on his lap when she sat next to him and brushed the hair from his eyes. She loved how silky his hair felt as he smiled and kissed her knuckles.

"Is it my turn to have breakfast in bed?" he asked and she nodded.

He ran his hand through his hair, wondering if it looked like he had been electrocuted by Mjolnir. He recalled once Thor telling him when he was a boy that his hair looked like cat's chew toy in the morning.

"Would you like me to wash your hair?" she asked while her fingers moved over his jawline and felt the slight roughness of his whiskers. Being half-Jotun, he couldn't grow a beard like his brothers, but he did have some facial hair which he needed to shave every so often. "Maybe a shave?"

"You know how to do that?" he asked.

"I had to shave my father when he was too drunk to hold a razor steady."

He saw the sadness in her eyes as he smiled and nibbled on some of the bacon.

"Yes, I would like that," he said and fed her some scrambled eggs.

After breakfast, they retired to the bathroom when she got the towels and the fresh rain shampoo bottle and he removed his bathrobe. He sat on a small stool as he arched his head back and she turned the handle. Warm water came out of the faucet as she wet his hair and he looked up at her. She poured some of the shampoo in her hand then she started washing his hair, spreading her finger out to undo the knots in his hair. He loved the feeling of her fingers moving over his scalp as he sighed and closed his eyes. She leaned down to kiss the tip of his nose as he smiled and opened one eye.

"This feels wonderful," he said.

"I'm glad you like it," she said then used a cup to rinse his hair. After she made sure all the shampoo was gone, she wrapped his hair with a soft towel and he sat up. He sat still as she gently rubbed his hair with the towel then removed the towel. Both of them laughed at the sight of his hair sticking up in all directions in the mirror and she picked up the brush. She carefully brushed his hair as he sighed with pleasure and she moved some hair behind his ear. "Your hair feels like fine silk."

"Boda said it felt greasy and sticky," he said and she leaned over to look at him.

"That's because she was a greasy pig," she said and he giggled.

After she was sure his hair was dry enough, Rhiannon wrapped a towel around his shoulders and was surprised to see a bowl of shaving cream, a shaving brush and a straight razor on the counter. She dipped the shaving brush in the shaving cream when she spread the shaving cream over his cheeks and neck and spread some under his nose. She gave him a questioning look when he nodded and she started shaving him. She loved the soft and warm feeling of his skin under her fingers as she concentrated and he sat stone still.

A few minutes later, she had finished shaving him as she wiped his face and he looked at his reflection. She had been careful to not shave his sideburns and he admitted he never looked so good.

"Loki?" she asked and he gave her a pleased look.

"Thank you," he said as she nodded and removed the towel. A dark glass bottle appeared on the counter as she picked up the bottle and sniffed. The scent from the bottle smelled like him as she poured some onto her palms, rubbed her palms together then lightly moved her hands over his cheeks and neck.

Standing up, he moved her toward him as they kissed and he moved his fingers through her hair.

"Now it's my turn to wash your hair," he whispered in a husky voice and she nodded. After they dressed, Loki packed a picnic lunch and they headed for the beach.

Amid the cobalt waves and the golden sun, Loki taught Rhiannon the finer points of swimming in the ocean. Without any prying eyes weighing and judging her, as she has felt there was on the fishing trip, Loki found she learned swiftly and eagerly.

Soon they were swimming in the wave wash, splashing and playing with abandon, she wearing her chemise and he in his swimming trunks he had brought with him.

She dunked him and he tossed her into the water, laughing like loons, with only the sea birds and firebirds to witness.

Afterwards they lay on a large blanket on the sand, drowsing in the sun, which was warm, but not hot enough to burn them.

"I wonder how the children are?" Loki asked sleepily.

"I am sure they are fine," Rhiannon said, running her fingers through his hair as he lay with his head on her lap.

"You're right," he yawned.

Rhiannon paused, then said softly, "I was so happy to see Brunhilde at our wedding. And her news about Lucy was even more surprising."

"I know. I was shocked myself and I thought nothing could truly shock me much any more."

"But one thing puzzled me. How could Lucy be only five when she was born on Asgard centuries ago?"

"There's a simple explanation. When the Valkyries brought her to Midgard, they didn't just take her over the Bifrost. They used their own ways so Hela could not track them, and they also traveled through time. That way Hela could not locate her. Ingenious, really."

"Now I understand," his wife nodded. "I'm glad you can figure these things out, Mistokin."

"When it comes to magic, most things have an answer," he chuckled, then he pulled her down and kissed her ardently.

Soon their loveplay turned to something more, and afterwards they ate and slept in the sun.

Rhiannon woke to the feeling of something sniffing her feet and opened her eyes. The creature had large brown eyes and a black nose. The face was round and the bulky body was covered in a soft tan fur. A small bone horn was sticking out of the top of the creature's head and a ribbon of fins went from the base of the creature's head to the middle of its back. Large flippers spread over the sand and the tail slightly moved back and forth. She slowly sat up while she shook Loki and he opened his eyes, looking up at her. She hushed him then pointed as he sat up and looked at the creature. It reminded him of a seal as he smiled and the creature waddled to Rhiannon's right and looked at her. Rhiannon reached out her hand to touch the soft fur as it made a little bark and she giggled.

"Look," Loki whispered, pointing to the other creatures which looked like the one she was petting and she nodded. The large bull male barked a few times as the female turned and waddled toward it. Rhiannon leaned back against Loki as he slid his arms around her and she placed her hands on top of his. "It's sad."

"What is?" she asked.

"Those koteks used to live on Asagard, but they were hunted for their pelts. If it wasn't for Mimir bringing them here, they would have been hunted into extinction."

"Oh,."

"No need to be sad. They don't seem to mind. See how happy they are?" he asked and she watched a few smaller koteks playing on the sand. They watched the creatures for a while then packed up the blanket and picnic basket and headed back to the tower.

~0~0~0~

After dinner, Loki led Rhiannon to the ballroom as she kept her eyes closed and wondered why he asked her to shut her eyes. He led her to the center of the room when he kissed her lips and cupped her cheek in his hand.

"Open your eyes," he whispered. Opening her eyes, Rhiannon gasped at the sight of crystal chandeliers overhead, the glowing orbs floating near the walls and the starlight coming in from the windows. The floor was a polished hard wood and several marble columns were spread across the floor.

"Loki...," she whispered as he moved closer and moved his hands over her hair. Her hair was piled up in a sweep of curls and held in place with crystal pins. She watched him move his hands over his own hair so it was now short and wavy.

His clothing changed into a suit of dark green. An ascot tie was around his neck and rested on top of a white shirt and a green vest peeked out from under a dark green waistcoat. Gold cuff links were on the cuffs of his shirt and dark green pants covered his long legs. He also had on a black leather belt, black socks and black hard leather shoes. A gold chain connected the pocket watch she had given him to a button of the vest and the final accent to his outfit was a white handkerchief stuck out of the waistcoat pocket.

He waved his hands and she was now dressed in a cream colored dress with a high collar, but the dress was opened slightly at the back. Black lace outlined her curves and the sleeves were puffed up at the top. The full skirt spread around her legs and she was wearing heels.

"You look amazing," he whispered with a snap of his fingers and music started playing. She followed his movements as they waltzed and danced and she placed her head against him. Loki twirled her away from him then back as she placed her hand against his chest and could just feel his heartbeat. He placed his hand on top of hers as he smiled and she found herself getting lost in his emerald eyes.

Moving her closer, he opened the portal and they appeared in their bedroom. The music was still playing as they made love then fell asleep in each other's arms.

The next morning they dressed to go explore the forest, and Loki showed her all the myriad fruit trees and the wild onions and other herbs he used to flavor his cooking. Finally he led her down a windy path to a wooded grotto where a large crystal pool was situated. White stones lined the pool's edge and it was almost like a small lake, large enough to swim in.

"Loki, what is this place?" Rhiannon asked reverently, for she could feel something of a hush in this place.

"This is the Pool Of Renewal. It dwells only here on Avaross, and is the main reason why only the Archmage and one other person who is trusted may come here. Because if this secret were ever known . . . wars would be fought over this place and blood would be spilled in an unending tide."

"Over this lake?"

"This is no mere lake. This a magical place, one of the most magical places in all of Asgard," Loki replied in a hushed voice. "If you swim in the pool or drink of its water it will heal you of any wound or illness, even ones that are deemed incurable. You can even regrow limbs here. And it will restore a mage's magical core and reserves. It will also bring you peace in mind and soul."

Rhiannon gazed at the pool of water in awe. "It is a holy place."

"Aye," Loki agreed. "And one that only we who are the rulers of magicians may use. I am allowed to fill three vials from the pool to use outside of Avaross. A single drop will cure wounds and diseases."

"Have you ever used the water before?"

"No. I have swum in the pool when I came to Avaross. but I never saw any need to bring any of the water with me. My family are immortal and usually we heal swiftly from any wounds dealt us. We have not had a war in Asgard in thousands of years."

"But what about Odin? Could it heal his eye?"

'Yes, but he does not regard his missing eye as a wound-but a badge of honor. So he would not wish it healed."

"I see. What about mortals? Could they drink the water?"

"Yes. For them it would act like a youth potion and remove the ravages of time and slow down their aging." Loki replied.

He sighed softly. "I thought about making the water available to my friends, but . . . it is not something I can just hand out like candy. I am the Keeper of the Pool and the water is meant only for ones who truly need it. Only once was I ever tempted to give a mortal a drink from here-and though I wished to do so with all of my being, I could not-because I was in exile after my rebirth and unable to return to Avaross."

Rhiannon was startled. "Exiled? By whom? Odin?"

"No. By the Norns. One of the terms of my rebirth was that I was to dwell on Midgard for six years before I was allowed to return to the world of my birth. So I did, but during my third year in New York, right after I purchased my home and started my company, I met a child. She was terminally ill with leukemia, and the doctors could do nothing more for her. Her name was Maggie-Maggie Mastrontono. She was only nine. I met her when I went to volunteer at Columbia Children's Hospital. It was something Steve, Clint, and the other Avengers often did and one day I accompanied them. I found I enjoyed bringing a smile to the faces of the sick children by using small magics to make them laugh and telling silly stories. So I kept returning every week. That was when I met Maggie. She practically lived there-she was an orphan from Second Chance and the state paid for most of her treatments and hospitalization. But there was an issue with her charity fund raiser and it didn't cover all the costs-so I did. Only I never let her know."

He smiled wistfully. "Maggie was a bright child, and despite her illness, very eager to embrace what life she could. She wore a wig, made from her own hair, but she always said she wished she could have real hair like mine. She loved to run her fingers through it. I used to sit with her and read to her, bring her lunch from different restaurants, and give her little things-like a stuffed kitten, or a doll, and silly smiley face slippers. She was always so grateful. And so happy. That was what struck me about her. That she was happy despite knowing she was going to pass away. I . . . I wanted to adopt her but . . . she made me promise that I would go to Second Chance and help the orphans there, that they were in need of a parent more than she was right then."

"She sounded like a lovely child."

Loki nodded, swallowing hard. "She was. It was she who believed in me, that insisted that I could be a good father to children who only needed a parent to believe and love them. She brought me hope and light. It nearly killed me to not be able to go and get some of the water and cure her. But she told me she did not fear death, for it was only a door to go through and live a new life, a life free of pain and sorrow. I knew her words for truth. I remained with her until she went to paradise, and then I set about keeping my promises to her. I adopted Belle, and later Nate, and Hunter. Then after a few months, I adopted the rest. I also donated money to the children's hospital so they could build a wing dedicated to Maggie-a wing where the kids could go and play games and watch TV with all kinds of movies, or play video games. Therapy dogs and cats were permitted there also. I still visit there."

"You are a good man, beloved. One I am proud to call my husband," Rhiannon said. She peered at the pool. "Do you think . . . Natasha could drink this water? And remain young for Balder?"

"Yes. If she wishes to." Loki agreed. "Come, let us swim in the pool."

Rhiannon hesitated, half-afraid she might defile the serene pool, but Loki waved a hand and suddenly he was standing there naked. Then he dived gracefully into the pool, barely making the water ripple. She gaped at him in astonishment. "Loki! Why are you swimming without any clothes?"

He surfaced, his hair spread about him in a glorious ebony wave. "Because, darling, you always go into the Pool of Renewal skyclad. So you don't get dirt and whatever is on your clothes in it. Come on in! The water is wonderful." He crooked a finger at her, his emerald eyes sparkling with a bit of naughty fun.

"Well . . . are you sure it's all right for me to swim in it? I'm not the Archmage of Asgard."

"You're the Archmage's wife and I say you can," he chuckled. "Come here, Goldenwing."

This time she quit hesitating and disrobed, leaving her clothes in a pile beside his own. She jumped into the water and found it to be refreshingly cool after the heat of the beach and at the same time soothing as bathwater. She tasted some of the water on her tongue and it was unlike any water she had ever tasted before. It was pure and sweet and she felt it refreshing her from the inside out.

When she surfaced, she noticed her skin seemed to glow slightly, as if lit within by a candle, and her hair glistened like spun gold. "Oh! I feel . . . like I have been reborn!"

"I know," he laughed. "That is how you always feel when you swim here."

She cavorted around him like a seal at play, poking him in the ribs, and making him laugh. He floated on his back, unmindful of the glittering tropical lilies that glided in the water beside him.

Rhiannon picked a lily and put it in her hair, then put a blue one in Loki's. She giggled at the sight of her handsome husband wearing a flower.

Loki just rolled his eyes at her whimsy and allowed the flower to stay in his hair.

Suddenly a small furry silvery lavender creature ran out along a branch and lay upon it, watching them. It had four paws with long toes and a long tail that could wrap around the tree. It had a pointed face, round ears, and huge lavender eyes. The eyes shone with an almost human intelligence.

"Loki!" Rhiannon hissed. "What is that?" she pointed up at it.

Loki peered upwards. "That, darling, is a t'laridan. A tree dweller similar to a Midgardian animal called a kinkajou. But t'laridan are highly intelligent and magical. She can send images into your mind to communicate with you and also project an aura of peace and serenity so strong it can stop an angry mob. T'laridan live in groups like a tribe, and eat mostly fruit, nuts, and insects."

"How do you know it's a she?"

"Because that t'laridan is my friend. I call her Vaninna." Loki swam to the edge of the pool and got out, sitting calmly on the bank with his feet in the water." He made a beckoning motion. "Greetings, Vaninna. Come and say hello to my wife, Rhee."

Vaninna gave a trill of welcome and raced down the tree and jumped onto Loki's shoulder. She began preening his hair and trilling at him, her violet eyes whirling.

She sent an image into his head of two t'laridan hugging.

"I missed you too, my friend," Loki said, and gently stroked her back. The t'laridan's fur was like silk.

Vaninna chattered to him and sent him an image of a t'laridan drying itself in the grass.

"Okay, I'll dry off," he laughed and waved a hand. He was dry and then he put his clothes back on.

Vaninna gave a purr of approval and then looked over at Rhiannon.

Rhiannon swam over and reached out a hand to the little creature. "Hello, Vaninna. I am pleased to meet you."

Vaninna walked down Loki's shoulder and placed her small paw into Rhee's hand and sent an image of a t'laridan and a firebird together. Then she purred gently.

Rhiannon rubbed behind the t'laridan's ears, finding the fur extremely soft and thick. "You are beautiful."

Vaninna trilled happily and went to stroke Rhiannon's wet hair. She made an odd face and Loki laughed.

"Better come out and dry off. Vaninna isn't too fond of wet people."

Rhiannon did so and Loki dried her with magic and she put her clothes back on. Vaninna watched with interest then came and sat on Rhiannon's lap. Her quick paws examining her tunic laces and the locket Rhee wore about her neck.

Rhiannon smiled as the clever creature turned the locket over and over and then somehow clicked the clasp and it opened to reveal the picture of Loki.

Vaninna chirruped excitedly upon seeing it, and then sent a picture of Loki and Rhiannon hugging.

"Yes, he is my husband and I love him very much." She said, grinning.

While Rhiannon played with her new friend, Loki filled three gold vials with the precious water and then sent them into his backpack for safekeeping.

Loki watched as Vaninna climbed onto Rhiannon's shoulder and perched there, then began ritually grooming the other's hair. It was what a t'laridan did to welcome a new tribe member.

He regretted not bringing his phone so he could take some photos to remember their time in Avaross, but the memories they were sharing were better than photos and Rhiannon noticed the small grin on his face.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Nothing. I was just thinking about everything we've been doing these last few days," Loki said.

"Happy thoughts?"

"Yes, definitely happy thoughts," he said with a nod. Suddenly, more t'laridans appeared in the trees as Vaninna made soft chirps and trill sounds and the t'laridans scampered down the trees.

Rhiannon watched as the t'laridans chirruped and trilled to each other and one or two raced toward her and Vaninna sent images of Loki and Rhiannon living in what looked like the treetops.

"She is telling you we are a part of the tribe now," Loki said and Rhiannon smiled. One of the t'laridans brought her a berry as Loki nodded and she took the berry. They watched her placed the berry in her mouth as Rhiannon chewed then swallowed and the little creatures made little squeals.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked.

"No," he said with a shake of his head then moved to sit next to her. The sun was going down by the time they returned from the lake and the t'laridan followed them nearly to the tower before scampering off into the bushes.

"I wish the children could come here and see all this," Rhiannon said then thought of something. "Oh! Why don't you bring Nate here? The water could cure him, can't it?"

"It can, but it would have to be his decision if he wants to or not," Loki said as his mind showed him Nate walking and running like his brothers and he sighed softly.

They walked into the tower as she headed for the kitchen and he hated having to let go of her hand.

"I'll go make us a light supper," she said as he nodded and she went into the room. He stood in the hallway as he removed the vials of water and he held one of them in his hand. He headed for the writing table when he placed the vial in a small pouch and closed the pouch. He took one of the quills out of the holder when he moved a piece of paper to him and placed the nib of the quill into the ink bottle. He wrote a short note to Balder when he looked at what he wrote then placed the quill back in the holder. After the ink had dried, he folded the piece of paper and Balder's name appeared on the piece of paper. With a wave of his hand, he sent the pouch and the note to Balder's desk and he hoped Balder would agree to use the water.

He turned when her heard Rhiannon's footsteps and saw she had a pensive look on her face. "Something wrong?"

"Lunch is ready in the garden, but I wished to ask you something first."

"Go ahead. I'm listening."

"Do you think I shall make a good Queen of Jotunheim?"

He exhaled softly, having had a feeling that was what was bothering her. "Darling, you will make a fine Queen. The way you have made me a good wife and a mother to my children."

"But I have no experience in ruling the way you do," she protested.

He came and gently hushed her. "Rhee, I have only a bit of experience in that department myself. No, hear me out. I wasn't trained to rule. I was trained to be the second son. Thor was always the one who was taught how to rule. Me, I was the spare. I was taught social and court graces and how to be a diplomat and magician. What little I know comes from observation of my father and listening at keyholes. But the only real experience I have in running anything is Laufeyson Tech. And running a kingdom is more complicated than running a company." He spread his hands. "But I know laws and I know what I want and don't want in my realm. That being said, we can both learn what we need to know. Neither of us are fools or incompetent. We will have advisors and they can assist us. We simply need to act like we know what we're doing until we actually learn. It's a process that takes years, you can't learn it all in a day or a week or even a few months. But that's okay. Because Jotunheim is a stable realm, at peace, and has been for generations. We have time to grow into our realm and our rulership."

She considered what he had said, and realized one other thing. "And we shall be together. Together we can do anything."

He grinned. "Just so. We can do anything we set our mind to. Was that all that was troubling you?"

She nodded. "Yes. But now I am no longer worried."

He cupped her face in his hands. "Good. Now let's eat." Then he kissed her sweetly.

So the days passed, in a gentle haze, upon the island where time crept by on cat's feet, and together Loki and Rhiannon loved, laughed, and their bond deepened until they were entwined so closely neither of them would ever be torn apart, and any adversity they faced would only serve to draw them closer together. But eventually, it was time to leave Avaross, renewed in body and spirit, and return to their family on Asgard.


	71. The Enchantress' War

**71**

 **The Enchantress' War**

 _The best weapons in battle are these—your brain, surprise, and a pair of daggers up your sleeves. ~ Loki_

The Gate opened while Loki carried his wonderful wife into their bedroom and their trunks floated over to the foot of the bed. The portal closed as he slid his arms around her and gently kissed her lips.

"Welcome home," he said with a soft voice and she smiled. Before she could say something, the doors slammed open and Sam stormed in the room. "And it starts."

"Dad, you have to do something." Sam said, her hazel eyes flashing.

"What happened?"

"They won't stop teasing me!" she snapped and Hunter, Vince and Nate entered the room.

"Oh, come on, Sam," Hunter said.

"We were just teasing you about dancing with Peter," Vince rolled his eyes.

"Yeah," Nate agreed.

"It was the first time I danced with a boy, you idiots!" she shouted.

"Samantha, do not call your brothers idiots," Loki reproved softly

"They make kissing sounds whenever they see me or Peter!" she said then glared at the boys. "If you ruin things between us..."

"Enough!"

"Yeah! We got the message," Hunter said with a sigh.

"What are you talking about?" Rhiannon asked.

"She put slime all over our underpants," Vince said and Nate nodded.

"I did not!" Sam said.

"If you didn't then who did?!" Vince asked.

"Let's go find out," Loki said. They went to Hunter's room. Hunter led him to the dresser when they looked at the sparkly green slime covering his underpants and Loki arched his eyebrows up. They went to Vince and Nate's room when Loki saw the sparkly blue and pink slime covering their underpants and the corner of his mouth curled up. "Follow me."

They walked down the hallway and entered the nursery and he headed for Aleta's suitcase. He opened the top of the suitcase and saw the small jars of play slime and he picked up one of the jars.

"Does this look familiar to you?" he queried, holding up the jar.

"Looks like a certain little princess just pranked us," Hunter said while Aleta and Max walked in the room and Loki gave her the Look.

"Daddy, you're back!" She cried, looking slightly guilty.

"Yes, I am," he said then held up the jar. "Do you happen to know who poured slime on your brothers' underpants?"

"It wasn't me," Max said as he walked to Rhiannon and smiled up at her. "Hi, Mama."

"Hello," she said and picked him up to give him a hug.

He went eagerly into her embrace, holding her tightly and giving her a sweet smile that reminded her of his father. "Did you have a good trip?"

"Yes, we did," Rhiannon said as she carried Max to the couch, sat down and started telling him about their trip. She left out the private parts and Max leaned his head against her shoulder.

Aleta saw the anger and disappointment in Loki's eyes as she looked down at her feet and pouted.

"I only did it so they'd stop picking on Sam and Peter," Aleta said with a small sniff. Loki placed the jar down then he knelt and lifted her chin so she would look him in the eyes. "Sorry, Daddy."

"I'm not the one you should say sorry to," Loki said and she looked at Nate, Vince and Hunter.

"I'm sorry," Aleta said with a sad look.

"Well, we were ragging on them pretty hard," Hunter said.

"Yeah. We sort of deserved it," Nate said.

"Then you need to say sorry to Sam and Peter," Loki said as he stood with Aleta in his arms.

"Sorry, Sam," Vince said.

"Yeah. Sorry, Sis," Hunter said.

"Sorry." Nate said.

"Seeing how you three look so pathetic, I forgive you," Sam said with a grin. "Now, come on, we need to go find Peter," Loki watched them leave and then sighed and rolled his eyes.

Aleta looked at Loki as he tried hard not to be pleased with his youngest daughter's prank when he shook his head and barely smiled.

"Am I in time out, Daddy?" Aleta asked.

"Yeah, spark, you are," Loki said then looked at the slime. "And I'm taking away your slime."

"Ooooooo-key," she said with a sigh. He led her to the corner when he set her down and she faced the wall.

"Do you think five minutes is fair for slimy underpants, Mama?" he asked, glancing at Rhiannon.

"Yes, that sounds fair," Rhiannon said.

Loki timed her on his pocket watch as Aleta looked at the wall and Max got off the couch. He walked to where he kept his art supplies removing a piece of paper then walked back to Rhiannon.

"I made this for you," he said as she took the piece of paper and saw several people standing in a line. "See, it us."

"I see that," she said and felt tears in her eyes at MAMA written over the figure which was supposed to be her.

"Kwoki!" came from the hallway while Loki turned and saw Talia running into the room with Thor and Balder being dragged behind

Thor had his walking boot on and was muttering to his elder sibling, "Who does she think she is, Heimdall? Loki wouldn't be back this soon!"

Loki grinned and knelt to let Talia hug him. "Hey ladybug, I'm back!"

"Looks like you're wrong, Brother," Balder said.

Thor frowned and picked up a stuffed toy from the floor and threw it at Loki in an attempt to see if it was an illusion.

"Ow!" Loki said.

"No, Tor! No hurt my Kwoki!" Talia said.

"But you only left yesterday!" Thor said, stunned.

"Thor, didn't anyone tell you about the time difference?" Loki groaned.

"Yes, but that still doesn't explain how you got back so soon. You said you would be gone a week."

"Yes, I did. Where I took Rhee is outside time. Where a day only passed here, it was a week for us."

"Amazing," Balder said.

"Did you get my note?" he asked, looking at his older brother.

"Yes, and I have talked things over with Natasha. She wants to wait awhile before agreeing to drink the water."

"I understand."

Loki checked the time when he turned Aleta around, knelt down and hugged her.

"So, are you not going to do that again?" he asked.

"What did she do?" Thor asked and Loki gave a quick explanation. "Well, seeing how they were being rude to Peter and Sam, I believe they deserved it."

"I agree," Balder said.

"My Kwoki home!" Talia crowed happily.

"Thank the Norns!

"Kwoki pway wit' me!" she said, pulling on Loki's hand.

"Can Rhee and I unpack first?" he teased and she shook her head.

"No! Now!" she said then paused. "Pwease."

"Please, Brother, just do it!" Thor begged.

"She drove him nuts asking about you" Balder chuckled.

"I'm not playing where's Mjolnir again."

Rhiannon, Aleta and Max giggled as Loki looked at Talia and Talia shrugged.

"Why don't we go find the other kids and go play outside?" Loki asked as he looked at Rhiannon and Rhiannon got off the couch, placing the piece of paper on the table. Max and Aleta took her hands as they headed for the door then left the room.

"Thank the Norns," Thor said and Balder lightly shoved him.

 _Odin's study:_

Odin examined the treaty when he felt like he wasn't alone and saw the shadows were moving.

"Who is there? he asked.

"It isssssss I," Shanori said as she and Shoop appeared.

"How may I serve you, Your Majesty?"

"We have come to warn you."

"Warn me?"

"Amora isssss coming," Shoop said.

"She and Ssssskurge have amasssssssssed an army and the latesssst reportssss indicate she issss heading here," Shanori said and Odin frowned.

"How big is her army?"

"There are many with her thisss time," the Queen replied. "Sssome are Fire Giants, Wanderer King. Otherss are mercenariesss."

"Heimdall!" Odin called suddenly. "Can you see where Amora and her army are?"

"Aye, my liege," Heimdall answered. "She is currently crossing into a field a league or so before the city. She is using a portal device that I have never seen before."

"How many are in her train?"

"At least five hundred, if not more." Heimdall answered gravely.

"We must rouse the palace guard and the City Guard as well as call some of the army from the nearest barracks," Odin informed the Watcher. "I will inform my family of the danger . . . if they don't already know." He rose to his feet.

Out on the lawn, Loki was chasing down Aleta to tickle her as they played Tickle Monster. The little girl was running away giggling as Loki reached for her with his slender fingers.

Rhiannon had gone inside with Frigga and Talia to see the new coronation dress Frigga had commissioned for her.

Suddenly Aleta stopped dead, and she rubbed her gray eyes.

Loki frowned. "What's wrong, spark?"

His daughter Looked at him suddenly, her eyes shining an eerie silver color. Then she spoke in a more mature voice. "Beware the Sorceress whence she comes, fire and demons shall seek to destroy, all that there is and will be, unless the Trickster King and his Queen summon the host of heaven. Asgard's fate rests in the victor of the duel, and one must die 'ere the other lives!"

Loki felt his heart thud in his chest when Aleta blinked and she started sobbing.

"Easy, Spark," he said as he picked her up and held her in his arms.

"Daddy, the Bad Lady is coming," she sobbed and he looked around to see if he could see any signs of Amora.

"Daddy, what's wrong?" Max asked, running to him.

"We need to go inside, Imp," he said when a soft whistle filled the air and he saw a fireball heading for them. With a wave of his hand, he opened a portal and they appeared in Frigga's sun room just as the fireball hit the ground.

"Loki, what was that?!" Rhiannon asked as she ran to him and Aleta held out her arms toward her. Rhiannon took her from Loki, hugging her and Max stood next to his new mama.

"It was a fireball," Loki said as he ran to the balcony and saw some smoke rising from where he, Aleta and Max had been playing.

"Where did it come from?" Frigga asked.

"I don't know."

"The Bad Lady sent it," Aleta said as she sobbed and buried her face in Rhiannon's neck.

"The Bad Lady?" Rhiannon asked.

"She means Amora," Loki said when the doors opened and several guards entered the room.

"Pardon, but the AllFather needs to speak with Prince Loki," one of the guards said.

Nodding, Loki kissed Rhiannon's cheek then walked to the guards, turned and looked at his wife.

"I need you to gather the children," he said and Rhiannon nodded.

"Kwoki, I'm scawed!" Talia said as she ran to him and wrapped her arms around his leg.

"I know you are, ladybug," he said, kneeling. "But I need you to look after Mama for me. Can you do that?"

"Yes, Kwoki," she said with a nod and ran to Frigga, taking her hand.

"Mother, you need to implement protocol Alpha," he said to the Queen, who nodded in understanding. Protocol Alpha was an emergency plan in case the palace was ever under attack.

Loki felt his magical senses shudder as they detected the sigil of dark magic and he knew Amora was nearby. He sent, _Gold, the Enchantress comes! With an armty at her back! Get your neighbors and family to safety and prepare for battle!_

He knew his old teacher could sense the darkness just as he could.

 _Knew there was something vile coming, Dearie. My sons are gathering them as we speak and my daughter wishes to know if she can help_ , Gold sent.

 _We can use all the_ _help we can get_ , Loki sent then followed the guards out of the room. He hurried down the hallway when he saw the Avengers running toward him and he was grateful he had invited them to the wedding.

"Ok, Reindeer Games, what's going on?" Tony asked.

He sent to the rest of the mages in the city and the Academy, warning of the danger, and calling on those he could to fight Amora's minions. For this would be a war of magic as well as might, and the mages of Asgard would come to the aid of their Archmage and their realm.

"We are under attack," Loki said as they followed him and the guards down the hallway and headed for the war room.

"Under attack by who?" Clint asked. Loki explained who and what Amora was as Clint's eyes widened and his mouth fell open.

"If you wish, Barton, you can go and be with your family."

" Yeah, I would like that," he said and Loki nodded. Clint ran down the hallway toward the guest quarters as four guards went with him and the rest of them kept going.

Loki drew sigils rapidly in the air above his teammates. "Protection against fire magic and certain deadly spells," he explained at Steve's questioning look.

Suddenly his former student Solveig appeared and she saluted him with a fist above her heart. "I stand ready to serve, My Prince." She was a fire mage, and though he wished he could tell her to leave he needed all the battle mages he had.

"Follow me, Fire Lady."

They saw the guards near the doors to the war room as they entered the room and saw Thor, Balder, Sif, and the Warriors Three, among others, standing around the table. Odin had Heimdall stay at Bifrost in case some of Amora's army tried to destroy the bridge and Loki saw the anger in Odin's face. The Shadowlings were also present and Shanori nodded her head toward him.

"Greetingsssss, Trickssssster," she said.

"Greetings," Loki said with a small bow.

He made a gesture and was suddenly clad in his new magical armor of green and blue with his new lighter helmet, his daggers and staff on his person.

Steve had put on his costume and Tony activated his armor. Bruce wasn't sure if he should change in such a crowded room as he sighed and lowered his head.

"We change when battle starts," the Hulk assured him and Bruce barely smiled.

Thor, Balder, Sif and the other warriors were in battle armor and Sif had gotten some armor for Natasha.

The tension in the air hung around them like a shroud and Odin, dressed in his battle armor, held Gungnir in his hand. Balder had his sword, Grimfang, in a scabbard on his back and Mjolnir was dangling from the strap around Thor's wrist.

"Father, how bad are things?" Loki asked.

"The Enchantressss' army is fasst approaching," Shoop said.

"How big is this army?" Tony asked.

"She has gathered the Fire Giants as well as mercenaries," Odin said.

"How many altogether?" Steve asked.

"At least five hundred. Maybe more. And she is using some sort of portal device to summon more."

"JARVIS, scan for the portal device," Tony whispered and the information appeared before his eyes.

Loki scowled, wishing he or Thor had killed the witch last time they had encountered her, but it was no use crying over spilled milk.

"Have the people been warned and sent to safety?" Thor asked.

"Aye, we have guards making sure they are being taken care of," Odin said with a nod.

"Uh... Excuse me, Your Majesty," Tony said as the face plate opened and he frowned. "I have no idea where that portal device came from, but it's not man made...or god made."

"Then it must have been made by magic," Loki said.

"But who could have such power?" Thor asked.

"Seeing how she is an associate of his, I hazard to guess it was Surtur."

"The Fire Giants following her would confirm that," Sif said.

"And this Surtur guy is...?" Tony asked and Loki waved his hand to cast an image of Surtur.

The Fire Giant king loomed overhead in all of his unholy sinister glory, his black and red skin glittered like lava emerging from cracks in the earth's surface. His yellow eyes burned with hate and the two horns atop his head reminded the Avengers of Satan himself.

"Whoa!" Steve said and Bruce nodded.

"He is an old enemy of mine and of Asgard," Odin told them. "He would jump at the chance to destroy us."

"That is not going to happen."

"Tony's right. We'll do whatever it takes to help you defeat that thing," Steve said.

"I appreciate you wanting to help, but you are mortal and..."

"We're the Avengers. It's what we do," Tony said with a shrug.

Odin silently admitted he liked Loki and Thor's Midgardian friends and wondered if there were more like them on Midgard.

"Now, what do we need to do to kick their butts?"

"My King, we need to destroy that device," Solveig interjected. "I volunteer along with a few other war mages to do so."

"She's right. That thing has to be top priority," Natasha said.

"Are you sure you can handle this?" Loki asked and Solveig nodded.

"Then you have my blessing," Odin said.

"Thank you, Sire," Solveig said then vanished.

"Where do you think Amora would strike?" Balder asked as a map of the city spread out on the table.

"We know she wants the city, so her main forces might strike there," Odin said, pointing to the map.

"She might also strike at the infirmary," Steve said, looking at the map. "If she takes that out, there will be no one to treat the wounded."

"And she might try to take out the water and food stores," Sif said, pointing to them.

"Yep, she could resort to trying to starve us out or into surrendering due to lack of water," Bruce said.

"Or poison them to render our forces helpless," Loki added.

"That, too," Tony said with a nod.

"Wait," Loki said when he summoned his scrying orb and looked deeply into the glass. Concentrating, he watched the smoke fill the glass and Amora appeared in the smoke.

He watched as her armies appeared as he marked areas on the map then waved his hand and the scrying orb vanished.

~0~0~0~

Rhiannon pulled a soft sleeveless under tunic on and then the lightweight Valkyrie armor Frigga had found for her in the armory. She started to reach for a sword when Loki's voice sounded in her head. _Rhee, use Laevateinn. I'm going to magically send her to you._

 _Loki, are you sure? Won't you need her?_

 _No. I have my weapons. You take her._

 _Thank you, love. What have you discussed?_

Loki rapidly filled her in on the whereabouts of the army and cautioned her to protect the children. After promising she would, she found Laevateinn waiting for her and buckled the long sword about her waist.

"Mama, I want to help," Max said. She knew he was getting good at using his ice magic, but she wasn't sure if Loki would want him fighting in a war.

 _Loki, Max wants to help me protect everyone. What should I tell him?_

 _Tell him he can help by looking after Aleta and Talia_ , he sent and she looked at Max.

"Daddy said you need to help look after Aleta and Talia. Can you do that?" she asked.

"Yes!" he said with a salute and ran off. Fenris, Jorgy, and Sleph arrived to help guard as Frigga and Rhiannon set up barriers around the room and Clint sighed for not having his bow or arrows.

"My father gave me these," Sleph said as he handed Clint a bow and a quiver of arrows. "He said something about you having weapons for your arrows and had enchanted these to do whatever you need them to do."

"Thanks," he said and placed the quiver on his back. Clint looked at Cooper, Lila, Nathaniel Pietro, Nicole and Laura as Laura walked to him and kissed his lips.

"Kick their asses," she said in a low voice and he nodded.

Meanwhile, Loki summoned Steve's shield and battle armor from the mansion and gave them to him. "I think you might need this."

Cap grinned. "Thanks, Loki."

Odin eyed his sons and their friends, as well as Tyr the God of War, who was his general, and said calmly, "I am going to divide my forces to protect each place as needed. Tyr, you take a third of the army along with Balder and guard the food and water stores here." He pointed to a place Loki had marked with a red pin on the map. "Thor, you will take another third and guard near the infirmary and where we have the shuttle hangar. Based on Loki's information they will attack there." He pointed to another red pin. "Finally, I will guard the main road to the palace with Loki and meet the traitoress here." His hand fell on the last pin. "You have your orders. May the Norns favor us this day."

They all bowed or saluted the king, and the Avengers split up also. Cap would go with Thor to guard the infirmary. Black Widow would go with Balder. Bruceas the Hulk would stay with Odin and Loki as one of the first lines of defense. Tony would also be with them, to offer air support. Hawkeye was within the palace to defend the Queen, his family, and the Laufeyson children along with Rhiannon and Halgran.

Mr. Gold came marching up and said his daughter Lena would be assisting Stefan and the other Healers, while he and his sons would help the City Guard defend the Golden City against attack.

The War of the Enchantress had begun.

~0~0~0~

Amora continued to summon her mercenaries from Nornkeep and a troll or two from the mountains using the portal device given her by Surtur. The device itself was not of fire giant make, but had been crafted by Adabiel in the early days of their association and he had sold it to the Fire Giant king for money to raise an army. Amora had managed to convince Surtur to lend it to her in order to destroy Asgard.

Suddenly a fireball slammed into the ground mere yards from where the portal was erected. The Enchantress spun, snarling. "We're under attack!"

No sooner had she spoken then a blue light lit up the device and to her horror it blew up, the resulting explosion throwing her, Skurge and many of her men about like nine pins.

"No!" she howled as several of her allies rushed to locate the ones who had sabotaged the device. "Find them, you halfwits! I want their guts on a pole!"

But nowhere could they find those who had blown apart the device, for Solveig and her company of mages had blinked back to the palace, mission accomplished.

"My love, are you well?" Skurge asked, helping Amora up. He was untouched by the blast.

"I'm fine!" Amora growled. "Let's move! You know where you all need to be. And while we march, we shall slaughter any Asgardian we find and burn their homes around their ears. My reign begins now—in blood and fire!" Her lips drawn back in a sneer of doom, Amora mounted her black nightmare steed and rode out.

~0~0~0~

The ravens brought Odin news of Amora's reign of terror through the peaceful countryside before they began marching down the causeway to the Golden City. Odin clenched his fists and swore softly, praying that his people had time to get to safety and had not attempted to stand against the maurauders. He longed to ride out and meet the Enchantress head on, but thousands of years of battle wisdom told him to let the eenemy come to him. So he waited on Sleipner, his standard snapping above his head.

Beside him, Loki also waited, mounted on Warlocke, his great black destrier, a gift from Thor for his wedding. The prince patted the sleek ebony coat as the steed shifted restlessly beneath him. "Soon," he told the horse. "Soon we shall fight. Just be patient." He spoke the words aloud, so Odin would hear them, for they were as much for the king as for his horse.

Behind them in orderly ranks were the bulk of Odin's army, and next to Loki was Bruce, now transformed into the Hulk, peering down the road to see the approaching enemy. "They should be here soon, right?"

Loki nodded. "Yes, O Mighty One. You will hear them long before you see them."

Long minutes crept by, and the only sound over the unnatural stillness was the stamp of a hoof, the jingle of a bridle, and the cawing of the ravens as the wind blew, causing the standard pennants to snap.

Odin tightened his grip on Gungnir, his one eye fixed on a point just above the horizon. Loki adjusted his own grip on his staff but otherwise sat very still, almost as if he were carved in stone. But his facile mind raced with plans and he felt his magic stir in response to Amora's presence, her magical aura spreading like a blight across the land the closer she drew to them.

Abruptly, the ground began to shudder slightly, as the pounding of the Fire Giants and Amora's mercenaries shook the earth.

"They come!" Bruce intoned as the horses whinnied in alarm.

"Their death awaits," Odin said, just as the enemy marched into view.

First over the rise was the Enchantress in her green and black armor on her nightmare that breathed fire. Beside her marched several Fire Giants, their thundering footsteps like a bass undertone. Above flew Sky Vipers, hissing a dread refrain and then followed a large portion of her army.

mora halted about a yard from them and sneered, her eyes hard beneath her jeweled helm. "So, Wanderer, we meet again. A final meeting. Along with your son the Trickster thief!"

"You are in violation of your oath as an Asgardian, traitoress," Odin intoned. "For that alone, your life is forfeit."

"Then come and take it-if you can!" she laughed mockingly. She held up a hand and intoned, "Upon thee, arrogant king, I unleash the fires of Muspelheim!"

"Father, beware! She summons something from beyond this realm!" Loki warned.

The sky split apart and four shadowy shapes appeared, their eyes glowing fiery red, with bat wings and scales and fangs that dripped poison.

"Come Molog, Ashterath, Beelzebar, and Shetan!" Amora intoned. "From the pit I summon thee to wreak havok!"

Then she set the fire demons free.

Odin flung Gungnir at them, but the Black Spear went through them and the AllFather snapped, "What by Valhalla are these creatures? My spear never misses!"

"They are fire demons," Loki replied. "And only one thing can defeat them." He narrowed his eyes then called, "By the Power of the Norns, I, Loki Laufeyson Odinson, summon thee, Laufey and Astra, to battle the infernal ones!"

Once again the sky rained with light, resolving into Laufey and Astra, Laufey with his Celestial Spear and armor, and Astra with her Staff of the Divine.

 _Rhee, summon Larimar and Mimir!_ Loki sent to his wife.

 _What? How?_

 _Just call them!_

Rhiannon closed her eyes and said, "I. Rhiannon Laufeyson, by the Power of the Norns, do summon thee, Larimar and Mimir, to battle the infernal ones!"

Shafts of light streaked down and Larimar and Mimir appeared, clad in their heavenly armor, with swords.

"Mother, Loki needs you!"

"Aye, Daughter! We go!"

The two Star Watchers vanished, only to appear on the battlefield and attack two of the fire demons.

As Larimar's shining blade slammed into Molog, nearly shearing off a shadowy wing, Astra shot a bolt of celestial fire at Ashterath, knocking the fire demon out of the sky.

It hit the ground with a screech of fury, then recovered and flew to the attack, its unholy form smoking.

"Nice shot!" Laufey called in approval and then thrust his spear home in Beelzebar's midsection.

As purplish red ichor dripped onto the ground, Mimir tossed some sparkling dust into the air over Shetan. The demon screamed as the dust clung to it, burning like acid.

"What foul sorcery is _this!?_ " Amora screamed in rage. She was furious, for Surtur had assured her nothing the Asgardians possessed could defeat the four fire demons. Yet that accursed Trickster had summoned warriors of Valhalla that could.

"You're the one with the foul sorcery, you sorry excuse for a magician!' Loki sneered. "Now quit whining and fight!"

He pointed his staff at her and slammed her steed with a bolt of pure magical fire and the nightmare screamed and reared, knocking Amora off its back.

"Fight!" the Hulk roared inside Bruce, and he could feel the anger suffusing him, but with the bracelet it was not out of controlled rage.

The great green behemoth strode forward and picked up a Fire Giant and slammed it down, howling, "Bruce smash!"

A crater opened up as the giant hit the ground and the earth shook.

Odin cast Gungnir and it impaled a mercenary, then left the foe bleeding upon the earth while the Black Spear returned to his hand. He urged Sleipnir forward, and his noble steed raced upon the air, using his front four hooves to trample foes beneath him.

Above, Laufey dispatched Beelzebar and sent the foul fiend back to Hel, then he turned his Celestial Spear upon the Sky Vipers, the holy weapon crackling with heavenly fire as it smote the venomous flying serpents down.

The clash of steel on steel and the thud of bodies smashing into each other accompanied the cries of the dying and the yells of the victorious as the two armies battled.

In the air, the Star Watchers fought their demonic counterparts, using the magic of Valhalla against the poison of infernal Hel-spawned creatures.

Ashterath closed fangs upon Astra's arm greave as the Star Watcher brough her staff up for another attack. Only to have Larimar cut off its head with her Celestial blade. The fire demon's body vanished, sent back to Hel.

Astra inclined her head towards her sister Watcher. "Thanks for the assist."

"Anytime, sister," Larimar grinned, then went to help Mimir.

Molog and Shetan harried the First Archmage, spitting fire at him. Mimir blocked with a hastily conjured magical forcefield, and the flames were dissipated.

Together, Astra and Laufey flew towards the remaining Sky Vipers, engaging them so they could not sing their deadly refrain and put the Asgardian soldiers to sleep. The serpents hissed and lunged at the two Star Watchers, their speed just as swift as their land bound counterparts.

But the Star Watchers were possessed of uncanny swiftness also, and they dodged the waiting fangs and brought their weapons to bear, tearing the vipers to shreds.

Iron Man flew up and slammed a viper with a missile and the reptile was blown to pieces. "Take that, you flying eel!"

A Fire Giant sprang at Loki, who simply thrust his hands out and a withering blast of icy cold struck it in the chest, causing it to howl in agony and fall backwards to escape the penetrating killer frost.

"No!" Amora roared. "The Trickster is mine to slay!"

Loki turned his head and shot her a withering look. "Bring it, bitch!"

Suddenly Mr. Gold appeared and began bombarding the encroaching mercenaries with fire meteors. "Sorry I'm late!" he called to Loki.

"Better late than never!" responded his Archmage, pulling Warlocke back and making the stallion paw the air.

"You're still alive, you old relic!? Thought you croaked years ago!" Amora cried in shock.

"I came pretty close."

"Yes, I remember how loudly your wife screamed when you fell. It made killing her that much more satisfying." The Enchantress grinned malevolently.

"A nidings deed. But then what else should I have expected?"

"You should expect to join her."

"I'd like to see you try." Gold sneered, his hands glowing with arcane fire.

"Get in line!" Loki snarled. "I challenge you to a duel Arcane!"

"Loki!" Rhiannon gasped, watching the fight from Frigga's scrying bowl.

"What does that mean?" Tony asked, looking at Odin.

"It's a spell duel to the death. As Archmage, Loki can challenge any mage in the Nine to fight him in mortal combat."

"Kick her butt, Reindeer Games!"

"With pleasure, Stark! Draw the circle, Enchantress! Then prepare to die. On your knees!"

"It will be you on your knees, Trickster!"

"To quote a friend, bite me, bitch!"

Amora summoned a large circle around them and the runes sparkled in a blood red light.

Loki glared at her. "Now-fight!"

~0~0~0~

Meanwhile, Thor, Cap, and the rest of their two companies waited for an attack upon the infirmary and the nearby water tower and granary.

Cap waited patiently with his shield at the ready, while Thor flew above with Mjolnir, lightning sparking along his hands and in his eyes.

The bulk of their soldiers were spread out around the infirmary and in strategic spots about the hangar.

The steady tramp of booted feet was heard and then Skurge strode into view with his company following, the half-Storm Giant standing head and shoulders above his mates.

"I will take great pleasure killing you, Thunder God!" Skurge bellowed, but Thor did not flinch. Steve, Balder, the Warriors Three, Sif and Natasha stood their ground as the soldiers who followed Skurge waited for his signal and Thor folded his fingers over Mjolnir's handle.

"It will be you who dies this day," Thor growled and Skurge laughed.

"Attack!" Skurge said and the soldiers attacked.

Steve ran into the fray, his shield held in front of him, as he swung the shield and sent several of the soldiers flying. He ducked as some of the soldiers swung their weapons at his head and he sent his shield flying off rocks and trees, knocking out more soldiers.

"We cannot allow him to have all the fun," Volstagg shouted and Hogun silently nodded. The large warrior swung his mace into the chest, stomach and head of several soldiers as his silent friend attacked some of the other soldiers and Volstagg laughed.

"Save some for me!" Fandral shouted as he jumped from the top of a large rock and the sunlight shimmered off the blade of his sword.

"Are they always like this?" Natasha asked as she swung the sword and sliced into the solider in front of her.

"Mostly, yes," Sif said with a nod and sliced the arm off of the soldier in front of her.

"Stay cautious, Natasha!" Balder called out and sliced into two soldiers.

Skurge watched the soldiers being cut down around him when he growled and charged at Thor. Thor saw the double blade ax coming toward him as he blocked with Mjolnir and slid back a few feet. Skurge swung the ax again as Thor dived out of the way and raised Mjolnir. Lightning erupted from the magical hammer as the bolt hit Skurge in the chest and he grunted.

"Do you really think that will stop me?!" Skurge shouted, swinging the ax and Thor dodged, rolling to his left.

"No, but this might!" Steve said as he tossed the shield and the shield headed for Skurge's head. The shield hit Skurge in the head as he fell forward and white lights shimmered before his eyes. The half-Storm Giant slowly turned as Steve looked at him and sighed. "Blast."

Thor whirled Mjolnir and caused a small cyclone which picked up Skurge and then he slammed the half-giant with his hammer in the jaw, sending him flying into his packed soldiers.

"Nice one, Thor!" Balder called as he thrust and parried and cut off another opponant's head, Grimfang singing a war song in his head.

Balder and Natasha stood back to back as he smiled and enjoyed being in battle with her. She flawlessly took down several soldiers twice her size without stopping and her flaming red hair rippled in the wind.

Suddenly, his heart lurched in his chest when one of the soldiers slashed his sword across her stomach and Natasha fell to the ground.

"No!" he shouted as he cut the head off the soldier then knelt down next to Natasha.

 _Brother, hear me! Natasha has been injured!_ he sent to Loki.

 _How badly is she hurt?_ Loki sent.

 _She has been nearly sliced in two!_ Balder said as he looked at the blood coming from the wound and Natasha moaned.

"Ba...Balder," she whispered and he hushed her.

"No. Do not speak, Firestar," he whispered and brushed the hair from her eyes.

"I feel so cold."

"It will be alright."

 _One moment!_ Loki sent and simultaneously blasted Amora with a meteor shower, forcing the sorceress on the defensive. _Use the water, Balder! It's her only chance!_

He prayed his brother heeded him as he blocked another strike from Amora, reminding himself to focus.

Balder thanked the Norns that he had brought the water with him as he removed the bottle from his pouch and carefully lifted her head.

"Drink," he whispered and Natasha frowned.

"Drink what?" she asked in a small voice. He saw her eyes were glazing over as he prayed and kissed her cold forehead.

"I'll explain later. Now, please, drink," he said and she nodded. He didn't know if she had to drink all of the water as she drank and he placed her on the ground.

He had only given her three sips as Balder watched the color return to her face and her eyes focused on him.

She felt warmth return to her body and the chill of death faded as the lifegiving water did its work, mending and healing all that had been broken and restoring her life and youth.

The water altered her mortal body subtly, making it resistant to disease and slowing down her cells aging until she was well nigh like an Asgardian.

"Wow, that is some water," she teased and he laughed, kissing her lips just as two soldiers ran toward them. Grimfang and the sword Natasha held in her hands sliced through the soldiers and she gave her fiance a smile.

"Well done, Firestar," he said.

"What is it with you and your family giving people nicknames?" she teased and he brought her in for a quick kiss.

"Stay focused, you two!" Sif said and laughed with a shake of her head. "Kiss later!"

"Just wait until this is over, Lady! Thor will be bedding you by sunset!" Balder shouted and sliced into one of the soldiers.

~0~0~0~

Loki stamped a boot on the ground and the earth rippled beneath his foot, making Amora shriek and levitate to avoid the sudden earthquake he had summoned.

"Bloody Trickster!"

He waved a chiding finger at her. "Temper, temper!" Then his emerald eyes narrowed as he struck her again with a blast of frost.

Amora waved a hand and countered, but some of the frost crept by and froze her eyebrows off. "What have you done, you unholy beast?!"

"Now _there's_ an improvement, you hag!" Loki laughed.

~0~0~0~

"Glad to see you well again, " Fandral said as he flipped over Natasha's head and sliced his sword into the large soldier.

"So am I!" Natasha said as she ran to him, hopped into his cupped hands and kicked the soldier in the head.

 _Brother, did the water work?_ Loki sent as Balder watched Natasha and smiled.

 _Yes, it worked. She's fine,_ Balder sent and slammed his fist into the nose of one of the soldiers.

Loki felt sweat trickle down the back of his neck in relief before he returned to pummeling Amora.

~0~0~0~

Stefan had seen war before. He had seen warriors maimed, injured and killed. But what was happening outside was stuff out of his nightmares. The sky looked red like blood and the screaming coming from the battles around the infirmary howled around him.

 _Stand strong, Friend,_ Loki sent as he nodded and went back inside.

 _At the palace:_

Frigga looked out the window as she saw smoke rising in the sky and she wishes she was out fighting by her husband and sons' sides.

"Mama, want Kwoki," Talia whimpered as she looked down and picked up her daughter.

"I know you do, Darling," she said and headed to the others. She noticed how badly Clint wanted to be with his friends as he sighed and paced. "I know what you are feeling."

"Do you?" he asked.

"Yes. I, too, want to be out there, but I also know guarding the palace... Guarding those we love is just as important."

"You're right," he said with a nod and looked at his wife and kids.

~0~0~0~

"Sir, it appears Thor is in need of some help," JARVIS said as Tony looked at the screens and pressed his lips together.

"Yeah, I noticed," Tony remarked as he flew toward Thor and Skurge and fired repulsor blasts at the soldiers, knocking them off their feet.

"Yes!" Bruce said as he ran toward some of the soldiers and roared.

"Kill the beast!" one of the soldiers shouted and Bruce gave them an angry look.

"I am not a beast!" he bellowed. "I am the Hulk!"

 _No, I am_ ,the Hulk thought and Bruce rolled his eyes.

 _I know that, Buddy, but they don't_ , he thought.

Slamming his fists onto the ground, Bruce watched as the soldiers, along with large chunks of the earth, flew through the air and crashed to the ground.

"Well played," Thor said then ducked as Skurge swung the ax.

"Thanks," Bruce said while Tony flew overhead and headed for a large figure.

"Sir, that appears to be a Fire Giant," JARVIS said.

"Will the armor withstand a frontal assault?" Tony asked.

"Yes, but you won't. The heat from a fire blast would broil you alive in ten seconds."

"Thanks," he sighed and took aim. He launched several small rockets at the Fire Giant. The rockets exploded and the Fire Giant roared. Tony dodged as fiery projectiles flew at him then he saw Loki appear below him and Loki fired an ice blast at the Fire Giant.

"Need a lift?" Tony asked while Loki looked up and smiled. Tony swooped down as he picked Loki off the ground and Loki aimed his hands at the Fire Giant's head. He released a large blast of killer frost while Tony's armor adjusted to the sudden drop in temperature and the Fire Giant roared. Tony launched some missiles as the Fire Giant's head exploded and Loki cheered.

"That's what I call an Arctic Blast!" the God of Mischief grinned and thought how much better that maneuver was than "Get Help."

"Anytime, Reindeer Games!"

Tony set Loki down and the god vanished and Tony went back to the fray.

~0~0~0~

Odin whirled in the saddle to meet the strike of a Fire Giant with a scimitar, thrusting Gungnir home in its chest. But even as his enemy fell to the Black Spear's bite, another giant swung his sword at the king's head.

Only to find his blow blocked by a glittering staff. "Surprise, ugly!" Astra snarled and then slammed the Fire Giant with some celestial fire and watched it wither to dust.

Odin turned and grinned at her. "Like old times, eh, Wildcat?"

"Verily," she replied and flew up to counter a Sky Viper.

On Odin's other side, Laufey threw his spear and impaled a rogue sorcerer. "Now aren't you grateful I taught you how to spear cast, Wanderer?" he called.

"Always," Odin said, nodding at his old friend.

He paused to assess the battle from atop the rise, watching his friends and warriors fighting when he saw Mr. Gold and his sons battling some of the rogue sorcerers and the fierce look on Gold's face reminded him of the last time he had seen Gold in battle.

It was against Amora and an image of an auburn-haired woman appeared. She fought as fiercely as Gold, but, after Gold had fallen, she crumbled. Amora took advantage of her grief to slay the brave woman and Odin had a statue of her made to commemorate her bravery.

~0~0~0~

Loki reappeared in the circle just as Amora sent a swarm of hornets at him. They were huge insects and possessed stings that could bring down Volstagg. But Loki held his hands up and a force shield snapped into place, rendering the attacking horde unable to penetrate it. Then he spoke to the angry insects.

"Friends, why do you attack me who have done you no harm?"

The hornet queen paused in her attack upon his shield.

"Bzzzzzzz... Mizzzzztrezzz orderzzzz uzzzzz to," the queen buzzed.

"I have no wish to harm you. So therefore I shall send you back from whence you came," Loki replied and then did so.

Amora ground her teeth and sent black balls of force at him. Loki's staff swept up and the balls shattered upon its tip.

"Nice try, but no cigar!" he taunted.

Amora spat at him. "I shall dance on your corpse, you Jotun bastard!"

"My, how original!" he sneered. "Can't you think of another name to call me, you pathetic pole-dancing reject from a bordello?" He stabbed the staff at her stomach. "On second thought, hold that pose, darling, while I ram this into you!"

Amora conjured a staff to block his thrust and snarled, "Just wait, you adopted freak of nature!"

Loki laughed. "Your mouth and your legs must operate separately from your brain, little scorpion! Because the lights aren't all on upstairs!"

"What lights?" Amora demanded, and attempted to whack him over the head with the staff.

Loki ducked smoothly and pulled a dagger and tossed it at her.

The Uru blade slammed into her shoulder. Amora howled.

"Didn't anybody teach you how to duck, idiot girl?" Loki sneered and snatched his other dagger from its sheath.

~0~0~0~

The defenders were so intent upon stopping the invaders that none of them noticed when two companies split from the main forces and crept around the battle to sneak into the infirmary and the palace.

~0~0~0~

Sensing the tide turning, and not in her favor, Amora blinked out of the circle and threw a certain black diamond onto the ground. "Fafnir, come forth!"

There was a shimmering in the air, and then a huge red dragon soared into the air over the armies, about fifity feet in length, with claws like long swords and spikes down his back like saws.

"Mistress, I am here!" Fafnir roared, lashing his tail in the air.

"Destroy them all!" Amora pointed towards the Asgardian army. Then she laughed wickedly and blinked back into the circle.

"Let's see how your little family handles a fire dragon, Unwanted One! I predict they will be ashes in ten minutes!"

~0~0~0~

Peering out the window at the melee, Rhiannon gasped when she saw the fire dragon appear. 'Norns help us all! A fire dragon!"

A split second later she knew what she had to do. "Watch over my children!" she called to Frigga, Clint, and the guards. Then she ran and jumped off the balcony.

"Rhiannon!" Frigga screamed, thinking the young woman had plunged to her death.

Until she saw the icy white shape rise up, and the frost dragon sped towards Fafnir.

Though smaller than her formidable counterpart, Rhiannon was lightning quick and agile. She struck from above the red behemoth, her claws and icy breath freezing the leathery wings and scoring Fafnir's fiery hide before the dragon knew what she was about.

The beast bellowed in rage and pain and swung his gigantic head about, trying to grab the smaller white drake and tear her limb off.

But once again, Rhiannon was too quick, and she dodged the snap, putting air between her and her adversary.

~0~0~0~

Out of the corner of his eye, Loki saw the familiar frost dragon shape. "Rhee!" he hissed, fear slamming his gut. Yet at the same time he felt pride in his wife for her unflinching courage in the face of such a deadly foe. "Kick his draconic ass, Spitfire!"

Then he winced as Amora's staff hit him in the shoulder, as he had become distracted by the sight of his wife. Shaking his head, he returned to concentrating on his own battle, leaving his beloved to her own.

"Say goodbye, Laufeyson!" the Enchantress taunted. "For Fafnir will make your wife into dust before you can build a pyre!"

Purple lightning crackled from her fingertips as she launched it at Loki.

~0~0~0~

Rhiannon dove to avoid the blast of fire Fafnir shot at her, before recalling that she still wore the dragonscale about her neck which made her immune to the red beast's breath.

She twisted her ivory-hued body about and sped up to attack, her own jaws parting as she breathed a cone of frost.

~0~0~0~

Meanwhile, in the infirmary, Stefan had set up a triage unit and was treating those Asgardians who were brought or had come under their own power to be treated. Priority was given to those who were the most badly wounded, and he waved a pair of orderlies wheeling a gurney with a man with a gaping chest wound into the operating room.

As he prepped for surgery, his nurses and interns went about and marked off those who needed immediate attention and those who could afford to wait. The ones in immediate need were marked with a red marker on their forehead. Others were marked with a green one.

Tight-lipped, Heidel gave one patient with a broken arm water and banadaged a cut on another's arm that had bled sluggishly. She marked them with a green mark.

Two beds away, an intern marked a soldier with a leg missing with a red marker as the man groaned feebily and then lapsed into unconsciousness when she tightened the tourniquet.

A loud explosive blast rocked the infirmary as Stefan ran to the window and saw the soldiers and Fire Giants, his white tunic covered with blood, a mask dangling from his chin.

"Norns!" he said, turning to healers. "We are under attack! Take those who can be moved and take them into the basement!"

"What about the others?" Heidel asked. Stefan closed his eyes for a few seconds then opened them.

"We have to leave them," he said. The walls shook as they led the wounded toward the stairs to the basement and he prayed the Norns would forgive him. They had gotten the wounded down to safety when Stefan heard a loud howling sound and Heidel headed for the window.

She saw Asgardian soldiers fighting the enemy when she watched wolves running to aide them and one of the wolves was huge. The wolf howled as it slashed into the enemy soldiers and something about the wolf seemed familiar.

"Get away from there," Stefan hissed as he dragged her away from the window and the howling echoed in the air.

Suddenly, the doors slammed open while the enemy soldiers ran inside and Stefan pulled her behind him.

A nurse screamed in terror and grabbed a mop and stood in front of a badly wounded patient.

"Well now, looky here, Targe!" one with a beard grinned wickedly. "Looks like we done found the healers all holed up like rabbits!"

"And you know what we does with rabbits, don't ya, Karl?"

"Aye, we skin them!"

Stefan palmed a syringe filled with a potent painkiller. "We are unarmed, you cretins!"

"Good. Then it will make killing you that much more fun!" Karl said.

Another lanky soldier wearing Amora's colors joined them. "Hey! You didn't wait for me, lads!" he whined.

"Aw, shut up, Mort! And start with the mouthy one over here!" ordered Targe, indicating Stefan.

"With pleasure," Mort said, walking to Stefan. Stefan stood a little straighter as he moved his fingers over the syringe and Mort grinned. Stefan could see Mort was missing some teeth and a foul odor came from him.

"Don't you bathe?!" Stefan asked and Mort growled.

"Shut yur mouth," Mort said.

"I wish you would close yours. Your breath could peel paint."

Mort reached for Stefan, bringing his blade up. But Stefan stabbed him in the arm with the syringe and pressed it down.

"Is that supposed to . . . hurt . . . meee . . .? Mort moaned and then toppled over as the effect of a double dose of painkiller knocked him out.

His sword clattered to the floor and Stefan picked it up. He was no real swordsman, but he knew which end of a sword was which thanks to his roommate Loki.

"You will pay for that!" Karl growled then raised his sword and charged at Stefan. He stopped short after Heidel hit him in the back of his head with a bowl a patient used to urinate in and Karl crumbled to the ground.

"You whore!" yelled Targe and moved to attack her.

Suddenly a large wolf jumped through the open window as it came between Targe and Heidel and the wolf growled.

"Hel, where did that wolf come from?!"

"He's with me!" Hunter said as he climbed onto the windowsill and tossed a dagger at him. The blade dug deep into Targe's shoulder as he yelped and the wolf moved closer.

"Norns help me!" whimpered the mercenary as the wolf's hot breath hit his chin.

"I don't think they help losers like you," Hunter sneered, and readied his other dagger to throw,

Fenris roared loud enough to make Targe hit the floor and Hunter walked closer. With a swift motion, Hunter pulled the dagger out and Targe yelled in pain.

"Put a sock in it, dick!" Hunter hissed, reverting to his street gang persona.

Stefan knelt down as he treated the wound and Heidel looked at Fenris. He was glaring at the mercenary when he felt someone touching his fur and he turned his head to see Heidel.

"Prince Fenris?" she whispered. He knew his heart was already beating hard, but hearing her say his name made it go faster.

"Bro, change back," Hunter whispered, gently nudging him. Fenris shifted as she looked at him and a blush moved over his cheeks. Sighing, Hunter handed him a blanket and Fenris wrapped the blanket around his waist.

"Healer Heidel, stop staring. It's not like you haven't seen a naked body before," Stefan said, but smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Young love," he thought and tied off the bandage he placed around Targe's shoulder.

"What do we do with these guys?" Hunter asked, looking at the mercenaries. "I mean, I don't think you guys have a dungeon handy to throw them in."

"We will take them down to the isolation rooms in the basement," Stefan said, helping Targe sit up.

"Won't they get out?" Fenris asked.

"We'll place them in straight jackets then chain them to the wall."

Three healers brought over the straight jackets as Stefan, Fenris and Hunter helped them put the straight jackets on the mercenaries and Targe yelped when Fenris pulled on the straps.

"Careful! I'm injured!" Targe growled.

"Just be grateful you're still breathing," Fenris growled and Targe swallowed.

"Yeah, you're lucky I didn't aim for your throat," Hunter put in coldly.

"You are monsters like your father!" Targe shouted.

"We aren't the ones attacking the sick and injured," Fenris said.

"Move!" Stefan said as he pushed Targe forward and they led the mercenaries to the stairs to the basement. After securing them in the isolation rooms, they went back upstairs and Hunter and Fenris helped bring the injured back upstairs.

~0~0~0~

 _Loki, the infirmary has been attacked, but hasn't fallen_ , Stefan sent.

 _Is it badly damaged?_ Loki sent.

 _A little structural damage, but no one was killed. Thank the Norns for sending your sons._

 _What?! My sons are at the palace! Well, Sleph is with my father._

 _So you didn't send Fenris and Hunter?_

 _No!_

 _Well, I'm glad they came. They saved us from mercenaries._

 _Tell them to stay there. I'll talk with them later._

"Right," he sent then looked at them. "Your father wants you to stay here."

"Is he mad?" Hunter asked.

"What do you think?" he asked, arching an eyebrow and the boys sighed.

~0~0~0~

The sounds of battle echoed around Thor as he and Skurge fought, but neither of them were getting tired. He knew the two of them could fight for years as he ducked and Skurge growled.

He wished he could ask Loki for advice on how best to defeat the Executioner, then he recalled his brother saying once that Skurge's weakness was his arrogance and his involuntary movement of sticking his neck out of his gorget.

The gorget was a metal piece that protected the wearer's neck from being cut. Thor looked at Skurge when he saw the gorget had lowered enough to expose the half-Storm Giant's neck and he lifted Mjolnir and swung it wildly over his head.

Skurge's axe caught the Thunder God in the leg just as the legendary hammer flew into the air and struck Skurge in the neck, snapping it in two like a child breaking a wishbone in half.

Skurge didn't make a sound as his body fell and Thor hopped to his feet and retrieved his hammer.

"Better get to the infirmary, Brother, and let them tend that," Balder said, nodding at the wound in Thor's leg.

"Aye," he said as he lifted Mjolnir and sailed into the air.

~0~0~0~

 _At the palace:_

Frigga wondered how the battle was going when a loud sound filled the room and Aleta, Max and Talia screamed.

"Mama!" Talia yelped as she ran to her and Frigga lifted her off the floor.

"My Queen," the guard said as he ran into the room and she looked at him. "The palace is under siege!"

"Then we will fight!" she said, walking to the door and handed Talia to Laura.

"Wait, I'm coming with you!" Jorgy said.

"So are we!" Sam said.

"No, your father wants you to be safe," Frigga said, looking at them.

"We know how to fight," Belle said.

"Yeah!" Nate said.

"And I need to do something," Clint said.

Sighing, Frigga nodded as they headed for the door and left the room. Laura looked at her kids and Talia when she noticed Peter was missing and blinked.

"Where did he go?" Laura thought and went to secure the doors.

~0~0~0~

Rhiannon snapped her tail like a whip and the tip of it caught Fafnir in one eye, blinding him.

Shrieking, the red dragon spun and breathed in her direction.

The fire washed over her and left her untouched.

Roaring a battle cry, Rhiannon soared high in the air and then dropped like a stone, hitting Fafnir in the middle of his back with all four sets of claws and all her weight behind the strike.

Her talons severed the spinal cord as her fangs closed about Fafnir's neck, snapping it.

She opened her talons and let the behemoth fall to earth, then flapped her wings and roared in victory.

Below her, the Army of Asgard cheered.

"Rhiannon!" they chanted as they pumped their fists into the air and she roared.

Loki had sent to the army it was his wife who was fighting the red dragon and she flapped her wings, heading back to the palace.

Along the way she strafed several straggling companies of mercenaries with her frost breath, freezing them to the flagstones. Later they could be defrosted and bro

ught to the dungeons for sentencing.

Her eyes widened when she saw the smoke coming from the palace and saw soldiers defending the palace from invaders.

 _Loki, the palace is under attack!_ she sent, flying faster.

 _Nine Hells! Handle it, darling! I've got to roast a witch!_ he sent back, bile surging into his throat at the thought of his precious children in danger, along with his mother and baby sister.

Rhiannon flew toward the invaders as she breathed ice on them and the soldiers cheered, watching her fly overhead.

"Dragon Queen!" one young soldier yelled, as he stabbed an invader.

"Cut them down!" a female soldier cheered and cut the head off an invader.

Frigga had heard the cheering when she ran to the balcony and saw Rhiannon flying by. Smiling, she used her magic to call for a sword and shield then her battle armor and Frigga went to catch up with the children.

Sam had armed her siblings as Serena held the paint gun tightly in her hands and the other kids were armed with daggers and small shields. Vince had summoned some ghost warriors to help them fight as the ghost warriors stood nearby in tattered armor, but they were armed with ghost weapons.

Nate had checked to see if the weapons Tony had installed in his wheelchair were primed and he pushed up the helmet out of his eyes.

~0~0~0~

"Ready to give up, Loki?" sneered Amora. "For soon I shall kill all you love, Trickster Prince! And then as you weep over your fallen family, I shall take your head!"

Loki gave her glare that should have slain her on the spot. "Keep boasting, hag! But you shall see Hel before I ever see Valhalla!"

Amora fired several bolts of black energy at him, but Loki dodged and rolled on the ground.

Gaining his feet with a bound, he spun his hand and a small dust devil whirled up, throwing dust into the sorceress' eyes.

"Ow! I can't see, you bastard!"

"Aww, ain't that a shame!" Loki sneered.

Then Amora changed into a large vrekat and lunged at Loki, venomous claws extended.

This huge cat was the same type of one that had slain Larimar and given Rhee the scar on her face.

~0~0~0~

Frigga, Clint and the children joined the warriors to defend the palace as Clint fired arrows at the invaders and called out what he wanted the arrows to do.

 _Wish I could take these with me when I go home._ Clint thought and slammed the bow into the face of one invaders. He watched Nate move the wheelchair as the small missiles hit the invaders and the blue light from the force shield shimmered around the wheelchair.

"Go get them, Kid," he whispered and fired some arrows.

Frigga engaged two soldiers at once, cutting one down before she parried the other's blow, moving like quicksilver in a deadly dance. The second one barely knew what hit him before he was down and the queen's sword ran red with the blood of her enemies.

Clint whistled. "Lady, remind me never to tick you off."

Aleta and Serena fired paint balls from a secure area as they laughed and Abby used her powers to make some of the invaders ill enough that they just laid down on the floor, moaning.

Max pointed a hand and the floor became a slippery ice coated mess and the invading soldiers fell and couldn't get up.

"Yes! It's Help, I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up Day!" Vince hooted as his sisters shot them with paint balls.

Belle cast illusions while Lucy threw daggers at the invaders and they gave each other high fives.

"Girl power!" Belle shouted. Then she looked at her little sister. "When did you get so good with knives?"

Lucy shrugged. "I dunno. I just know how to throw them."

"Oh. Must be because you're part Valkyrie," Belle surmised.

Sam found herself facing a large man with a sword. He looked to be about thirty with a nasty hooked nose and warts. "Hey, ugly! Don't look in the mirror, ya might break it!" she taunted and slashed at his knees as Rhiannon had shown her.

"Die, you little bitch!" the man shouted as he swung his ax while Sam felt something hit her shoulders and she sailed into the air.

"Whoa!" Sam said when she found herself sitting on top of a pillar and looked at her rescuer. "You're—you're-!"

"I'm Spiderman," Peter said and was glad that his voice was altered when he spoke.

Sam gasped. "Holy Valhalla! But where's Peter?"

"He's safe. Now, do me a favor and just stay here!" Peter said then jumped down, landing on her attacker.

"Like hell," she said and jumped down, landing on her feet.

"Look, I can't do this if you're in danger."

"I am not some damsel in distress," she said, kicking one of the defenders between his legs.

"Holy Toledo, Loki, are _all_ your daughters like this?" the Webslinger groaned.

"You know my dad?"

"Uh... Yeah..."

"Cool!"

Peter admitted to himself that he liked fighting along side Sam as they fought the invaders and he was smiling under his mask.

Overhead, Rhiannon roared as she breathed ice down on the invaders and the people cheered her name.

"Go, Mom!" Sam whooped as she tripped one soldier and he landed in Spidey's web.

"Your mom's the Mother of Dragons?" Peter joked as he wrapped up the soldier.

"Something like that!" Sam grinned.

"Wild," he said, webbing some of the invaders to the ground.

Vince raced along the corridor, pretending to be in distress. "Help! Help!" he yelled as two mercenaries with a mace and an axe chased him.

"Get the little bugger!"

As the two closed on him, the spectral warriors appeared about them, raising their ghostly weapons. "Fight us, cowards!"

The two men gasped as they dropped their weapons and ran.

"Chickens!" Vince said and made clucking sounds. "I ain't afraid of no ghosts!"

~0~0~0~

Rhiannon landed as she changed form when she felt like she was being watched, turned and saw Bruhilde standing behind her.

"Greetings, Little Hawk," her old teacher grinned. "It would seem that my duty calls me to fight for Asgard. Let us do it together."

"It would be an honor, Teacher," Rhiannon smiled, and drew Laevateinn.

Together, the women charged and a shrill battle cry filled the air.

"Hel, they have a Valkyrie!" one of the invaders said after seeing Brunhilde's armor.

"How? They all died!"

"Don't ask! Run!"

"Guess nobody told that one!" cried a Dark Elf, going pale. He turned and fled.

Brunhilde slashed into the invaders as she felt an old familiar feeling move through her, but she knew she had to be careful. Hela would be receiving the souls of those she had slain and it would take only one of them telling Hela who killed him for her to know Brunhilde was alive.

Rhiannon tore into the remaining mercenaries like the wind of death, her enemies falling about her like ripe wheat in front of a scythe.

In the nursery, Laura tried to keep the kids calm by playing games when something slammed into the doors and the kids screamed. The things she had placed in front of the doors fell as a large man entered the room and smiled.

"Hello, pretty!" he chuckled.

Laura picked up a block and threw it, hitting the bald man in the lip and cutting it.

"Rotten whore!" he spat. "You'll be the first to die!" He started forward. "Along with the rest of Loki's misbegotten family and the Trickster himself!"

"In your dreams, scum!"

Clint had trained her to defend herself and she knew there was no way she was going to let this creep hurt her kids or Talia.

"You think you're so tough?"

"Yeah, I do."

He moved closer when the room started shaking and pieces of the ceiling started falling.

"Hel, what's going...?" he asked as a large chunk of the ceiling hit his head and he yelp.

"You weave Mrs. Waura awone!" Talia shouted as she balled her hands into fists and the man laughed.

"Oh, look at the little pup!" he said as he walked toward her and Laura looked around for something to use as a weapon. The room shook harder as more of the ceiling fell and Laura noticed it was only falling around him.

"Go 'way!" Talia said when a large piece of ceiling started falling and the man looked up.

"Hel!" he said as he dived out of the way then headed for the door. Laura had found a large vase she smashed the vase over his head and the man fell unconscious to the floor.

"Yay, Mom!" Cooper cheered

Laura stared at the tiny girl. "You can do magic like your big brother?"

"Yeah," Talia said with a yawn. "I'm sweepy."

Laura picked her up as she kissed the side of Talia's head and rocked her.

"Your brother is going to be so proud of you," she whispered and Talia closed her head, placing her cheek on Laura's shoulder.

Several guard suddenly appeared as they looked at her, the kids then at the man on the floor and Laura gave them a smug look.

"Uh...," one of the guards said.

"Don't just stand there. Get him out of here," Laura said. Nodding, the guards dragged the man out of the room as she rocked Talia and hoped Clint, Loki and the others were alright.

A strange slimy creature rather like a large gila monster chased Serena and Lucy down the hallway. "Hurry, Luce! It's gaining!" Serena panted. 'And I'm outta paint balls!"

"I'm trying!" her small sister gasped. They darted past the kitchens and suddenly Kara, Frigga, and Halgran came out, all the women armed to the teeth.

"Stay away from my granddaughters!" Frigga howled, and slammed the thing's tongue with a meat cleaver.

"Yes! You know lizard pie is good eating!" Kara shouted, and stabbed the lizard in the eye with her butcher knife.

"My, what nice hide you have, dearie!" Halgran cried. "All the better to skin you!" She drew some runes and the lizard fell over dead.

Lucy gaped at the old nanny. "Holy cow! I thought you said you could do a little magic!"

Halgran grinned. "Tis a small thing, dearie, to cause a creature's airway to collapse."

The two girls ran and hugged the three women.

Laura and the kids appeared as she held onto Talia and her eyes went wide when she saw the lizard.

"What are you doing here? Why aren't you in the nursery?" Frigga asked.

"Someone broke in," Laura said, handing the sleeping Talia and Nathaniel to Frigga and Helgran.

"But Mom smacked him with a vase," Cooper said.

"And Talia made the roof fall down on him," Lila said.

"She did!?" Frigga said and Talia half opened her eyes.

"Mama, I want my Kwoki," Talia said.

"So do I," Frigga said and wondered how Loki, Odin and the rest of the armies were fairing.

~0~0~0~

Clint shot arrows till his fingers burned, then he lowered his bow and blew on them, while the rest of the Avengers and the Asgardians engaged the enemy.

Further off he saw Odin charge a knot of Amora's regulars with Sleipnir, and the old king rained death with his spear and his eight-legged steed's Uru shod hooves.

It was like watching something out of a movie, he thought, though the biggest show was the one taking place inside the spell circle to the north of his position.

There, Loki and Amora battled to the death, and Clint prayed the God of Mischief won.

~0~0~0~

The vrekat sprang at Loki, all long claws and sharp fangs, its gold and white body a blur.

But unlike when Larimar and Rhiannon had faced it, Loki was not minded to remain and meet it. Instead he blinked away and left illusions in his place, six of them to be exact.

A furious Amora tore and bit at the fake Lokis, screaming in rage as one by one she smote air with her claws.

Loki quickly drew his daggers and flipping them around in his hands, sent them spinning towards his adversary.

One struck the vrekat behind the left elbow, and the great cat screamed and collapsed, for that was where its vulnerable kidney was. The other slammed into the back of its neck, paralyzing it as it severed the spinal cord.

The vrekat writhed and then shifted back to Amora.

Loki strode forward. His hands sparking with magical power, he turned the sorceress over with a boot. The Enchantress bared her teeth at him in a dying grimace.

"How?"

"You assumed—foolishly—that I wouldn't know where a vrekat was vulnerable," Loki replied. "You forgot—I'm a master shifter."

The green eyes glazed over and Amora spat at him. "Though I die—I shall yet have my . . . revenge . . . Jotun bastard!"

Loki knelt beside her, his countanence hard. "What do you mean, woman? Speak!"

"My death . . . will trigger . . . a reaction . . ." she laughed weakly.

Loki swore inwardly.

Then he clamped his hand over her head and ruthlessly tore the information he needed from her mind.

He saw in her dying thoughts how she had magically linked the death of her body to a bomb planted beneath the palace.

"I win!" she gasped, and her head lolled to one side.

 _Shit, Laufeyson! Stop her!_ Loki thought frantically. He only knew that she must not set off the trigger. Thus, he had to prevent her death. For now.

Loki slammed his palm down upon her and placed her body in stasis. "Wrong. You're not dead yet."

Then he stood and sent to Odin, _Father! There is an incendiary device planted beneath the palace. It is set to go off when Amora dies—unless we can find and disarm it!_

 **A/N: Well that chapter left me exhausted and breathless! How about you?**

 **Will they find the bomb in time? Find out next chapter! Loki hugs and kisses to all my readers!**


	72. Unexpected Surprises

**72**

 **Unexpected Surprises**

 _Life is full of unexpected surprises. ~ Loki_

Loki brought Amora's body to Odin as the Allfather looked at her and snorted out a breath of air.

"I should have known she would do something like this," Odin grumbled.

"We need to get back to the palace at once," Loki said. Odin nodded as they headed back to the palace and Odin placed Amora in the hall near his den.

"Do you know where the bomb is?" Odin asked.

"Yes, it's in the sewer system under the palace."

Loki paced as he thought about what he had to do and an ice ball formed in his chest.

"Jorgy, where are you?" Loki sent.

"I'm with Mother. Do you need my help?" Jorgy sent.

"Yes. I need you to go to the sewer system under the palace," Loki said and sent the images he retrieved from Amora's mind.

"Do you know if it's rigged to explode if it's tampered with?"

"No, I don't. So I need you to be extra careful."

"I will."

Loki looked at Odin as his father walked over and placed his hand on his son's shoulder.

"This is not your fault," Odin said, but Loki shook his head.

"How can it not be my fault? I challenged her," Loki said when his mother appeared and Astra came to him.

"You did what you had to do, My Son. No one blames you," she said and cupped Loki's cheek in her hand.

"Listen to her," Odin said and Loki nodded. "If it makes you feel better, I will post guards so you can go finish this."

"Thank you, Father," Loki said as he vanished and Odin looked at Astra.

"He reminds me of you, Wanderer," Astra said.

"Yes, and that will help make him a great king," he said as he watched her vanish then he went to find someone to guard Amora's body.

~0~0~0~

Rhiannon ran in the infirmary as she saw Stefan, Heidel and the other healers tending the wounded and Stefan looked at her.

"Don't just stand there. Go help," he said and she nodded. She didn't mind that he snapped at her as she went to one of the beds and a wounded soldier looked up at her. The soldier was a young female with a long bandage wrapped around her arm and shoulder and Rhiannon washed her hands before checking the bandage.

"What is your name?" Rhiannon asked.

"I am Yinsan," Yinsan said and Rhiann noticed she was Vanir.

"I am Rhiannon."

"I have heard of you, Dragon Queen," she said and Rhiannon smiled.

"Good things, I hope," she said with a laugh then went to unwrap the bandage. Yinsan's arm was cut from her wrist to her shoulder, but the bleeding had stopped and the wound was not too deep. "Well, this doesn't look too bad. Can you feel your fingers?"

"Yes."

"Wiggle them for me."

Yinsan moved her fingers as Rhiannon nodded and one of the healers brought over a syringe filled with pain killer and a tray with a needle and surgical thread.

Rhiannon bent to her task, her hands deft and gentle as she treated the wounded soldier, happy to be saving lives again instead of taking them.

 _Rhee, are you all right?_ Loki sent to her.

 _Yes, Loki. I am helping in the infirmary. How are you? Are you injured?_

 _No. Just a bit tired from spellcasting but otherwise I am fine._ He explained to her about Amora and how Jorgy was looking for the bomb in the sewers. _I will tell you more when I learn more. For now, continue to treat the wounded. I will do the same with those left on the field. How are the children?_

 _They are all well. Please keep me informed about Jorgy. I love you._

 _Love you too, darling. I'll see you soon._

Loki went and collected his medical satchel, hugging some of his children as he did so. Then he gently disengaged from Aleta, Max, and Lucy saying he would be back as soon as he could, but he had to help tend the wounded soldiers. He teleported back to the bloody field of battle, where bodies lay strewn about like straw men.

He followed the groans of the injured, and came to a soldier lying half-beneath a larger body.

The larger man was dead, and Loki heaved him off the smaller man and knelt beside him. "Where are you hurt?"

"My head, sir," the soldier moaned, and Loki saw that he was little more than boy, around Fenris' age.

Loki opened his medical satchel and removed some bandages and a canteen of water, a bowl, and a cloth. He used a spell to disinfect his hands, then poured some water into the bowl and gently washed the blood from the boy's face and saw that he had a cut in his scalp.

"How bad is it, sir?" the boy asked, sounding afraid but trying not to show it.

"Not too bad," Loki soothed, examining it. "It's a scalp wound, they always bleed a lot. Might require a few stitches though. Do you feel dizzy? Nauseous?"

"I . . . I'm a little queasy," the boy admitted. "And I have a headache but I'm not dizzy."

Loki noted that the boy had bright blue eyes and blond hair. There was something familiar about him, but right then the prince was more concerned with treating his wound then trying to figure out why this boy reminded him of someone. "What's your name?"

"Magni," the boy answered.

"I'm Loki," the Archmage told him.

The boy gasped. "You . . . You're Prince Loki?!"

"Yes, easy, keep still. I need to apply a bit of pressure, you're bleeding a bit," Loki said and did so.

"Sweet Valhalla!" Magni exclaimed. "Why . . . why are you here, My Prince?"

"Because here is where I am needed most right now," Loki replied. "I am a medic as well as prince."

He checked the wound again and nodded. "The bleeding has stopped. Let me help you sit up so I can bandage this. I can give you a shot for pain if you need it."

He gently assisted the boy to a sitting position.

Magni swallowed, biting back a whimper as his head pounded.

Loki carefully wrapped a bandage about the boy's head. "You're a bit younger than our normal recruits. When did you join up?"

Magni hesitated, then sighed. "Today, sir. I had to! I had nothing left after . . ." he bit his lip hard as tears threatened to unman him.

Loki saw the distress in his eyes and placed a hand on his shoulder. "After what?"

The boy sniffed hard. "After they . . . came to my house." His fists clenched. "I was away fishing when _she_ came with her army of bastards! They marched through my village . . . and they . . ." he gulped sharply. " . . .they killed her! They killed my mother!" The last word was choked from him. Magni's eyes burned but he forced himself to continue. "I . . . found her lying there in the yard . . .they had cut her throat . . .so I . . . I buried her and then I went to find them . . . but they were gone . . . and most of my neighbors were dead . . ."

His blue eyes widened in remembered horror and grief.

Loki felt his heart contract. "Norns! I'm sorry, lad. What about your father?"

Magni shook his head. "He died when I was a baby in some battle. I never knew him. It was always just my mother and me . . ." He shut his eyes as the blood drenched memories assaulted him and tears ran silently down his cheeks, making tracks in the grime.

Loki did the only thing that seemed appropriate. He hugged the distraught boy. "Don't worry, Magni. I'll see that you're looked after."

The boy sagged in his embrace, but only for a moment. Abruptly he pushed away. "Don't need no looking after, sir! I'm sixteen! I can take care of myself . . ." Then he looked at the ground, realizing who he was talking to. "Forgive me, My Prince. I meant no disrespect."

"It's all right. I'm not offended. So you joined up with the army. . . . where did you get armor and a sword?"

Magni blushed. "I . . . I saw my neighbor Rolf dead half in and half out of his house. So I . . . I took them from him. He didn't need them anymore and I did!" he said the last a bit belligerently.

"I see. Why didn't you take a helm too?"

"It was too big," the boy admitted, wincing.

Loki saw and asked, "On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the highest, how bad is your pain? I want you to be honest with me, lad. There's no need to pretend with me."

Magni gulped. "I . . .I guess maybe . . .a six, sir. My head feels like dwarves are beating it."

Loki nodded. "Well, you did take a nasty blow to it, so that's to be expected." He rummaged in his kit, finding a syringe and his vial of pain medicine. "I'm going to give you some medicine for the pain. This doesn't have a sedative in it, so you'll be able to walk to the infirmary after it. Unless you don't think you can and then I can provide a hover stretcher."

"No, My Prince. I can walk," Magni said, thinking he would rather die than be carried like a baby on a litter.

"Okay. Then let me give you the shot." Loki said, and examined the boy. He was wearing a mail shirt, and even though it was big, it meant his arms and torso and thighs were covered and Loki didn't wish to risk hurting him further trying to remove the armor. He frowned to himself, then made a quick decision. "Lie on your side," he ordered, and helped the boy do so.

Then he flipped up the boy's shirt and gently tugged part of his trousers down.

"Sir, what are you-?"

"Relax. I'm going to give you the shot in your hip. It won't hurt there," Loki told him, and then disinfected the spot. He gently injected the boy.

Magni was surprised that the shot didn't hurt. He felt a mild tingle and that was all. "Hey, it didn't hurt!"

"I told you it wouldn't," Loki answered and replaced his clothing. _Looks like you haven't lost your touch, Laufeyson._ He helped Magni sit up again. "That will take about five minutes for you to start feeling the effects of it. Do you think you can stand?"

Magni nodded, and accepted Loki's hand up.

"How do you feel?"

Magni felt slightly dizzy but decided not to mention it. "I feel fine, sir."

"All right, I want you to go straight to the infirmary and get that cut treated. We'll talk more later." He patted the boy's shoulder and smiled at him.

"Yes, My Prince," Magni murmured.

Loki's heart ached for the orphan boy, but he had spent as much time as he dared with him. Now he had other patients to treat.

He watched as Magni made his way slowly across the field towards the infirmary and cursed Amora roundly for bringing such misery down on innocent people.

Loki turned away, finding another soldier to treat, and after him another, and so on until he ran out of supplies in his satchel and then he halted and sent to Jorgy.

 _Jorgy, have you found it?_

 _Not yet, Father. Right now I am swimming through a tight tunnel and the water is very murky, even with my serpent vision._ Jorgy sent. He considered it a good thing that as sea serpent he didn't smell with his nostrils because the water in the sewage system was fetid.

He undulated through the water, using his long tail to propel himself through the murky depths of the tunnel. He kept his eyes peeled for the device, which would have been glowing slightly in the green water.

 _I'm going to need a bath after this,_ Jorgy thought as he swam onward when he saw a red glow in the green water and he swam faster. He finally came to the bomb and he stared at the blinking red machine and wondered if it was safe to move it.

 _Father, I have found the bomb,_ Jorgy sent _._

 _Good. Do you think you can move it?_ Loki sent.

 _I don't know._

 _Show it to me._

Loki saw what Jorgy was looking at as he sighed and Jorgy swam around the bomb. He noticed there were wires which were connected to the walls as he blinked and his tail slashed back and forth.

 _The bomb is connected to the walls,_ Jorgy sent.

 _Wonderful, Loki sent with a sigh._

 _Dad, I don't think I can defuse this._

 _I'll see if I can find someone who can. Return to the palace._

 _I will,_ Jorgy said as he swam away and hoped they could figure out how to dismantle the bomb.

Loki treated one of the wounded soldiers when Tony landed in front of them and the soldier gasped.

"It's alright. He's a friend," Loki said as the soldier nodded and the face plate of Tony's armor opened.

"Need some help?"Tony asked as he knelt down and looked at Loki. "I'm not a medic, but I can carry someone to the infirmary."

Loki motioned with his head for Tony to follow as they walked away and stood near a tree.

"Right. What's going on?"

Loki told him about Amora and the bomb as Tony's eyes widened and he frowned.

"Damn. Do you want me to see if I can defuse the bomb?"

"She could have done something to prevent that," Loki said.

"I'll scan it first."

"Then go on. It's in the sewers."

"Of course it is," Tony sighed then took off and headed for the sewers.

 _Jorgy, Mister Stark is going to try to defuse the bomb. Meet him near the sewer entrance_ , Loki sent.

 _Right,_ Jorgy sent and Loki went to see if there was someone else who needed his help.

Loki trod carefully over the churned up mud and blood of the battlefield, trying not to breathe heavily, for the air was redolent with death, the tang of steel, and the blood of the dead and dying. Loki closed his eyes for a moment, his memories of Vanaheim awakening.

As he shook his head to clear it, he heard Laufey's voice in his mind. _Loki, there is one who might inadvertently foil your plans to save Asgard. Go to the hall where Amora's body is now!_

Loki blinked at the warning, opened his eyes, and teleported to the hall.

~0~0~0~

Several minutes before, Magni limped down the road to the palace infirmary. He had never been farther than his village of Whispering Pines, and all of this was new to him. He would have marveled at the sights had he not been so grief-stricken. As the large white building came into view, Magni passed some soldiers loitering nearby, one leaning against a tall sycamore.

"What's this world coming to when the Allfather leaves his enemies in stasis instead of just cutting off the bitch's head, I ask ye?"

"Dunno, Ragnar, but it's insane. Why would he want to leave Amora alive? Better to just sentence her and get it over with."

"Aye. Kill the witch and be done," the second one spat.

Magni halted in shock. Amora was still alive?

Hot rage burned through him. Perhaps his mother's murder might yet be avenged.

"Maybe he's gone soft in his old age," snorted the first. "All I know is her body is up at the feast hall with some guards on it."

Magni's pulse quickened. He could find the feast hall. It was the largest building, like it was in his own village. He whirled, well as quickly as he could, and went towards it, thankful that Prince Loki's pain killer had not worn off yet.

He saw two big burly guards at the entrance, then ducked through some shrubbery and made his way to the smaller side door. Luckily it was not locked. He went inside, pausing in the shadows to see where the witch was resting.

He saw the pallet with the unmoving Amora on it and his hand closed over his meat knife on his belt.

 _Now, witch, you will pay for killing Kira Magnusdottir!_ The boy thought savagely, his face a mask of hate.

Then he strode from the shadows, the dagger clenched in his fist.

He reached the sleeping sorceress and raised the blade for the killing strike, his mind flashing back to the last sight he had of his mother, her clothing torn and blood seeping from the awful wound in her throat, her sightless eyes staring up at a sky she could no longer see.

"Stop!" ordered a sharp voice and a sinewy hand closed over his wrist, wrenching his arm down.

"Let me go, damn you!" Magni spat, furious. He struggled but another arm came around his waist and dragged him back from the pallet, and he was no match for the other's iron hold. He felt his hand go numb as the fingers pressed down on a nerve and the dagger clattered to the ground.

"Stop, Magni!" Loki ordered. "I can't let you kill her."

"Why? She killed my mother!" the boy raged. "She deserves death! Why did you not kill her before? Were you too afraid of her death curse?"

"I fear none of her magic," Loki replied. "She would have been dust on the wind already but for the fact that we need her alive a little longer." He tightened his grip slightly. "Quit fighting me, boy! I'm a lot stronger than you."

"Don't care!" Magni panted. "I need . . ."

"You need to listen to me," Loki replied, speaking softly into the boy's ear.

"My mother must be avenged!" Magni growled, trying to kick Loki in the knee.

"Stubborn goat!" Loki snapped, and lifted the boy off his feet. "Enough! There is a very good reason why I cannot let you kill the Enchantress. I wish her dead as much as you, but her death must wait."

"Tell me why. . . Please!"

Loki sighed, sensing he would get nowhere with the stubborn child until he revealed what he knew. "Very well. There is a bomb beneath the palace tied to Amora's death."

Magni sagged in Loki's hold. "A bomb?"

"Yes, and we are working on disarming it as I speak. Now do you understand?"

All of the fight suddenly drained out of the boy. "Yes . . . I just want . . ." He shut his mouth before he blurted that he wanted his mother like a child, his grief tearing him apart.

Loki felt the boy relax and loosened his hold slightly. He could feel tremors shaking the adolescent's frame and acting on instinct he turned Magni around and hugged him. "There now, _alskling,_ if you're not careful you'll start that cut of yours bleeding again. Your mother wouldn't want that."

His words were designed to release the stranglehold the boy had on his emotions and abruptly Magni buried his face in Loki's green tunic and began sobbing. Loki reached a hand up and carded the flyaway blond hair, running soothing fingers through it and patting the rigid back.

"Shh . . . it's okay to cry . . . you're not alone . . . I'm here . . ."

A storm of weeping followed, and Loki simply held and rocked him, thinking angrily, _Damn you to Hel, Amora! Look what you have wrought, you selfish bitch!_

Finally Magni's sobs died down to sniffles and the boy drew away and went to wipe his face on his sleeve.

"Here. Use this." Loki handed him a green embroidered handkerchief.

The boy took it and wiped his eyes. "I'm sorry, sir." Magni muttered, flushing because he had just cried all over his prince like a baby.

"For what?" Loki asked gently.

"Warriors don't cry," the boy said stiffly.

Loki chuckled. "I've seen plenty of warriors cry, boy. There's no shame in grieving."

"There isn't?"

"No. We have all been there, trust me."

"Even . . . even you? Or . . . Prince Thor?"

Loki nodded.

Then he examined the boy again, noting once more a resemblance to someone. Shaking his head, the Archmage asked, "Have you had that wound tended yet?"

"I . . . no sir," Magni admitted, looking at his boots. "I was going to but . . ."

"You decided vengeance was more important." Loki sighed. He waved a hand and a cushioned chair that reclined slightly appeared. "Sit down, lad. I will tend this myself. The other healers are probably overworked anyway."

Magni went to protest but Loki gave him a Look and the boy found himself obeying.

Loki unwrapped the bandage and unslung his satchel from his shoulder. "Four stitches should see this mended."

After disinfecting his hands and putting on surgical gloves, he removed a metal needle, dissolving thread, and some numbing drops that disinfected from his kit.

He tilted the chair back and said, "I'm going to numb your head, but you need to remain still, understand?"

"Aye, sir." Magni said, wincing slightly when Loki put the numbing drops into the cut.

"I know that stings," the prince said, then gave it time to work. Once he was sure it was numbed, he began to sew neatly and swiftly. Magni never moved.

Five minutes later Loki was done and wrapped a clean dressing about the boy's head. Then he studied the too familiar features again, and suddenly it hit him like a sucker punch to the jaw.

 _Holy Valhalla! He looks familiar because he's the spitting image of Thor when he was that age!_

Could it be? his mind wondered.

"Magni, did your mother ever tell you who your father was?"

"No . . . she really didn't like to talk about him. It upset her so . . . I stopped asking," the boy said, his azure eyes sleepy. "Why?"

"Was there anything that . . .she gave you of his? A sword or something?"

Magni nodded. "Yes. She gave me this," he fumbled and pulled a leather cord from under his tunic. On it was a heavy gold ring with a ruby intaglio with a hammer. "She said this belonged to him. I always thought it meant he served Prince Thor."

Loki took the ring and stared at it. He knew this ring. "No . . . not served . . . this ring belongs to my brother."

Magni gaped at him, speechless.

Loki knew on occasion that Thor sometimes gave tokens to a lady he especially liked.

 _Thor, I need you to come to the feast hall,_ Loki sent _._

 _Is there something wrong_? Thor asked

 _No, but there is something here I think you need to see._

 _On my way,_ Thor sent and Loki looked at Magni.

"Am I in trouble, sir? Magni asked.

"No, but I feel you need to speak with my brother."

A rush of wind announced him as Thor entered the room and Magni's eyes widened. He had always admired Thor, but to see him in person...

"Loki, what is going on? Who is this boy?" Thor asked.

"This is Magni," Loki said and Thor walked closer, holding out his hand.

"Greetings, Magni," Thor said as they shook hands then Thor saw the ring. His mind briefly flashed on a woman's face as she smiled at him and a puzzled look appeared on his face. "Where did you get this?"

"It was my mother's," Magni said. "She said my father gave it to her to remember him by."

"What was her name?"

"Kira . . . Kira Magnusdottir."

Thor's heart jumped in his chest at her name as he blinked several times and Loki saw recognition in his brother's eyes.

"You recognize that name, Brother?" Loki asked.

"Aye, I do. Kira was... I her knew long ago. I stayed at her father's inn, where she cooked for the guests and the food was delicious," Thor said then looked at Magni. "How old are you?"

"I turned sixteen this summer," Magni answered.

Thor felt his legs growing weak as he nodded and swallowed a lump in his throat.

 _Once upon a summer's day,_ he thought. _You met the innkeeper's daughter . . .and she teased you about enjoying her cooking . . ._

Kira's face appeared in his mind, sweet and pretty with her deep blue eyes and thick hair coiled about her head as she laughed and placed a dish of the best tasting stew in front of him.

"You will make me as big as Volstagg, Kira, if you keep feeding me like this!"

"Nay, that will never happen, My Prince!" she had teased and he laughed, pulling her onto his lap.

"Aye, it will and I might die a happy man from eating such good food!" he said then kissed her lips.

He recalled staying there longer than he had intended, because the lively girl with the brilliant smile and hair the color of ripened wheat made him laugh and long to be just for a time an ordinary warrior.

"No, My Prince, you cannot stay. Your duties...," she had told him, but he had shook his head in frustration.

"Damn my duties! I am staying!"

"No, I know you have feeling for me, but it is not meant to be. I am just an innkeeper's daughter..."

"That doesn't matter! Norns, Kira, I love you!"

"And I, you, but I see it in your eyes. Someone has already claimed the heart of the God of Thunder."

"No, that is a lie!"

"Is it?!" she has asked and a part of him knew it was true. He was in love with Sif, but, at the time, he didn't know it.

"It doesn't mean I love you any less," he has said and she smiled sadly at him.

"I am honored to hear that."

"Here, I wish you to have this," he had said then gave her the ring as they kissed for the final time and he left the inn. It was only days later where he had been badly injured in a war and word has spread that he was at death's door.

 _Kira must not have heard I had recovered and thought me dead,_ Thor thought then looked at Magni with new eyes. _Then when she realized it wasn't so she kept up the fiction because it was easier to explain away a dead husband than bearing a prince's bastard._ It didn't take long to see the younger version of his own face looking back at him and he smiled.

 _Now you understand why I sent for you?_ Loki sent.

 _Aye, he's my son_ , Thor sent.

 _As anyone with eyes can see_ , Loki nodded. "He looks just like you when you were that age."

"Sirs, why are you staring at me like that?" Magni asked.

"I think you need to sit," Loki said and Magni sat down on the bench and Thor sat next to him. For the first time in a long time, the God of Thunder was nervous as he sighed and turned to look at his son.

 _My son._ Thor thought, feeling both pride and shock, and folded his fingers together.

He noticed the bandage about the boy's head and frowned. "You're hurt. What happened?"

"I... I joined the army to avenge my mother's death," Magni said then told him what had happened in his village. Loki heard a rumble of thunder as Thor's anger grew and Thor glared at Amora's body.

Magni jumped. "Sir? I'm sorry . . ."

"I am not angry with you, lad," Thor reassured him. "But with her." He pointed at the Enchantress.

"Brother, calm yourself and tell him," Loki said and Magni gave them a confused look.

"Tell me what?"

Thor took a deep breath. "Ahh . . . you see . . . your father did not die in battle like your mother assumed."

"He didn't? How do you know?" Magni queried, his head feeling oddly fuzzy.

"Because I am your father, Magni," Thor replied, meeting the boy's cerulean eyes so like his own.

"I am?!"

"Yes, you see...," Thor said as he told him how he met Kira then told him about the ring.

"You just left her?!" he asked, getting slightly angry.

"Not of my own free will. In fact, I was ready to give up everything for her."

"So she asked you to leave?"

"She thought it was for the best."

"Was it?"

"No, not really. I loved her and it's hard to fully forget your first true love."

Loki wanted to make a snide remark about the other women Thor had had over time, but he heard the truth in his brother's voice.

Thor did love Kira as much as he loved Sif.

 _Did you even tell Sif about Kira?_ Loki sent.

 _Aye, I did,_ Thor sent.

 _How did she react?_

 _She punched me_ ,Thor sent ruefully and Loki gave him a hint of a smile.

"I... I am a bastard," Magni whispered.

"That doesn't matter. Not to me," Thor said.

"Or me. Balder's a bastard too if you want to get technical," Loki remarked. "Even if he is a handfast baby."

"But he's a prince!" Magni objected.

"Aye, one who is acknowledged as Odin's son," Thor said. "And the same will be true of you as well if I acknowledge you as mine."

Magni looked thunderstruck. Yesterday he had been just an innkeeper's son and grandson. Today he was motherless and a prince.

Loki eyed him with concern. "I think you need to lie down, nephew. You look a bit pale."

"No, I'm fine. I-" abruptly his eyes rolled up and he passed out.

"Thor, catch him!" Loki called.

Thor quickly pulled his son onto his lap. "Loki, what's wrong with him?"

"He has a nasty cut on his head. I stitched it closed and gave him a sedative while I did so. I'm surprised it didn't take effect before, but you were always semi-resistant too to them so . . ."

Nodding, Thor gently lifted his newly found son into his arms and they left the room. Loki returned the knife his new nephew was going to use to kill Amora to the table. He glared at her body then sighed.

"I hope Hela sets a special place for you, bitch," he whispered.

~0~0~0~

Tony had found the entrance to the sewer when he saw a large creature near the entrance and blinked.

"Great. Now what?" Tony whispered.

"Sir, that appears to be Loki's son," Jarvis said.

"Ah," he said as Jorgy swam toward him and looked toward the entrance to the sewer. "I guess we go that way."

Tony nodded as he entered the sewer and scanned for the bomb, following Jorgy. He saw something glowing in the green water as the scanners showed him the bomb and the wires connected to the walls. "There it is!"

"Scanning," Jarvis said as the information appeared and Tony checked the oxygen level. He was grateful he had installed underwater hardware to his armor and smirked. "Sir, the bomb is safe, but the main detonator is set to biological readings."

"In other words, if Amora dies then the palace and everyone in it goes boom," Tony said.

"Exactly."

"What if we cut the wires?"

"That seems like a wise choice."

"Good thing I installed underwater torches then," he said then swam to the first wire. He used the underwater torch to sever the first wire from the wall as he moved the wire toward the bomb. Then he went for the next wire. After severing nine more wires, he scanned the bomb and read the information. "Is the bomb safe enough to move?"

"Yes," Jarvis said. Tony gently lifted the bomb up as he headed back to the sewer entrance as he nodded to Jorgy then headed for the surface.

 _Dad, Mr. Stark has the bomb,_ Jorgy sent.

 _Thank the Norns,_ Loki sent.

Tony surfaced as he activated the jets in his boots and sailed into the air. He flew high enough to detonate the bomb safely as he tossed the bomb into the air, took aim, and fired a pulse blast at the bomb. The device exploded while he smiled then flew back towards the palace.

"Jarvis, how long will it take to get the smell off of my armor?" Tony asked.

"The nanobots are already doing it," Jarvis said.

"Good. I don't like the idea of walking around in smelly armor," he remarked with a pleased grin.

~0~0~0~

 _The infirmary:_

"So how much trouble do you think we're in?" Hunter asked Fenris as they sat in an exam room, waiting for Loki to arrive. They had been seen briefly by Rhiannon, who had chided them softly for risking their necks, but then had hugged them both and said she was proud to have such brave sons, and their father would be arriving shortly. She had left to attend more of the wounded soldiers, leaving the two boys to sit and ponder their actions.

"I don't know," his elder brother admitted. "It all depends on how angry Father is."

Hunter heaved a sigh. "I think we're grounded for life."

Fenris cocked his head. "What does that mean?"

"Uh . . . that's when you're stuck in your room or the house forever and can't go anywhere except school and not allowed to have your friends over or play video games or do anything except eat, sleep, chores and homework. It's like jail."

Fenris looked alarmed. "Has Father done that to you before?"

Hunter nodded gloomily. "Yeah. When I lied to him and stole money from Uncle Thor."

His brother gaped at him. "You did _what?_ Are you insane?"

"Nope. I was desperate and stupid," Hunter answered, and told Fenris the story of his old gang and how he had been forced into stealing money so they wouldn't beat up his friend down the street.

"Then what happened?" Fenris asked curiously.

Hunter related the rest of what happened and as he finished, Loki entered the room. Both boys sat up straight and looked apprehensive.

Loki eyed his miscreant sons, his emerald eyes stern with disappointment.

"Father, I can explain," Fenris began, feeling himself wilt under his father's gaze.

"Then do so, Beta," Loki said softly, and crossed his arms over his chest.

Though he was angry that the two had disobeyed him and risked their necks, part of him was proud of how they had defended Stefan, Heidel, and the other healers and patients against the three mercenaries.

"We heard that Amora's forces had attacked the infirmary from one of the guards," his elder son said. "Once I heard that I . . . had to do something to help. I knew that if something happened to the healers we would all be in dire straits and . . . Heidel was there and I didn't wish anything to happen to her. So I shifted and summoned the wolf pack that runs the forest by the palace. And Hunter insisted on coming with me just in case I needed help."

"I couldn't let Fenris go alone, Dad. He's my Beta and I'm his Pack as well as his brother." Hunter said quietly. "Besides, I was going stir crazy wondering what was happening out there. You know I've never been the kind to just sit and wait and I didn't think anything bad would happen to me with Fenris and the other wolves there to protect me. And you taught me how to use these," Hunter indicated his dagger with the wolf pommels on his belt.

Loki shook his head. "Hunter Laufeyson, what have I told you about playing hero?"

His son huffed. "That doing it can get me killed."

"Exactly!" Loki frowned. "While I appreciate your desire to help protect people, you also need to remember that you aren't trained for this kind of thing. You're still children, and children should never have to fight in wars. That's what soldiers are for. Or superheros like your Avenger uncles. Or magicians like me. When Stefan told me that you had been fighting in the infirmary, my heart nearly stopped! And I was involved in a duel with Amora!"

"You mean you could have lost because you were worried about us?" Hunter asked.

"I might have, yes," he said with a nod.

Both boys stared at the floor, unable to look him in the eye. The mere thought that they could have cost Loki his life as well as the duel made them feel horrible.

"Are we grounded for life?" Fenris asked.

Loki pursed his lips. "For life, no. For a period of time, yes."

"How long?" Hunter asked.

"I think till the end of the summer will do," Loki said and the boys nodded. "I might shorten it at some point. But only if you behave."

"I heard Amora is dead," Fenris said.

"She was defeated, but her body is still in stasis."

"Why didn't she die?" Hunter said. Loki told them about the bomb as they gasped and looked at each other.

"Is Uncle Tony alright?" Hunter asked.

"Yeah, he's fine. But there is someone I wish you to meet," Loki said then led them out of the room. Heidel saw them when she gave Fenris a small grin and he blushed, nodding his head.

Young love, Loki thought while they walked along then came to a room. Thor was sitting on the stool while Stefan tended to Magni and the boys looked at Loki.

"Who is that?" Hunter asked.

"That is your cousin, Magni," Loki said and led them into the room.

Fenris looked from Thor to Magni and back. "Uncle Thor, is he your son? Because he looks just like you."

"Aye, he is," Thor said as he stood and the boys noticed the anger in his eyes. "Stefan told me what you were up to during the attack."

"Mom and Dad already gave us the riot act about how dumb we were," Hunter said.

"In other words, Rhee and I have already chastised them for their foolishness," Loki explained and Thor nodded.

"Is Lady Sif his mother?" Fenris asked.

"No, his mother was a woman named Kira," Thor said then told them about her.

Loki shook his head. "These three are going to turn our hair white with their antics, Thor."

"Aye, but, considering you have more children than I, your hair will turn first," Thor smirked, his blue eyes dancing,and Loki snorted a laugh, rolling his eyes.

Magni moaned as he slowly opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. His head hurt, but not as badly as before and he glanced over at Stefan.

"Where am I?"

"You are in the infirmary," Stefan said.

"Do you remember getting injured?" Loki asked and Magni looked at him.

"Yes, I remember," Magni said as he looked at Thor. "And you told me you are my father."

"I am." Thor said with a nod.

The boy glanced about. "Who are you?"

"These are my sons, Fenris and Hunter," Loki said.

"Prince Fenris and Prince Hunter?!"

"Yeah, that's us," Hunter said.

"Pleased to meet you, Cousin," Fenris said.

"I know this is a lot to take in. Why don't you rest and we'll talk more in the morning," Thor said, but Magni lightly shook his head.

"I... I would like to talk now," Magni said and Thor sat on the stool, taking his son's hand in his hands.

"Why don't we give them some privacy?" Stefan asked as he led Loki and the boys out of the room and Loki smiled at the thought of Magni not rejecting Thor.

"Father, what will you do about Amora?" Fenris asked and Loki frowned.

"Now that the bomb is destroyed, I will remove the stasis and allow her to die."

"I hope she rots," Stefan grumbled.

"Loki!" Rhiannon called out as she ran to him and Loki wrapped his arms around his wife.

"Gods, how I missed you," he whispered.

"And I missed you," she whispered and kissed his lips. She moved back when she looked at the boys and they looked down at their feet. "Have you talked with them?"

"Yeah, he has. We are punished for till the end of the summer, but it might be shorter with good behavior," Hunter said.

"We also met Cousin Magni," Fenris said.

"Who?" she asked, looking at Loki.

"He's in there," Loki said with a nod toward Magni's room. "Why don't you go say hello?"

Rhiannon nodded as she walked away and Loki led the boys outside.

 _Once you are done, go back to the palace. I am going to finally destroy Amora once and for all_ , he sent.

 _I will meet you there_ , she sent and they headed for the palace.

A short time later, everyone gathered in the feast hall as Loki walked to where Amora was lying and he looked down at her. Thor had sent a quick explanation about Magni and Odin and Frigga told him they would visit Magni after Loki was finished.

"See my Kwoki!" Talia cried when she caught sight of her beloved brother.

Loki knelt down as she ran to him and he lifted her into his arms.

"Kwoki hurt?"

"No, I'm fine," he said, giving her a hug.

"Bad Wady gone?"

"Yes, she's gone. Well, almost," he said and Talia looked at Amora. He handed her to Odin then looked at Amora and raised his hands.

He knew removing the stasis field would end her life, but the thought of Hela coming to claim her soul sent a small chill through him.

She was banished, Loki thought as he glanced at Odin. _She might just let Amora's soul come to her, though. For even in her cold prison she still rules the realm of the dead._

He drew the rune for ending and then brought his hands down, cancelling his spell.

Amora made a soft gasp as her heart stopped and Loki checked her vitals.

"She's gone," he said as he looked at the others and a sense of relief filled the room. Suddenly, the room turned ice cold then started shaking and Loki quickly backed away from the table.

"What's going on?!" Tony asked as the ground shook harder and large cracks appeared. The floor split open while a foul smell filled the air and something slowly rose from the hole. Odin felt his chest tighten at the sight of his daughter as Hela lowered herself to the ground and the light shimmered on her long ebony hair.

Loki was surprised that she hadn't worn her helmet as she looked at them and stood a little straighter.

"I have come to claim what I am owed, Father," she stated.

It was then Loki noticed that her form seemed to waver slightly and he wondered if this was a projection.

"You may take it, but only if you promise to return from whence you came," Odin said.

"What if I refuse?" she asked then flinched after Loki tossed a pebble at her and it hit her in the stomach. "You dare strike me?!"

"I was just making sure you were real," Loki said.

"You try my patience, Little Brother," she warned.

"Get used to it," Thor laughed.

"Laugh while you can. In the end, you will all bow down to me."

"In your dreams, Sister," Balder said.

"I beg your pardon?" Loki said in disbelief. "You're not my queen."

"If I had been able to do Bors' bidding, I would have been your queen. Or, better yet, I would have destroyed you."

"No, it is you who would have been destroyed," Odin said and she gave him a smug look.

"You don't have the guts to end me, Father. You would have done so long ago if you had."

"Killing is easy. So is dying. It's living that is hard." Loki interjected. He met his sister's eyes without flinching. Then he thought _, you_ _are what I once was, long ago._

"You do remember what it was like, don't you, Little Brother? Having to live under his yoke while you tried to do what needed to be done," she said then looked from him to Rhiannon. "Oh, so this is what's wrong. You found love. How quaint."

"Don't mock it until you try it, Elvira," Tony said and she glared at him.

"Stark, do me a favor and stay out of this," Loki said.

"Fine."

"Do you believe someone could love you?" Rhiannon asked and Hela looked at her. She remembered one time she had thought of love, but she was robbed of her chance when she was banished.

The Goddess of Death shrugged. "It was long ago and far away. When I was young and foolish. But I am that no longer."

Loki gazed at her. _No, now you are old and lonely, bitter and cold,_ he thought. "I felt the same, Sister, but it is never too late to find the one you are meant to love," Loki said and she laughed.

"That only happens in fairy tales," Hela mocked when she turned and saw Amora's soul standing near the table, looking at her with such fear in her eyes.

"No! Not you!" Amora said.

Hela bared her teeth in a terrifying grin. "Afraid, poppet? Good!"

"If you expect me to beg for mercy, you will be disappointed."

"I am not known for mercy," she said as she walked closer.

"Her Bad Wady! Twy huwt my Kwoki!" Talia informed Frigga, pointing at Amora.

"She sent a dragon who tried to kill him, too!" Max said.

"And she made Uncle Tony swim in poop to stop the bomb from going boom!" Aleta said, looking at Tony.

"Make hew go 'way!" Talia shouted and the room shook a bit.

"Shut up you miserable parasites! You should have all been drowned at birth!" Amora spat.

"Silence!" Hela shouted and Amora doubled over in pain after Hela had waved her hands.

Hela looked over at Odin when she noticed Talia and something about her seemed familiar. She had felt a connection between them when she sensed an older soul in the toddler and she walked toward Odin.

"Do not come any closer!" Odin said and she stopped.

"I am just wondering about this child. She is blood, isn't she?" Hela asked.

"No, like with Loki, she is adopted," Frigga explained.

"There is an old soul in her. She has been reborn."

"What if she has?"Odin asked.

"Then you seem to have replaced me."

Odin shook his head. "You cannot replace a child."

Hela noticed how Talia held onto Odin when memories of times when Odin held her, played with her, told her stories, taught her to fight and said he loved her filled her mind and she pressed her lips into a tight slit.

"You will betray her like you did me," the Queen of the Dead declared bitterly. "You always do."

"No, he is no longer like that," Frigga said.

Odin's eye flashed. "Indeed? Who betrayed whom, daughter? You broke your oath to me."

"I was only doing what Grandfather ordered me to do!" Hela shouted.

"You still broke your oath!"

"What about your oath to me!? You swore I would rule if I destroyed your enemies!"

"You're Queen of Hel." Loki reminded.

"And who was it who put me there!?"

 _I said the same when I got locked in the dungeon and Mother nearly died,_ Loki thought.

"It was you," Loki said and she glared at him. "You know it was your actions which forced his hand and he had to banish you,"

"How do you know what my actions are?!"

"I know because they mirror my own."

"You know naught, Trickster god! Do not presume to put yourself in my class!" she said haughtily.

"Do I not?" Loki challenged. "I know this—bitterness and anger lead to a dark path that ends in destruction. In the end, it will consume you. It very nearly did me."

"I am not you, Little Brother!" Hela snarled.

"You are what I was once. And if you do not heed my words, that shall be your fate," Loki said softly, his tone pregnant with warning.

"What do _you_ know of fate, who was always in your brother's shadow? Always second best?" she sneered.

Loki met her eyes calmly. "I was never second best. That was a lie I told myself. How many lies have you told yourself, Sister? I would say as many out of hate and bitterness as I ever did."

Hela laughed scornfully. "Listen to the Wise Fool! Has love changed you so much, Loki, that you have forgotten all the lessons of the past?"

"I forget nothing, Hela. I have learned from my mistakes and been allowed a second chance. You ought to do the same."

"Cease your lecturing, Silvertongue! You are naught but a fool in love! Love is a lie weak men tell themselves."

"No, love is salvation," Loki corrected. "My rebirth showed me that." His eyes flashed deepest emerald. "It can be yours too. If you let it."

Hela threw back her head and laughed. "I am not such a fool as you, Little Brother! Power is all I need!"

"Once I thought like you. But I was wrong. Power is a cold and empty thing and it brings nothing but fear and sorrow. Unless used with compassion."

"Ha!" Hela snorted. "Your compassion will be your undoing, Trickster!"

Loki shook his head. "And your own bitterness and hate will be yours unless you let it go. On that I do not lie."

"If I am bitter and angry, then who made me that way? The same one who threw me into an endless prison!" Hela spat.

"You are responsible for your own choices, Sister. And you chose to listen to our grandfather. If you wish to blame someone for your fall, then blame that bigoted old bastard, for he hurt you with his teachings as much as he did me."

"You? You weren't even born when he passed! How would you know?"

"Because his spirit did not stay dead," Loki replied. "It returned to haunt our family, and to turn me against Father and make of me the monster Grandfather believed all Jotun were—full or half-bloods."

"How was I not aware of this?"

"Because you were not in control of the realm of the dead when Grandfather became a revenant and hid in the Astral Plane, waiting for the time to strike back and take what was no longer his."

Loki sent to her, telling her about how Bors had possessed Odin while he went into Odinsleep the first time and had lived within him, dictating much of his actions. He told her how Bors had treated Loki cruelly and favored Thor and Balder over him in an effort to break Loki.

Hela blinked, then she rolled her eyes "More stories, Trickster?"

"No. You can find our grandfather in your realm. Look for him and learn that what I say is true."

His sister shrugged. "Perhaps I shall. If only to prove you wrong."

Loki sensed that a part of her was wavering, that perhaps she wished to believe what he said was true, but did not quite dare. It was hard letting go of the old hurts and pain, harder still to release the anger that had burned for so long within her. He knew well that anger had sustained her in her cold dark prison, even as it had him.

"I am not wrong," Loki told her earnestly. "As you will see. Unless you are afraid?"

"I fear nothing!" she snapped, as he had known she would. "You would do well to remember that, Loki!"

He simply arched an eyebrow, unimpressed by her posturing. He knew it was a mere front. "Everyone fears something, sister. Even if it is something you only admit to yourself." Then he sent, _I believe you fear being alone and unloved, as I once did. Because Father rejected you. How well do I know how that stings, how it gnaws and eats away at you until you are left with nothing save a hard kernel of bitterness._

 _Yet you still defend th old fool! Why, Little Brother? He used you even as he did me._

 _No. Grandfather did that. To us both._ Loki insisted. _Father may have locked you away, but I think he would have released you had you shown any signs of remorse or regret for your actions._

 _I regret nothing! I was born to rule! As are you! Yet he denied us our rightful place while pushing his golden boy Thor into the prime spot._

 _My place was not usurped, Hela. I am and always was King of Jotunheim. I simply did not know it or want it._

 _How can you not want the power?_

 _Because I know what power does to you. And that is not a risk I am willing to take for any reason except a good one. You think that your power makes you happy?_

 _It does!_

 _Does it? Look at what grasping for power and ambition has gotten you! Then answer me again that it makes you happy._

 _I need no lectures from a half-grown pup like yourself! I was conquering worlds when you weren't even a glint in your mother's eye!_

 _And that matters how? You may be older, Sister, but age does not always bring wisdom. You and I, we have traveled the same dark path. The only difference between us was you were banished to Hel where I was thrown into it. I spent years as someone's slave, I was tortured and abused to the point of breaking. I killed people out of a madman's control. In the end, I sacrificed myself for my brother and for my people, then I begged for forgiveness and redemption in the Place of Judgement. It was only through the grace of the Norns that I was granted rebirth, but I also have a price to pay if I fail to live up to our bargain._

"I weary of this discussion, Loki." She went and dragged Amora's soul out from beneath the table. "It is time for me to leave. This one's justice for her crimes awaits." She gave a mocking bow to Odin. "Farewell, Father. I would wish you well but I am sure you would not welcome anything from me."

Then she vanished with Amora in tow, green and black lights surrounding them.

"Are your relatives always this interesting?" Steve asked Thor.

"Rogers, you have no idea," Loki replied.

Tony looked at Natasha. "You sure you want to marry into this family?"

Natasha laughed. "Absolutely. I'll never be bored."

Frigga touched Odin lightly on the arm. "Shall we go and meet our new grandson?"

"Yes, I am eager to meet this young man," Odin agreed, and he took his wife's arm and together they progressed from the room.

Tony wore a puzzled look. "Huh? What new grandson?"

"Thor didn't tell you?" Balder asked.

Tony looked over at Thor. "Is there something I need to know, Point Break?"

"Yes, Stark. I have a sixteen-year-old son in the infirmary I never knew about until today. His name is Magni." Thor replied.

Steve gaped at Thor. "You mean his mother never told you?"

"No. I believe she felt it was for the best since she was an innkeeper's daughter and I am Prince of Asgard," Thor sighed. "She believed there would not be a future with us together. So she told my son that I died in battle.'

Steve whistled. "Well if that don't beat all! So why is he here now?"

Thor explained what had happened to Kira and how his son had joined the army, then gotten injured in the battle that followed.

"How bad?" the veteran super soldier asked.

"He's got a few stitches in his head, but he should be up and about again in a few days," Loki replied. "As long as he's not having any dizziness."

"What is going on here?" Tony whispered to Pepper. "Clint has kids. Loki has tons of them. Tasha is going to get a kid once she marries Balder. And now Thor has one. It's not fair."

"Well...," Pepper said, acting coy.

"Well what?"

"I'm late," she said and his eyes went wide.

"You're... You might be... Damn."

"We'll have to wait to get a test done until we get home," she said with a puzzled look. "You do want kids, right?"

"Yeah, I do!" he whispered and gave her a careful hug. "But, until we're sure, let's keep this to ourselves."

Loki noticed how Pepper and Tony were looking at each other and he gave a knowing smirk. Then he yawned, feeling the events of the day starting to catch up with him. He was not drained magically, but even a magician of his caliber needed to rest after spellcasting so much.

"You look tired, Loki," his wife observed. 'Perhaps you should lie down?"

"Before I fall down?" her husband joked. "How about you?"

"I need to check on one other patient and then I will join you," she told him.

Loki made his way out of the feast hall towards his room, but it was awhile before he finally got there since his children all wanted to tell him what had gone on while he was dueling Amora.

He was impressed, yet a little concerned with how they dealt with things, but he was also very proud of them.

"Kwoki, I sweepy," Talia said and he picked her up.

"I'm sleepy, too," Max said with a nod.

"Then why don't we all go rest for a while," Loki suggested and led them to the bedrooms.

"I sweep wif you. Rhee, too," Talia said as she placed her cheek against his shoulder and Loki smiled.

He prayed the children didn't have any nightmares, but if they did he would deal with it then.

He noticed Lucy standing in the doorway as he walked to her and she looked up at him.

"Dad, I saw Brunhilde. She was helping Mom fight, but, now, she's gone. Where did she go?" Lucy asked,

"She must have left after Hela arrived," Loki said.

"Do you think she'll be okay?"

"She should be." He placed a kiss on the top of his daughter's head.

"Dad, you have blood on you,"Lucy pointed.

"That's not mine, darling. It's from patients I was treating."

"That's good. I don't like the idea of you being hurt."

"I don't like the idea of you being hurt either."

"That's why you're a little angry at us."

"Yes, that's why."

"Kwoki mad?" Talia asked with her thumb in her mouth.

"No, I am not mad at you, ladybug," he said. "I am proud of how you protected Miss Laura. I am impressed with how you handled yourselves, even if I wish that something like this never occurred. I am proud of you, children." Loki carried her to the nursery while Lucy went into her room. After he tucked Max, Aleta and Talia into bed, he quietly left the room and headed for his bed chambers.

He removed his armor and his clothing, debating on whether he wanted to run a bath or not. But he was so exhausted he feared falling asleep in the tub and so he opted to use a brief spell to clean himself instead. Afterwards he pulled on his pajamas and fell fast asleep on the bed with his slippers on.

Loki slept so deeply, as his magic sought to replenish itself, that he barely felt it when Trickster and Jewel came and snuggled on the pillow and his chest, purring ecstatically that he was back.

Soon after that, Talia woke and went in search of him. Finding him asleep on the bed, the intrepid child climbed up and curled up against his stomach, her head on his chest. In his sleep, Loki shifted and his arm curled about her unknowingly. "Sweep wif my Kwoki," she murmured before falling back into dreamland.

Max and Aleta both dreamed about bad men chasing them and woke up scared. They immediately went over to Loki's room and joined Talia and the kittens, cuddling on either side of him.

Rhiannon returned from her stint at the infirmary weary and looking forward to getting some rest. She entered their room quietly, so as not to wake Loki.

Tiptoeing to the bed, she gazed down at her husband and covered her mouth with her hand at the sight of her beloved asleep surrounded by kittens and kids, sleeping peacefully.

Glancing about, she saw Loki's phone on the nightstand and snapped a picture of him and typed in **Sleeping** **God**. Then she sent it to Tony.

Chuckling, she climbed into bed beside him. She carefully moved Aleta to her other side and then snuggled up to Loki's back, falling asleep soon after with her arm about him.

 **A/N: Hope you all liked!**


	73. Truth and Chance

**73**

 **Truth and Chance**

 _Do you feel lucky, Brother? ~Loki_

Thor walked into the room where Magni was resting as the young soldier smiled at him and Thor sat on the stool near the bed.

"How are you?" Thor asked.

"I am feeling better, My Pr... Uh... What should I call you?" Magni asked. He wasn't sure if Thor wished him to call him "Father" and Thor noticed the puzzlement in his eyes.

"You can call me Thor for now, if that makes you feel comfortable," Thor said.

"Yes, I would like that," Magni said with a nod. He was still getting used to the idea that the Crown Prince was actually his father, and more, that he had a father alive who seemed concerned over his welfare. He knew well that most nobles would not have bothered to claim a bastard son from a sixteen-year-old love affair.

"Is there anything you wish to ask me?"

"There are loads of things, but, for now, I wish to know what happened to Fenris and young Hunter."

Thor bit back a chuckle at hearing his son call Hunter 'young' when Hunter was only four years younger than Magni by Midgardian standards. It was often difficult for Midgardians to figure out correlations in Asgardian age. For one thing, Asgard's planetary orbit and day was different than that of Midgard, resulting in longer days and seasons. For another, Asgardians did not measure ages in the same obsessive fashion, because being well nigh immortal age quit being a huge factor once a child became an adult. It was only when the adult entered their elderly stage, like Odin, that you could even begin to see signs of aging and even then they were mild compared to mortals. Thor often found it amusing to see mortals so concerned over appearances as they aged, and their almost fanatical attempts to stave off the natural progression of their life.

"I believe your cousin Fenris is around the same age as you, maybe a little older by six months or so, as he was born during the Winter Solstice. Hunter is twelve, almost thirteen, as Midgardians measure age."

"I see. Perhaps he only looks younger to me," Magni admitted. Then he added, "But why are they in trouble with my uncle? Healer Stefan said they saved him and the other healers from three marauders."

"Aye, that they did," Thor responded. "But they also disobeyed a direct order from their father in doing so." He stretched his legs out in front of him in a relaxed pose. "You see, before Loki and I went with our army to fight the Enchantress' forces, Loki had asked his three older sons to look after and protect their younger siblings and grandmother, Queen Frigga. Loki's eldest, Sleph, was coming with us, he is the king's war steed, since he is a magical horse shifter. So that left Jorgy, Fenris, and Hunter to protect the smaller children. Jorgy and Fenris are trained somewhat in combat, and both are shifters, and Hunter knows one or two moves with his daggers."

Magni nodded. "How many cousins do I have?"

"My older brother Balder has a son, Malek, whom he just adopted. He also has a daughter, Jorunne, but she is imprisoned because she is a madwoman who tried to murder your Uncle Loki. The king punished her, however, and exiled and disowned her in addition to the imprisonment. Loki has thirteen children—four are his blood children, and nine are adopted," Thor told him, careful to maintain the fiction that Max was adopted, as he had promised Loki he would.

Magni's eyebrows rose into his hair. "Holy Valhalla!"

Thor chuckled. "Yes, we have a rather large family. You also have an aunt, Talia, she is two, and my parents adopted her recently after Balder found her starving in the midden."

"Norns! This will take some getting used to," his son said, feeling his head whirl.

Thor patted his shoulder lightly. "Just take your time." He cleared his throat. "We will introduce you gradually. So far you've met Loki, me, your grandparents, your aunt Rhee, and two of your cousins. As for the rest of their tale, they promised Loki they would stay and guard their siblings and the queen, and leave fighting the mercenaries to the army and the palace guards. But when the infirmary was invaded by a small company of Amora's army, Fenris abandoned his post to go and save Heidel, a young intern he's sweet on, and Hunter went with him to assist him. It was a heroic deed, but one should never abandon one's previous duty—especially if there is an alternative. The boys could have told some of the guards to go and fight the invaders, since that is what our House Guards are there for, to serve and protect the royal family and the castle folk. At that time, the palace was not yet under attack by Amora, so the Guard could have easily gone to the Healers aid instead of Loki's boys.

"Loki knew this and so did his sons. The boys could have been killed by the mercenaries, you know yourself how vicious those foes are, and those two have never been in combat before, only practice. Loki almost had heart failure when Healer Stefan told him they had been fighting there. He believes that children should not fight in wars, that is the responsibility of an adult."

Magni studied Thor. "But Thor, didn't his other children fight as well?"

"Yes, Magni. But only when they had no other option because the enemy was within the palace walls and attacking them in the corridors. Many of Loki's children have magic, and that provides a good advantage against an enemy. Even so, Loki was not pleased they risked themselves. But unlike Fenris and Hunter, they did not disobey his orders and abandon their siblings. They fought beside their grandmother and the House Guard. That is why Loki did not punish them."

"I understand. What will happen to them?"

"Loki and Rhee have already scolded them, and since Loki does not believe in hitting children to teach them better, he does something the mortals call grounding." Thor explained what the term meant and how he had seen that it worked better than beating a child.

Magni cocked his head thoughtfully. "Mother and Grandfather didn't really believe in whippings either. Only a swat or two when I was small if I did something really bad—like when I threw a toy horse at Grandfather because I didn't want to go to bed. But when I grew older they used to give me extra chores around the inn—like scrubbing the floors or making soap or chopping extra wood for the fireplaces."

"Loki uses that method also, and sometimes he makes them write lines." A new thought occurred to Thor. "Magni, can you read and write?"

"Aye, sir, I can. Grandfather and Mother both knew how, they taught me so I could help keep the accounts and order supplies and so forth."

Thor looked pleased. "I assume you also know basic mathematics as well?"

"Yes, I can do basic math and percentages and fractions," Magni replied.

Thor nodded. "That is well. But perhaps you would like to learn some advanced math like geometry and algebra and trigonometry?"

Magni considered. "Will I have a tutor, sir?"

"Aye. And the tutor can help teach you all the social graces and dancing and the history of Asgard. Balder has one for Malek and you could share him. His name is Baelfire Gold, he is the son of Mr. Gold the enchanter and toymaker."

"I would like that," his son agreed. "Will you teach me how to fight, Thor?"

"Aye. Me and Sif, my betrothed, will be happy to instruct you." He tapped the boy's head lightly. "Then you won't have something like that happen again, especially when I have my new blacksmith make armor for you."

Magni's eyes widened. "Armor for me?" he was shocked at Thor's generosity. Armor was expensive, especially the sort of armor the royals wore, and because he was still a youth, he would need another suit when he grew out of this one, as he prayed he would do when he got older.

"Aye, lad. Every good soldier needs a good set of armor."

"Thank you," Magni said, his eyes shining. He touched the bandage about his head lightly. "Sir, when can I get out of this bed?"

Thor steepled his fingers, thinking that the boy sounded much like he did when he was forced to rest from an injury. "When Healer Stefan says you may, son." He was surprised at how natural that sounded rolling off his tongue.

Magni heaved a sigh.

Then he thought of how his mother would have told him that sleep was the best medicine and he felt a lump in his throat and tears shimmered on his lashes when he thought about never seeing her again. He longed to punch Amora. Or cry his eyes out.

Thor noticed the tears when he carefully lifted Magni into his arms and held him.

"It's alright, son. Let the tears flow," Thor said in a soft voice.

"You will not think less of me?"

"You are grieving. It's fine," he said and his son started sobbing.

Thor just held him and stroked his hair until the tears had run their course.

Magni drew away slightly, and Thor handed him a blue handkerchief. "Dry your eyes. Father always insists we carry one, because he hates people wiping their face on their sleeve. Says it's unsanitary."

Magni chuckled. "My other grandfather said the same." He wiped his eyes.

"Must have gone to the same school," Thor muttered, and the boy gave him a tremulous smile.

Magni looked at the wet splotch on his father's tunic and sighed. "I . . . I cried all over Prince Loki too."

"Oh? Loki's used to it. His kids do that all the time. I've cried all over Loki too," Thor admitted.

"You?"

"Aye. When I saw him for the first time after his rebirth. After he woke me when I passed out on Tony's kitchen floor by waving a meatball under my nose?" At Magni's puzzled glance, Thor explained how he lived on Midgard with the Avengers, and that Loki had previously died defending him on Svartalfheim. "But the Norns in their mercy decided to allow him to be reborn and so he returned in his own body on Midgard. He was found on the lawn of the mansion, wearing a white tunic, a bit disorientated but alive. I wasn't home then, though, I was on Asgard. I returned about two months later, still grieving, and when I walked into the mansion I smelled the most glorious aroma—it was Italian sauce with spaghetti and meatballs." Thor described what that was and Magni licked his lips. "Now I'm hungry," the Thunder God laughed. "However, Loki was cooking it, and so when I came into the kitchen, I said, "I'm starving, what's for dinner?" thinking Pepper was cooking. Instead my brother turns around, wearing an apron, and says, "When aren't you starving, Brother?" like nothing had ever happened. I said his name and then I just passed out, sure it was a ghost or something. Because I had held his broken body in my arms and felt his heart stop, so I knew he was really gone. Anyway, I woke up because Loki was waving a meatball under my nose. I sat up, ate the meatball, and then I hugged Loki and cried all over him."

"I never had a brother or a sister, but if mine had died and come back, I would have done the same," Magni mused. "Are you close with your brothers?"

"Very much. Oh we quarrel sometimes, but we do love each other." Thor said. "Tell me what it was like for you growing up at the inn. Is it still called The Wayfarer's Rest?"

Magni nodded. "It is. Mother never changed it after she became owner when Grandfather went to Valhalla. He died when I was nine and then it was just us. The work was hard, but we were busy and we loved it. Once . . . once she told me to help Thyra, our maid who helped clean, to make the beds for the guests and put a surprise in them." The boy smirked. "So I did, only the surprise I put in them was one I liked, and not the guests. I was ten."

"What did you do?"

"I put a salamander in their beds. You should have heard some of those ladies scream!" Magni grinned. "Mother was mortified. She chased me outside with a broom and yelled at me for an hour, but it was worth it!"

Thor laughed. "That sounds like something Loki or I would have done."

"You mean you pranked people too?"

His father laughed. "Son, you are looking at one of the worst pranksters in Asgard! With your uncle the God of Mischief being the first!"

He regaled Magni with several funny stories of his and Loki's childhood, and Magni told him about Kira and the odd assortment of travelers they housed at the inn. Thor discovered his son had a lively sense of humor and a very engaging way of telling a story. He was not as sheltered as Thor had first assumed, being smart in the ways of the world from observing the travelers at the inn and learning from them as well as his grandfather and mother.

"Do you think I can get out of his bed soon?" Magni repeated after Thor had set him back in it.

"Let me go and ask Stefan. He is one of Loki's friends, the fourth son of a noble judge, Magnus. He was your uncle's roommate at the Academy."

Thor left to find the Healer, and Magni huffed and stared at the four walls of his hospital room. He was grateful for the care they had provided, but he was becoming restless confined to a bed for so long.

Thor soon returned with Stefan, who greeted him jovially then ran his scanner over the boy.

"Your vitals are good and there seems to be no head trauma. Loki did a good job with those stitches, they can come out in a week. Just come back here or ask your uncle to remove them, young prince." Stefan told him. "You're discharged." He had Thor sign off on the discharge papers and then brought Magni his cleanedd clothing.

"Mother probably has new clothes for you," Thor said to his son as they left the infirmary. "Her seamstresses sew quickly."

Magni opened his mouth to ask what was wrong with the clothes he was wearing, then realized he looked more servant than prince and slowly closed his mouth. This would take some getting used to.

"There will be a celebration feast tonight in the hall," his father said.

"To celebrate the victory over Amora?"

"That and to honor those who have fallen. And also to welcome you into the family. I will formally acknowledge you as my son then," Thor smiled at him.

"Which means?"

"You will bear my name and receive an inheritance from me, as well as be counted as a Prince of Asgard, the same way my brother Balder is," Thor explained. "Like Loki's children, that means you shall be able to wear my House sigil and colors—mine are red with a blue border and Mjolnir," he indicated the House badge on his tunic.

"Understand, though, while you bear the title of prince, that does not mean you are eligible to inherit the throne," Thor clarified. "You know why, don't you?"

Magni nodded. "Yes, Thor. You may acknowledge me as your son, but I am still illegitimate. But that is all right, sir. I do not wish to be king. It's enough that I have a father now that my mother is gone, and a new family to replace the one I lost. That is worth more than being heir to the throne of Asgard to me."

"You are a good boy, Magni," Thor smiled in approval and thanked the Norns his son was like Balder, with no ambitions to rule, and content with what Thor could give to him, which was the protection of his Name and family, and a loving heart.

After Thor had seen his new son settled in with Hunter, since Hunter was agreeable to sharing his room since he wouldn't be occupying it for much longer, since they would return to New York in a few weeks, the Thunder God introduced Magni to the Warriors Three and Sif, all of whom greeted the boy warmly. Sif seemed inclined, as Frigga, to mother the boy, which set Thor's mind at ease.

Magni seemed a bit shy of all the attention, and soon the adults left him to get acquainted with his cousin and let Hunter and Fenris show the boy around the palace.

After a brisk walk about the gardens and a visit to the stables, where Magni talked a little with Sleph and admired the horses, and admitted he could ride some—having snuck rides on the guests horses sometimes—Magni was feeling hungry and a bit tired.

Fenris, ever observant, noticed, and said, "Why don't we go back to your room and have some lunch brought up?"

"Good idea, Fen," Hunter agreed. "I'm starving." The younger boy looked thoughtful. "Hey, why don't I teach you two how to play poker?"

"What is that?" Fenris asked.

"It's a card game we play in New York," Hunter replied. "I'll teach you. You normally bet on hands, but Dad won't let us play for real money, so we can play for candy instead. I have a bag in my backpack."

"I would like to try that," Magni grinned.

The three boys hurried back to Hunter's room, finding that the maids had cleaned and straightened it while they were out. Fenris asked Mari to bring them up a tray for three for lunch, and the sprightly girl nodded and raced out of the room.

Hunter indicated the chairs about the table while he went and rummaged in his backpack for his deck of cards and the bag of candy. While they waited for lunch to arrive, the former street thief explained how to play poker, the different hands, and what beat what. He also told them how to place a bet and gave them each some candy to wager.

While they ate lunch, Sam and Peter came to see what they were up to, accompanied by Serena, who had decided not to attend the tea party with her sisters, Rhiannon, and Frigga. "Max and Nate are down by the shore, watching Vince and Jorgy surf and building a sand castle." She told them. "But it's kinda hot today so I wanted to do something inside." She eyed the deck of cards on the table. "Are you playing poker?"

"Yup. Five card draw," Hunter answered.

"Can we play?" Peter, Sam, and Serena chorused.

Hunter shrugged. "Sure. You got candy?"

"Of course," Sam laughed, and then she went and got a bag from her quarters to split with her sister and Peter.

"Let's play!" Hunter said. "I'll deal." He dealt the cards out.

Soon the game was in full swing, with bets being made and strategies being studied.

Magni frowned at the cards he was holding, trying to recall if a straight was better than three of a kind. Across from him Serena studied her opponents, while giving nothing away.

"Are deuces wild?" Peter asked.

"No, jokers," replied Hunter.

Fenris chewed his lower lip slightly, trying to decide if he should up the ante by a KitKat.

Down the hall, Loki encountered Thor and asked how Magni was doing.

"He's been released from the infirmary, Brother, but, I ought to go check on him. I put him in with Hunter, I think it's better if he shares a room for now."

"Yes, Hunter will show him around. Then Magni can take over the room when we leave," Loki agreed. "Come, let's see how they are doing."

As the two fathers neared the boys' chambers, they heard faint laughter and wondered what was going on. Peering around the half-open door, they saw an astonishing sight.

Magni, his cousins, and Peter were all sitting about the table, playing cards. The pot in the middle was filled with all kinds of candy, from small Reeses, Kitkats, Snickers, and Hersheys. The children were so intent upon their game they didn't even notice they were being spied on.

Loki put a finger to his lips, smirking at Thor.

 _Are they playing poker, Brother?_ Thor sent to the master prankster.

 _Looks like it,_ Loki shrugged.

 _Whose idea was this?_ The Thunder God wondered.

 _Probably Hunter or Serena's. Both of them are card sharks._ Loki sent back. _Watch._

Sam called Hunter's bluff and they laid down their cards. Hunter was triumphant until Serena laid down her hand.

"Read 'em and weep, big brother. Full House!" the little fae child grinned.

Hunter gaped at her. "Aww, Hel! How did you _do_ that?"

"Poker face!" Loki snickered. "I need to film this." He pulled out his phone and started filming as they began a new hand.

"How _did_ she do that, Brother?" Thor queried. "I was sure one of the others would win."

"Serena knows how to play cards," Loki chuckled.

Loki filmed some more, and then set the video to the song "Poker Face." He would show it to Tony and the others later.

"Perhaps we should take her to Vegas when she is older," Thor mused, his blue eyes twinkling.

Loki rolled his eyes. "How would you like to play a game, Brother?"

Thor arched an eyebrow. "Do I look like I'm in the mood for games?"

Loki clapped him on the shoulder. "You look like you need to relax."

"What are you up to now, Loki?"

"Nothing," his brother replied innocently. "Just a friendly game of Yahtzee."

"Are we betting?"

"Yes, why not?" Loki laughed and he summoned the game.

They decided to play in Thor's quarters, in case Rhiannon came back from the tea party and needed to change.

Loki had known long before of Thor's passion for dice, and Yahtzee was just another dice game. The betting made it more intense, however. "You want me to keep score?"

"No, I will," his brother demurred.

One raven brow lifted. "What's the matter? Don't you trust me?"

"About as far as I could throw you," Thor joked.

"You wound me," Loki shot back, putting a hand to his heart.

"Ha! Let's roll to see who goes first."

Thor won the toss up, and took the dice in the cup and rolled them onto the table.

The dice came up with four of a kind.

Thor hooted and wrote it down in the score sheet.

"Beat that, Brother!" he challenged.

Loki snorted. "Watch me," he said and rolled the dice.

Loki placed ten gold pieces into the center of the table. "Ten says I'll beat your four of a kind."

"I see your ten and raise you two," Thor said and put twelve gold pieces into the center.

"You sure you want to do that?"

"Why? Afraid you'll lose?"

"No," Loki said, elongating the "o". Rolling the dice, Loki smiled at the five of a kind and Thor growled.

"You cheated!"

"Yahtzee!" Loki cried. "Thank you, Lady Luck!"

"I still say you cheated!"

"I did not. It was all a matter of chance," Loki said and Thor wrote down the Yahtzee. "I believe it's your turn."

Loki swept the coins over to his side of the table.

Frowning, Thor placed five gold coins at the center of the table, picked up the dice and rolled.

"Ha! Small straight!" Thor said and wrote down the score. Loki looked at the dice when he placed down five gold coins then raised three and picked up the dice. Rolling, he saw he had rolled the large straight and Thor's eyes widened.

"Yes! Large straight!" Loki said.

"All right, what spell did you use?" he demanded.

"I am not using magic! I swear!"

Thor eyed him suspiciously. "You keep beating me."

Loki rolled his eyes. "Thor, just roll the dice. The game's not even halfway over yet."

Loki swept the coins to him while Thor placed four coins on the table, rolled the dice and rolled two fives. He rolled again when he got three more fives and smiled.

"Yahtzee!" Thor said, pumping his fist into the air.

"Well done."

"You can't beat that!" he said and shoved eight coins into the pile. Loki placed eight coins in the piles as he took hold of the dice and rolled. They were both surprise

ed when he rolled six sixes and Thor growled.

"Loki?!"

"I am _not_ doing this!" Loki said, holding his hands up in surrender.

"I swear, Brother—" Thor began.

"Thor, quit whining and just play. This is just a game. It's supposed to be fun."

"It's only fun 'cause you're winning," Thor grumbled.

"It's your turn."

Loki prayed that Thor would win this round so he didn't have to listen to the other god's grousing that Loki was cheating.

Thor placed six coins on the table then rolled three fours, rolled again and got three more fours. He wrote the score down when he glanced at Loki and slid the dice to him. Loki placed six coins then raised three more when he rolled three twos, rolled again and got three more.

"It looks like you won this round." Loki said with a grin.

Thor looked smug. "Because you stopped using magic."

"Thor, by the Nine! For the last time, I'm not using magic!" Loki said exasperatedly.

Thor nodded as he took the dice, put eight coins down and rolled. He rolled three ones, rolled again and got two more and frowned. He wrote the score down when he slid the dice to Loki and Loki placed eight coins on the table then added four more. He rolled the dice when he rolled two ones, a four, a five and a three. He rolled two more times, but didn't get three more ones and Thor smiled.

"Looks like my luck is changing," Thor said.

"It appears so," Loki said and Thor picked up the dice.

 _Norns, it's like playing with one of my kids_ , Loki thought. _He's only happy if he's winning._

Thor placed five coins on the table then rolled, but he didn't get any matches.

Loki put seven coins down and then rolled. He got a small straight and looked pleased.

Thor scowled.

"What did you do?"

"I rolled the dice," Loki sighed. "Quit pouting like a five-year-old."

"I am not!"

"No? Then what do you call this?" Loki demanded, and made a face like Thor's.

"Stop using magic!"

"I'm not using magic!"

Thor examined the dice. "Maybe we should use another set!"

Thor got up and left the room as Loki placed his face in his hands and sighed.

"Norns, give me strength," he sighed. A few minutes later, Thor returned with a new set of dice and sat down.

"We'll use these!" Thor said.

"Fine!" Loki said. "Go ahead. Roll."

Thor placed ten gold coins on the table then rolled a small straight and smiled. Rolling his eyes, Loki placed ten coins on the table then added four more and rolled. They both looked at the dice when Thor saw Loki had rolled a large straight and Loki puffed out a breath of air.

Thor groaned. "There must be something wrong with these dice."

Loki facepalmed himself. _I can't believe this!_ he thought.

"There is nothing wrong with the dice. Roll!" Loki said, sliding the dice toward his brother.

The Thunder God bet six coins and rolled a Full House.

"Yes!" Thor said as he stood up and nearly knocked over the table.

"Norns!" Loki said. "Watch out." He grabbed the table to keep it upright and the coins slid towards him.

"Hey! No taking my money!"

"Do you want them all over the floor?!"

Thor slid his coins toward him when he sat down and handed the dice to Loki.

Loki also bet six coins and hoped that whatever the outcome, his brother would behave like an adult and not resort to throwing tables the way he had thrown Tony's chessboard out the mansion window.

 _Please. Don't let me beat him,_ Loki thought and rolled the dice.

The dice came up three of a kind.

"I won!" Thor gloated.

"Glory hallelujah!" Loki muttered.

Thor slid the coins to him then placed five coins on the table and rolled the dice. He got a Yahtzee of six fours and slid the dice to Loki. Loki placed five coins on the table then added four more and rolled. He got a Yahtzee of six fives and closed his eyes.

"Damn," he whispered and opened his eyes.

To his shock, the Thunder God said, "Lucky throw, Brother! But we have one more round."

"Whew," Loki thought. Thor placed all his coins on the table when he smiled, picked up the dice and wrapped his fingers around them.

"All or nothing," Thor said. Loki nodded and watched his brother roll the dice.

The dice seemed to slow down as they rolled and bounced on the table then came to a stop. Thor had rolled a full house.

"Beat that!" Thor said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"If I do, and you throw a fit because you lost, I am going to put you in the corner for a time out."

"Why?!"

"Because you would be acting like Talia when she loses a game."

"Like Hel! You and what army?!" he said then tapped his finger on the table. "Roll!"

Loki slid all of his coins into the pile when he picked up the dice and rolled.

Loki and Thor watched the dice go into the air for a few seconds then the dice hit the table, lightly bounced, spun then settled.

Loki rolled a large straight.

Loki watched as his brother slowly stood and Loki held onto the top of the table.

"Thor?" Loki asked, trying to figure out what his brother was thinking. Thor placed the palms of his hands on top of the table when he smiled and held out his hand.

"Good game, Brother," Thor said. Loki hadn't noticed he was holding his breath when he stood and shook hands with Thor.

"You really have grown up," Loki teased. Laughing, Thor placed his hand on Loki's shoulder and shook his head.

"Aye, I guess I have."

"Good, because for a minute there you had me worried," Loki smirked. Then he divided half the money he had won and said, "Here. You can keep it, it was just for fun."

"Loki, you don't have to—"

"Keep it, Thor. You have a son to look after now, and believe me, you're going to need it," Loki laughed.

~0~0~0~

 _The feast hall:_

Odin held up a hand for silence and everyone stilled. Loki, seated beside Rhiannon, bit back a chuckle at Talia, who imitated their father. He could recall being just as amazed when he was that age at the way Odin could silence a room with a single motion.

"Tonight, I would like to celebrate not only our victory over the traitor Amora and her lackeys, who if they are not in Hel are having a long stay in prison,but to ask that we all raise a glass and toast those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for Asgard. We must never forget that Amora and her rebellion cost us some of our best and brightest, both on and off the battlefield. To honor them, who are surely feasting in Valhalla, I have commissioned a wall plaque which records their names on the east wall." Odin pointed.

Servants whipped off the large drape to reveal a gigantic marble slab that glittered in the light of the mageglobes and beeswax tapers. On it was engraved the names of all those that had perished in the recent conflict. Thor leaned over and whispered in his son's ear that Kira was the third name on it from the top.

Then they all raised their glasses in a toast.

"That is a lovely tribute," Rhiannon murmured to Loki.

Her husband nodded. "I gave Father the idea from seeing other such memorials in New York."

Loki thought about when he had visited the Vietnam and 9/11 memorials, which had so moved him that he suggested a similar one for those who had fallen in Amora's little war.

Rhiannon smiled at him proudly and gave his hand a little squeeze beneath the table.

Thor looked at Odin while Odin looked at Magni and a smile spread across the AllFather's face.

"Why is he smiling like that?" Magni asked Thor.

"He is going to announce you as prince of the realm and Sif and I will formally adopt you," Thor said and Sif nodded.

Fenris nudged Hunter. "See, I told you Bestefar would do it tonight."

Talia glanced around and seemed about to get down from her high chair, but Loki shook his head and indicated she should stay put. He pointed silently to the king, who had risen to his feet.

"Though this war has brought us tragedy, it also brought my family a new member. Tonight I ask all here to welcome my grandson, Magni Thorson." He gestured to Magni to rise and Thor and Sif also.

Astonished gasps and whispers broke out all across the hall.

"Thor and Sif has a child and never told us?" Fandral whispered.

"First I heard of it," Volstagg whispered.

"Both of you be silent," Hogun growled and both of them lowered their heads.

Odin began the ceremony, and it was lost on no one that Magni was wearing Thor's House Badge and colors. "Do you, Thor Odinson, acknowledge Magni as your natural son, and grant him the protection of your Name and House?"

"I do," Thor responded, his hand on his son's shoulder.

Odin turned to Lady Sif. "Do you, Lady Sif, agree to adopt Magni and raise him as your son?"

Sif smiled at the nervous boy and nodded. "I do, Sire."

The king then looked at the youth. "Do you, Magni, agree to having Prince Thor as your father and Lady Sif as your mother?"

"Aye, Sire, this pleases me." Magni assented.

Odin then approached the boy with the vial of sacred oil and drew runes upon Magni's forehead-the runes for Family, Inheritance, Love, and Home. "Thus, I Odin, King of Asgard, do pronounce you Magni Odinson, part of the royal kindred, and welcome you into our home and family. To celebrate this, I give you this arm ring."

He placed a solid gold arm ring on the boy's right arm, with Thor's symbol, the Asgardian royal house Yggdrasil and crown motif, and Magni's name on the obverse.

Thor and Sif gave the boy the kiss of welcome on both cheeks, and Odin hugged his newest grandson. Thor draped a new red mantle over Magni's shoulders with a blue border with gold knot work.

Fandral frowned. "Then Sif is not the boy's mother?"

"I wonder who is?" Volstagg muttered.

Loki noticed the looks on their faces when he titled his head to one side and blinked.

 _Do you remember the innkeeper's daughter, Kira?_ Loki sent.

 _Aye, I remember her. She was a fine lass,_ Volstagg sent.

 _Aye, Thor used to visit her many times during our travels,_ Fandral sent.

 _We had a wager to see if he would finally settle down and pick her for a wife. Not that it mattered she was common._

 _She didn't wish him to do so and they parted as friends,_ Loki sent.

 _Why didn't she tell him she was pregnant?_ Hogun sent.

 _Do you remember that time Thor was badly injured and we thought he was going to die?_

 _Aye,_ Fandral sent.

 _That's why. She didn't receive word he had recovered and thought him dead._

 _Oh!_ all three sent at the same time.

"What happened to her?" Volstagg sent and Loki told them about the attack on her village.

"Curse that black hearted witch!" Volstagg spat. "I hope she is regretting everything in Hela's cold kingdom."

 _Of that I have no doubt,_ Loki sent, then he rose along with the rest of his family to greet his new nephew before resuming his seat as the dinner was brought in.

 _Helhiem:_

The ice cold winds blew through the halls as rats scurried in the shadows and the sounds of souls being tortured echoed off the walls. Hela barely smiled as she headed down the hallway then stopped at the iron door. The door was decorated with snakes, skulls and the face of the person behind the door and she opened the small slot. Gray and black stone made up the walls, floor and ceiling of the cell and hay was in the corner for a bed. A small barred window was high up on the wall to the left and a small beam of light lit up the room.

"Come out where I can see you," she said. A soft scraping sound came from the shadows as she barely saw a man moving toward the small beam of light and she blinked.

Bors glared at her as he stood in the light and she looked at him. His clothing and armor were tattered and tarnished. He was barefoot. His hair was long and stringy and had pieces of hay sticking in it. His beard was unkempt and his face looked more like a skull with cracked, scarred skin.

"What do you wish of me, Granddaughter?" he hissed. There were faint marks upon his exposed skin, the marks remaining of his battle with Loki in the Astral before Belle had banished him.

"I just want you to know my father has another grandchild," Hela said.

"Has that bastard half-breed adopted another piece of trash?!"

"No, it appears Thor has a child. One that he didn't know about."

"How do you know this?"

"Do you truly think I do not know what occurs in Asgard? Odin, himself, has just declared the brat Thor's heir."

"Once a bastard, always a bastard," Bors sneered. "Like Odin's firstborn son. He cannot inherit the throne. My son is a fool. Always has been. Much like that miserable half-breed conjurer he adopted."

"That half-breed conjurer is the reason you are here," she said with a light laugh to her voice. "Such a shame. The Great Bors was brought down by a fool and a halfling."

"They did nothing! It was that brat of his!"

"You bear his marks in your spirit," she pointed out. "I would hardly call that nothing." Hela sneered. "But then, you were ever slow to admit your own shortcomings, Grandfather."

"Do not speak to me in such a manner! If it wasn't for me...!"

"If it wasn't for you, I would be queen! It was your teachings and advice which made me break my oath to my father!"

"He would never would have made you queen!"

"I was first born! By right, I am the heir!"

"And you are, My Dear! You are heir of Helhiem!' he said then laughed.

Hela slid her fingers through the slot when a bolt of black magic sailed toward him and Bors screamed. The bolt of black magic crackled around him as pain slashed through him and he crumbled to his knees.

"Tell me, Grandfather. Did you know about the prophecy?"

"What...prophecy?!"

"The one in which Loki is to be the King of the Nine."

Bors glared at her as the pain roared through him and he growled.

"Is Loki the King of the Nine Realms!?" she demanded and more bolts of black magic slammed into him.

"Abomination . . . ought to have been killed at birth . . ."

"Tell me!" she shouted, recalling the magic and he fell panting to the floor.

"Fine...," he said as he slowly got to his feet and swayed side to side. "Yes, I knew about it."

"You knew he was going to rule everything?"

"He should rule nothing!"

Bors ran to the door as he slammed his hands against the iron and his eyes shimmered in a red light.

"I should have had Odin beat him every waking moment until he was bloody and broken!"

"And, by doing so, you would have stop the prophecy from happening?"

"He would have either become my puppet or he would have died!"

Bors laughed as he shook his head and snorted.

"Do you truly believe the Norns would have allowed such a thing?"

"Damn the Norns! They are bigger fools than Odin! The rightful King of the Nine should be me!"

Hela felt a cold chill run down her. She recalled Loki telling her that Bors had possessed Odin for his own gain, his ambition greater in death than it ever had been in life. And in so doing he had broken the Balance between the living and the dead.

"Then my brother was right! You _did_ possess my father so you could rule through him."

"What of it?" the shade snarled. "I was always a better king than my milksop son!"

Hela moved back enough for her to launch a wave of black magic through the slot and the wave slammed into Bors. He flew back into the stone wall as he screamed and the stone melted around him. The razor-sharp stone cut into him as he screeched and the door slammed open. He watched her storming toward him as she growled and she flicked her wrists to summon her daggers.

"Do you have any idea what you have done?!" she demanded.

The shade scrambled to his feet, but he was but a shadow to the opposing figure he had been in life. And she feared him not, for she ruled all the dead. "I took back what was mine!"

"Fool!" Hela snarled and she pinned him to the stone with her daggers. "You broke the Balance between the living and the dead! The Balance I swore to uphold upon my sacred honor when I accepted my powers as the Goddess of Death! For even the dead must follow the rules as the Norns decree. But you— _you_ thought you could cheat me of my due! You hid in the Astral before I had come into my powers and then you played a long game until you could invade Father's mind and use him as your puppet to rule in his stead! You made a mockery of me!"

Her green eyes glared at him in fury.

"It . . . is my destiny to rule!" Bors gasped, writhing. "I am . . . the rightful King of the Nine!"

"Wrong! You won Asgard by conquest, but the right to rule the Nine came to Odin because he sacrificed himself and almost died." Hela corrected. "It is he alone who has the Odinforce, the power of the triumvirate, for his brothers gifted him their power when they died, so he could better rule as king!"

"Bah! He was a squeamish whelp who only came to the throne because my elder sons perished in the wars," Bors spat. "But he was never meant to rule!"

Hela shook her head. "You are wrong. I see that now, when I did not before. You name Father a usurper but _you_ are the usurper, Grandfather! You have done naught but scheme and lie and cheat to get what you desired, and in so doing you have broken the sacred covenant between the living and the dead! And for that, you shall pay!"

Bors ripped his arm from the wall, his eyes glittering hellish red and fangs jutting from his mouth. "Priestess' brat! Your father should have drowned you at birth! I warned him nothing good would come of raising a mere girl! And I was right!"

Hela stiffened, hearing the derision and hate in the spirit's tone for the first time. It was then she realized that Loki had been correct. Bors had never cared for her—or rather he cared for her as long as she was useful to him. As soon as she stopped dancing to his tune, he wished to rid himself of her.

 _There is no love in his heart, cold shriveled thing that it is! All he cares about is himself!_

For centuries she had sought to please the old warlord, becoming what she thought was a true queen. Instead she had been deceived, and had become a tyrant like the shade before her. She shut her eyes.

 _So be it! What's done is done. But I am no man's lackey!_

She opened her eyes. "Now I see what you truly think of me . . . and I care not! _I_ rule here, Grandfather, not you! And you have broken my peace!"

She lifted her hands and black lightning crackled from them, striking the shade and making him howl. The force of the magic picked up the rotten spirit and flung it through a portal into the Well of Anguish, a special kind of prison for the worst souls. There they drowned in a vat of burning water, and were forced to relive every moment of pain and suffering they had ever dealt to others in life, for all of eternity.

Soon Bors' screams joined those of the others who had tried to betray the Queen of the Dead.

Hela smiled grimly and dusted off her hands. Now to visit with Amora.

Hela strode down the icy halls, her black boots tapping out a rhythmic march, disdain and anger riding her features until they turned her normally pleasing features into a grim death's head mask. This was the face she showed to her enemies. And Amora was one of them.

She unlocked the frigid cell with a wave of her hand and entered. Amora was sitting on what passed for a bed, though it was just for show, since the dead had no need to sleep or eat ever again.

Amora glanced up at her new mistress, feigning indifference.

"On your knees, worm, before your Queen!" Hela ordered.

"You are not my ruler!" Amora declared haughtily.

Hela smirked. "No? I beg to differ!" She pointed a hand and Amora found herself on the floor, kneeling at Hela's feet.

Amora's blond hair fell into her eyes. "I nearly destroyed your whole pathetic family!" she cried.

Hela snorted. "You think so, worm? Now hear this! You were overconfident and arrogant. You believed you could conquer those who you should have fought alongside. You are naught but a traitor to your people. A worm you are, and a worm you shall ever be, little sorceress!"

Hela pointed a finger again and Amora was pressed into the floor.

She shrieked, but the Queen of Hel showed no mercy. "For your sins, I sentence you to the Well of Anguish! Say hello to my grandfather when you see him next! Begone, wretched bitch!"

She waved a hand and Amora's soul was flung screaming into the putrid green water.

Slowly, Hela turned and walked back to her chambers, feeling oddly weary, despite the fact that she had only done as she had many times before, and sentenced those deserving of her wrath.

She went and lay upon her black cushioned couch and put her chin in her hand. Loki's words came back to her, and in a strange way, they warmed her icy heart. She had much to ponder, and endless days in which to do so. _Loki, you were right. Grandfather betrayed me, even as he did you._ She clenched a fist, feeling the icy shards of her heart shatter anew, and a single tear slipped from her eye and slid down her cheek.

~0~0~0~

 _Asgard:_

"Two points!" Rhiannon cried as she bopped Loki over the head with her goosedown pillow.

Her husband laughed and whacked her across the back with his pillow. "And two for me, darling!"

The two chased each other around the bed, laughing like loons, their eyes sparkling with mischief.

Rhiannon stuck her slippered foot out and caused Loki to stumble. "Oh, how the Mighty Prince has fallen!"

Loki stuck his tongue out at her. "I may be down, but I'm not out!" He sprang lithely to his feet and Rhiannon squealed and ran to hide behind the settee.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Loki taunted, cupping a hand to his mouth. His pillow hung slightly from his hand.

Rhiannon giggled, the sound like a rhapsody to his ears. She relaxed, believing herself safe behind the settee.

Until the settee rose into the air and floated several feet above the carpet.

"Loki!" his wife yelped.

"What? You never said I couldn't use magic," he smirked, and then ran and bopped her over the head with his pillow.

Rhiannon groaned, then smacked him in the backside with her pillow. "Behave, Master Mischief!" she mock-growled.

Loki giggled. "Make me!" Then he fled as she chased him.

They fell on the bed, exchanging blows and laughing. Rhiannon dove and tickled his ribs, and he grinned and hugged her and tickled her neck.

She giggled helplessly and then he was kissing her behind her ear and purring like a lazy panther.

"Now is that fair?" she asked, pretending to pout.

"All's fair in love and war, sweetheart!" her husband chuckled.

She wound her arms about him and kissed him back, half-straddling him, with her hair drifting to tickle his face.

Soon their playful kisses turned to something much more passionate, and the pillow fight was forgotten in favor of a different game, one where there were no winners or losers, simply two people coming together in a glorious purpose, to love and be loved.

Afterwards, they lay entwined together, and Loki whispered, "I love you, My Queen."

"I'm not a queen yet," his wife murmured, laying her head on his chest so she could hear his heartbeat. That always soothed her.

"But you will be tomorrow, when we are crowned in the Hall of Frost," Loki reminded with a lazy grin.

"I love you, Loki My King," she purred and kissed his nose.


	74. The Dark Temple

**74**

 **The Dark Temple**

 _I come from the land of ice and snow. ~ Loki_

Daybreak dawned sunny and without a cloud in the sky. Loki woke slowly, his emerald eyes taking in the sheet shrouded form of his wife. One white shoulder peeked enticingly from beneath the covers, and he teasingly kissed it, a kiss so light that she barely stirred. He was reluctant to move, wishing he could stay next to her forever, but knowing that today was the day of the coronation, and there was much to do. Starting with a nice hot bath. Yawning, he sat up, the sheet pooling about his knees, and waved a hand to start the faucet running in the tub. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he called, "Rhee, wake up, love."

The little Healer muttered something he didn't catch, then he leaned down and blew playfully in her ear, a trick he used sometimes to wake a reluctant Serena. It worked just as well now as it ever had. Rhee yawned and woke, her brilliant cerulean eyes opening to gaze upon him.

"Morning, Loki."

"Good morning. Sorry to wake you but we need to get up and get ready."

"Oh Norns! Today is the coronation!" she gasped, all traces of sleep banished from her mind. "Loki, I need to draw a bath-"

"Already done," he gestured to the bathroom, where she could hear the water running.

She slipped from the bed, hurrying into the bathroom. Loki followed and tested the water-it was cool to warm, which was just how they both preferred it. He tossed handfuls of lemon mint bath salts into the water.

She joined him in the water a few moments later, and they quickly washed each other, laughing.

"I wish we didn't have to get out," she sighed longingly.

"Mmm . . . I know. But we cannot indulge ourselves until later," Loki groaned. "Duty before pleasure, I'm afraid."

She traced his muscles on his chest. "Aye, but later . . . "

"I intend to hold you to that promise, Goldenheart," he murmured.

They relucantly left the bath and went to get dressed in their finery for the ceremony.

Loki used magic to dry their hair and put some scented spearmint oil in his and combed it through. Rhiannon did the same but used a honeyed apple scent, brushing it through her golden locks until they shone.

Loki opened the wardrobe and pulled out his new suit-made from special Jotun royal fabric called frostshimmer-it was an iridescent white satin that shimmered in a rainbow of colors when the sun struck it. He put on his trousers and soft lawn shirt with the diamond buttons. Next came his white vrekat suede boots with the fur top and finally his long coat with the frost opal designed dragon on the back. This was a frost dragon and it had sapphire eyes-the frost dragon was sacred to the Jotun and also the symbol of the Royal House-which bore the name Icefyre.

"You look so majestic," Rhiannon smiled, tying the garters on her silk stockings before putting on her triple petticoats and the longline bra and soft chemise.

"Thank you, darling." He peered into the wardrobe. "Where is your gown?"

"Mother has it in her solar. She should be coming any minute with her maids to help put it on me and do my hair."

Smiling, Loki walked to her when he lightly kissed her lips and she blushed.

"Kwoki!" came from behind the door and he softly laughed. He walked to the door and opened it a crack and looked down at Talia. She was still in her nightgown as he knelt down on his haunches and she grinned. "Hi!"

"Hello, ladybug. Why aren't you dressed?" he asked.

"I wanna see you!" she said and held her arms out for a hug.

He hugged his little sister as she kissed his cheek then moved back.

"You wook han'some!"

"Thank you. Now, go on. Go get dressed."

"Ok!" she said then ran off and he stood up. A part of him hurt with the thought of leaving her when they had to go back to New York, but that wasn't for a while.

He noticed Frigga and two of her handmaids coming down the hall and smiled and held the door for them to enter. His mother paused and gently rearranged a lock of his hair, the one which always was determined to fall in his eyes.

She had a small tear in the corner of her eye as he wiped it away and she sighed.

"There is no need for tears, Mother," he said, softly.

"They are tears of joy," she said then went into the room.

Loki rang for Artos while Frigga and her maids, Joise and Alayna were assisting Rhiannon. "Could you bring us some coffee please?"

"Yes, My Prince," Artos said with a bow and left the room.

Loki took a seat on the settee and waited, scrolling idly through the pictures on his phone.

 _Well, Laufeyson, if you need proof that happy endings are real then you need to look no further then this,_ he thought.

His eyes darted to the beautiful handcarved rosewood box on the table that contained both their crowns, which would come with them to Jotunheim and be given to the High Priest Myklaos for the coronation. Loki's crown was the ancient one that had belonged to all of his ancestors before him-the white gold Dragon Crown, with its two dragons and priceless gems. Rhiannon's was the Crown of Frost and Fire that Astra had worn and been commissioned by Odin and Frigga for her.

He stood up and walked to the table and moved his hand over the carving on the lid of the box. A dragon circled the lid and was chasing its tail. A blue sapphire was at the center of the lid and the light made what looked like blue flames inside the sapphire.

He secretly wished his mother and father could be here to see the coronation when the room became cold and he turned, seeing Astra and Laufey standing behind him.

"Greetings, My Son," Laufey said with a nod.

"You look... You look so handsome," Astra said, her voice catching slightly.

"Thank you," Loki said with a small bow. Laufey walked to the table when he looked down at the box and sighed.

"I remember being so nervous when I first saw that box. I was sure I would either be sick or forget my oath," Laufey said and made a small laugh.

"Did it feel like you have dragons flying in your stomach?"

"Oh yes."

"How did you make it go away?"

"I didn't."

Both of them laughed as Astra walked closer and looked at the box.

"I was equally as nervous when I was crowned," she said.

"I bet you looked amazing," Loki said and Laufey nodded.

"She did. I nearly forgot to breathe," Laufey said.

"Are you going to be at the coronation?"

"Yes, all the Guardians will be there."

Loki looked at the door where Rhiannon was getting ready and he hoped her mother had come to see her.

Rhiannon stood still while the maids helped dress her and Frigga pressed her hands together. Rhiannon's dress, like Loki's suit, was made from frostshimmer. It was an iridescent white satin with a flared skirt with white rabbit fur trim around the bottom of the skirt. The long sleeves flared at her wrists and a silver chain belt was wrapped around her waist. White vrekat suede boots with the fur top covered her feet and she was wearing the locket Loki had given to her.

"You look amazing," Frigga said, trying to not cry.

"Thank you, Mother," Rhiannon said, grinning. Suddenly, the room became cold as the maids gasped and Rhiannon looked at the balcony doorway. Larimar stood in the doorway as she walked into the room and Rhiannon gasped.

"Hello, Darling," Larimar said after standing in front of her and she smiled. "Look at you."

"I was wondering if you would be able to attend the coronation," Frigga said.

"I would not have missed it for anything."

"Come. Let's leave them in peace," Frigga said as she ushered the maids into the other room and Larimar took her daughter's hands.

"How are you?" Larimar asked.

"I feel like I want to faint," Rhiannon said and her mother softly laughed.

"I would feel the same."

"What if they won't accept me?"

"They accepted Astra."

"But she was Archmage before she was queen. I'm... I'm just a healer."

"No, you are more than just a healer. You are his other half. You are the day to his night. You are his queen. And they will see that the moment you enter the temple."

"I just fear I will forget what I am supposed to say when I have to say my oath."

"Astra told me she felt the same, but, once she looked at Laufey, everything came back to her."

"I do feel more confident when I am with Loki."

"And I believe he feels the same about you," she said, placing her hand on Rhiannon's cheek. "You will be fine. Remember, you are a Snowfall daughter. And though you were not raised in Jotunheim, you will come home once you enter that realm. The blood of the frost runs in you, and that of the dragon as well."

"What do you mean?"

"Long long ago, Icefyre the Wise, the great frost drake, had a daughter. Her name was Avenahar, which meant IceBright, in dragonspeech. Avenahar fell in love with the heir to the throne and shifted into a Jotun in order to marry him and bear his children. There is a saga called The Tale of Avenahar and Valithor about their love story. Thus the children of the royal line bear dragon blood in their veins and also dragon shifter magic. It is why those of the Blood are master shifters, like their dragon ancestress. We too bear the blood of the dragon, because the third prince of the Royal House married a Snowfall heiress several generations back. It is why you can shift into a Frost Dragon, Rhee."

"I never knew this," Rhiannon exclaimed.

"I would have told you the story when you were older, but I never got the chance," Larimar said regretfully. "And your father . . . forbid me to speak of my homeland and my family to you, much less the magic you inherited from me." She shook her head. "May the Norns forgive me, I can say that I am not sorry he is now languishing in Hel. But enough of such talk! Today I see my daughter crowned Queen of Jotunheim, and that is a reason for joy."

Rhiannon smiled as Frigga and the maids re-entered the room and Frigga gave them a pleased look.

"Are you ready to get your hair done then finish dressing?" Frigga asked and Rhiannon nodded.

After they had styled her long hair up on her head in braids with crystals and ribbons running through it, Frigga attached her cloak to the back of her gown. The cloak was not merely an accessory, but it was in the shape of dragon wings, to celebrate the sacred beast of the Jotun, and through a clever string, Rhiannon could open the wings up at the proper time. Odin had crafted them and they were works of art, lightweight shimmering things that enhanced the beauty of her gown. Staring down at her wedding band, Rhiannon wished she felt more like a queen.

 _In the nursery:_

Max was dressed in a suit made of frostshimmer and the iridescent breeches shimmered in the light. He was also wearing white vrekat suede boots with fur top and a soft lawn shirt with diamond buttons. His waistcoat was sitting on the back of the chair while he looked at the piece of paper and scribbled a green outline around the picture he had drawn. He had woken up that morning from one of his odd dreams. He was somewhere cold and columns holding the ceiling up were made of ice. He heard chanting coming from the shadows and he felt scared.

He looked at the drawing as he frowned and tried to figure out why whatever this was felt so important. He also noticed some strange lines on the columns and tilted his head to one side. He folded the piece of paper until it fit into the pocket of his waistcoat, put the waistcoat on and left the room.

Loki hoped that his children all remembered to put on their brooches of Cold Warding, which he had given to them last night. The magical brooches would protect his Midgardian and Asgardian relatives from the extreme cold on Jotunheim, so they would not need to fear the temperatures there. He even had ones made for the Avengers and though his blood children didn't need them, he made some for them also.

His girls, except for Abby who had a unicorn, all had snowflake brooches. His younger sons had crossed daggers, except for Jorgy, Sleph and Fenris, who bore brooches of their shift forms.

He had made a pretty crown brooch for Frigga and a ladybug for Talia.

He walked out of the room when his eyes slightly widened at the sight of his children standing in a straight line in the hallway and felt like he had stepped into a scene from the Sound of Music. _Did I blow a whistle?_ He wondered, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Ready for inspection," Sam said, placing her shoulders back. Shrugging, Loki walked down the line as he noticed the children did have the brooches on and gave each one a nod, pretending to be serious, but the emerald eyes sparkled. He tugged Vince's collar straight and gently adjusted Lucy's brooch. He stopped at Max when he knelt down and noticed Max had the same problem he had with his hair. He moved the hair away then stood up and Max smiled up at him.

"Right. Let's go have breakfast," Loki said. The children turned to the left as they headed down the hallway and started singing the "Do Re Me" song, causing Loki to burst out laughing.

 _Well, they are your kids,_ he thought and followed them down the hallway.

Magni peered out the doorway of Hunter's room, wearing his new clothes, including his hammer brooch, wondering why his cousins were all singing. Was this a Midgardian ritual?

"Ho there, Sapling!" Fandral greeted. "By the Nine, you are Thor in miniature, even with your hair braided."

"Do you think so, Sir?" Magni asked.

"Aye, I do!"

Magni followed the older warrior to the private dining hall, not wishing to be late for breakfast and risk skipping it when the king decided they must leave for Jotunheim. He wondered what the other realm would be like. Was it truly all snow and ice as he had heard in the tales? Or did they have seasons too like in Asgard?

After a light breakfast, Loki, his family, the Warriors and the Avengers waited outside the gateway and Heimdall gave them a small nod.

"Open Bifrost," Odin said. Heimdall activated the gate as the lights swirled in bright colors and Magni looked at Thor. Holding out his hand, Thor took his son's hand tightly in his and Odin led the way through the gate into Jotunheim.

"Oooooo!" Talia cried while watching the lights swirling around them and Frigga smiled.

The lights finally faded as they stepped out of the gate and Jotunheim spread out around them.

There were high gray and blue moutains covered in snow, but there in the valley was thick bluish and gold grass with blue spruce type trees and pretty blue and pink flowers known as frost blossoms. A light coating of frost covered the ground higher up close to the moutains.

The air was chilly, but not freezing cold. Little white fur creatures, which looked like foxes, darted into the bushes and made little yipping noises.

"Whoa!" Nate said and Vince nodded.

"Those are fennix," Loki explained. "They are considered good luck. Probably because they also eat the vermin that would destroy the crops and gardens of the farmers."

Max looked around when he felt something familiar about what he was looking at and Loki looked down at him.

"What do you think, imp?" Loki asked.

"It looks like Narnia," Max said, grinning.

"Does Tumnus live here, Daddy?" Aleta asked.

"No, spark, he doesn't," Loki said and she pouted.

"Nuts!" she said and Loki laughed.

"Ok, where do we go now?" Tony asked.

"We are going to the palace," Loki said while several coaches being drawn by large oxen-like creatures arrived and the drivers hopped off the driver's seats to open the doors and store the trunks they had brought with them. One of the drivers helped Nate onto the coach as Nate nodded and Talia looked at the oxen-like creatures. They had long curved horns wrapped around their ears as well as dark eyes and long white and tan fur. Silver and gold bells were tied around the horns and banners with Icefyre crest were draped over their backs.

"Kwoki! Me touch!" she demanded and Loki smiled, rolling his eyes.

"Ok, ladybug, but you have to be gentle," he said, taking her from Frigga. They walked to one of the creatures, called Snobax, and she reached over to lightly stroke the soft fur. The Snobax snorted as it tilted its head to one side and Talia smiled.

"I want one," she said.

"Sorry, but they wouldn't survive living in Asgard."

"Oh," she said with a small pout then giggle when he lifted her into the air.

The children observed that the drivers looked like dwarves with long icy beards and hair, deep penetrating sapphire blue eyes, and skin colored a light blue. they wore white leather pants, vests with the Icefyre dragon crest, and furry boots. "Are those dwarves, Dad?" Belle asked him.

"Yes. They are ice dwarves, Ilkken in their tongue. They serve the Jotun nobles, and have done so for time out of mind."

Loki handed Rhiannon into their coach, then stepped in himself and the driver closed the door and mounted the seat in front. He clicked to the Snobax and the big creatures turned and began to walk swiftly over the blue stone road back to the palace.

Loki smiled at his wife and said, "I have a surprise waiting for you when we get to the palace."

"A surprise? Tell!"

He chuckled. "If I did that it wouldn't be a surprise, darling!"

All the children kept peering out the windows of the coaches, wanting to see as much of the unusual countryside as they could.

"Move over, Vince! It's my turn!" Lucy said, elbowing her brother away from the window.

"Will you relax? You sound like a tourist."

"Oh, like you've been here before!"

"No, I haven't, but..."

"Move!"

Sam broke up the squabbling, reminding them they had promised their parents they would behave.

Soon they had reached the palace, and one of the drivers blew a sharp blast on his horn, making everyone scatter, including some Jotun knights riding huge reindeer. At least they looked like reindeer to Abby.

The Icefyre Palace, as it was called, was set high on a hill, surrounded by icy stone walls with statues of dragons, wolves, and snowflakes decorating the top. The large town sprawled below it, and the palace was made of interlocking blocks of white marble with blue veins running through it. The windows were crystal so clear it looked like mere air, and there were snow sculptures of amazing detail and beauty along the avenue where the coaches approached the palace steps, which were huge as were the double doors made of blue ironwood with gold runes covering them. Blue and white pennats with the Icefyre crest snapped in the breeze.

The drivers pulled the coaches over to a smaller but no less ornate door and set of stairs.

"What are those?" Frigga asked Odin.

"Those are the stairs and doorway for the visiting monarchs and dignitaries," Odin explained. "The Jotun made them with their magic so the Asgardians and others would not feel intimidated by the great height of everything."

"But what about inside?" Frigga frowned. "Surely most things are sized for Jotun."

"Jotun are shifters, and can adjust their size. So too can this palace," Odin said. "It magically does so. You'll see."

A parade of footmen, these were Jotun who wore palace livery and had their long white hair pulled back in queues, shifted so they were no taller than Thor, arrived and opened the doors of the coaches and pulled down the stairs. "Salutations, honored guests!" they greeted the Asgardians.

To Loki and Rhiannon they bowed nearly to the floor and addressed them as "Your Excellencies, the King and Queen-in-Waiting." A long velvet sapphire blue carpet was unrolled starting at the door of their coach and continuing inside the palace.

Loki helped Rhiannon alight from the carriage and then took her arm to escort her down the carpet and into the palace. A herald blew a short stirring air on his bugle and then announced them as they processed inside. Cheers resounded from the people thronging the inside of the palace, who were behind velvet ropes attached to golden pillars.

 _Shall we shift forms, darling? I think it would be polite,_ he sent.

 _Agreed,_ she replied and together they blurred into their Jotun forms.

Guards dressed in glistening white armore with fur cloaks and icy halberds stood at attention as they passed, saluting with a fist to their heart, as was the custom.

Loki and Rhiannon smiled and nodded at them, accepting the gesture.

Loki saw his cousin Starkaad, who was also Regent while Loki was uncrowned, standing a few feet from him. Next to him was Reinhold, the castle Steward. "Greetings, Starkaad, Steward Reinhold."

Starkaad, a tall Jotun with his frost-colored hair pulled back high on his head and plaited with colored blue and green beads, wearing a gold coat with green facings and soft gold trousers with green boots, bowed to his cousin and monarch. "Greetings, Sire." He took Rhiannon's hand and bowed over it, kissing the back of it politely. "Greetings to you, my beautiful Queen-in-Waiting."

"Why thank you, Lord Starkaad," Rhiannon smiled at him.

They greeted Reinhold and then Loki bent and asked that his children and family be taken to their rooms to freshen up. "We will be doing so also, but first I would like to take my queen to see her surprise."

Rhiannon felt slightly overwhelmed at being the center of all this scrutiny, and noticed that each Jotun seemed to have different markings on their skin—indicative of the clan they belonged to. They were also dressed according to their station.

She saw that the male courtiers all wore a style of trousers that fitted to their long legs, and were made of butter soft leather in different colors or fine cloth. They wore knee high boots with different colored fur tops and their tunics were sleeveless and were decorated with jeweled buttons, embroidery, and some had fur mantles also. Most went bareheaded, but there were some who sported fur caps with their House crest. Some of the men had rings on, and some had an earring, others had thick gold chains with large jeweled pendants.

Tapestries covered the white stone walls and smokeless blue round blue lanterns were affixed to the walls and they shed a bright though not harsh light. She would learn later they were called frost globes and enchanted.

Loki was enjoying the look of amazement and wonder on her face and couldn't wait for her to see his surprise.

Beneath her feet was a mosaic tile of different colored snowflakes and geometric designs—it was deep blue to represent Jotunheim's winter sky.

In golden frames were portraits of the members of the royal family and Loki saw one of Laufey as a young man. He pointed to the portrait as Rhiannon nodded and he slid her hand into his, wrapping their fingers together.

Several court ladies approached, their hair done up in fantastic loops of braids decorated with crystals and ribbons. They wore velvet and satin gowns in a variety of colors, all accented with some kind of fur. Some had fur mantles, others none, and all wore brilliant earrings, bracelets, and pendants of astonishing white gold and silver.

"Greetings," Loki said.

 _Are you alright_? Loki sent, glancing at her.

 _It is a little overwhelming_ , she sent and he squeezed her fingers.

Suddenly a servant in livery was bowing and holding out a tray with two delicate spun glass goblets upon it. "Your Majesties, may I offer you some mulled frost wine?"

"Thank you," Loki said and took a goblet. "Your name is?"

"Alpen, sire," responded the youth, who looked to be about Peter's age.

"Thank you again, Alpen," Loki said and Alpen nodded, moving back. He noticed how some of the court ladies looked at Alpen when he frowned and arched an eyebrow. "Is there something wrong?"

"He should not have spoken to you," one of the ladies said.

"Anyone is allowed to speak to me."

Alpen cringed as Loki walked over and locked eyes with him.

"There is no reason to fear. You did nothing wrong," Loki said and Alpen nodded. "In fact, I need someone to aide my children with their needs. Why don't you head for the nursery and tell the guards I sent you?"

"Yes, Sire. Thank you, Sire," Alpen said as he ran down the hallway and Rhiannon smiled at her husband.

"Did you treat your servants so in Asgard, Your Majesty?" one lady with a jeweled bird pin on her gown asked curiously.

"Of course, I do."

"But, he is a servant."

"I am a healer," Rhiannon said. "And I have always treated people, no matter their station, with the respect they deserve."

"As do I," Loki said.

The lady looked startled. Rhiannon continued earnestly, "There is an old saying, treat others as you would be treated and you shall spread the peace of the Norns. So we begin thus."

The ladies nodded then moved down the hallway and whispered to each other.

"Do you think we have offended them?" Rhiannon whispered worriedly.

"No. It is our place to set an example on how people should behave," Loki answered. "Like we teach our children, so shall we teach these nobles."

He sipped some of his spiced wine, it was fruity with some cinnamon and a spice called tallis, which reminded him of the Midgardian allspice.

Rhiannon sipped on some of the wine when she noticed a portrait on the wall and the portrait was of Laufey and Astra. Astra was sitting on a snow white horse and was wearing a dark blue velvet gown with fur trim, a white fur half-cloak with a hood and soft leather gloves. Laufey was wearing his battle armor and a sword was in the scabbard at his right hip.

"Loki, look," she whispered and he looked at the portrait.

"That must have been done after they were married," he said.

"She looks so beautiful."

"So do you," he said and lifted her hand, kissing her knuckles. The guards were not used to such shows of affection as they looked at each other and Loki led Rhiannon down the hallway.

They approached the doors to the salon when he turned her to him and she wondered why he had a look of mischief in his eyes.

"Close your eyes," he said in a soft voice and she closed her eyes. He led her into the salon as he looked at the people gathered in the room and he smiled. He stood in front of her as he lifted Rhiannon's chin and rubbed his thumb along her jawline. "Open your eyes."

Rhiannon opened them to see four Jotun looking at her. The first was an older man, with his silver-white locks pulled back in a braid wearing a white gold fillet with a large sapphire in it. He was dressed in a soft red robe with ermine trim and wore white leather boots. The robe bore the purple mountain and snow crest of her mother's family.

The man was looking at her with slightly stunned look and Rhiannon wondered why.

"Lord Valithor," Loki said with a bow and Valithor slowly approached.

"She looks like Larimar," Valithor said.

"You know my mother, sir?" Rhiannon asked.

"I was there the day she came into the world," Valithor answered softly. "I am your grandfather, _mistune._ " He said, calling her by the Jotun word for granddaughter.

Rhiannon gasped and looked at Loki.

"I wanted to surprise you and asked that your Snowfall relatives come to meet you here before the ceremony this afternoon. This is Lord Valithor, your grandfather. His twin sons, Thrym and Haakon, and Lady Skadi, Thrym's daughter."

Thrym and Haakon were identical in every way except for a scar on Thrym's left cheek. Their hair was shoulder length and Thrym was dressed in battle armor with a soft red robe with ermine trim and white leather boots were on his feet. He held a gold helmet under his right arm and he made a low bow to his niece.

"Greetings, Niece," he said.

"Greetings," she said, curtsying.

Hakkon was wearing a white suit made of frostshimmer with white leather boots on his feet and a soft red robe with ermine trim. Rhiannon noticed an air of importance around him as Hakkon smiled and made a deep bow.

"Your servant, Niece," he said then stood.

"Thank you, sir," she said with a grin.

"Just so you know, I am Thrym and he's Haakon. The way you can tell the difference is I'm the handsome one," Thrym said, gently shoving his twin.

"Says you, Brother," Haakon said, rolling his eyes. Both of them laughed as Rhiannon giggled and Valithor sighed.

"Behave," he said.

"Oh, Father, she knows we are just jesting," Haakon said, smirking.

"He's the troublemaker," Thrym snorted. "You may ask anyone and they shall tell you that I am the responsible one."

Haakon rolled his eyes. "I am responsible now, Thrym. I am Royal Scribe to the Council of Nine."

"How he got that position is a mystery," his twin teased.

"Only to you, who has trouble writing his name," Haakon shot back.

Valithor cast his gaze heavenward. "Frost Lady grant me patience! Do forgive them, Your Excellencies. They tease each other something awful but that is their way of expressing affection."

"Loki and his brothers do that also," Rhiannon smiled. "Did you also tease my mother?"

Thrym looked at Haakon. "Haakon used to tease her. He called her _tlittinga—_ little snow sparrow."

"Yes, and she put a rune snake in my boots for it," the scribe sighed. "At least I didn't race her down the track and ruin her good gown, Brother."

"She wanted to!" Thrym objected. "If I hadn't gone with her, she would have gone herself and Mother would have fainted at the impropriety of her daughter running about unescorted."

Loki chuckled. "Sounds like some of my daughters."

"Or this one here," Thrym indicated Skadi with a fond smile.

Skadi was dressed in frostshimmer leathers and a long crimson tunic belted at the waist with a gold-buckled belt. She wore a speckled fur mantle with tails on the end, and her hair was done up in two coiled braids wrapped about her head and held in place with two silver hair combs. Ruby earrings were in her ears and she wore three bracelets on her left wrist and a ring attached by a thin gold chain to one.

She also wore a long dagger at her waist.

"Hello, cousin," she greeted Rhiannon with a soft smile. "As Father will tell you—I treasure my independence."

"Humph!" Thrym snorted.

"And as he won't tell you, but I will, her father can't corral Skadi," Haakon informed them gleefully. "Skadi here likes to hunt and ski and she's most often to be found with a pack of dogs tracking down some animal than in the ballroom."

Skadi shrugged. "I prefer the dogs to yapping courtiers, Uncle Haakon. That's why you're at court, after all."

Haakon put a hand to his heart. "Ouch! That stung, Niece."

"It's true, nonetheless," Thrym put in. "Haakon has more patience and politeness than I do. I would offend someone and end up in a duel. Haakin just smiles and smoothes things over with his clever tongue."

"It's a good thing then that you are the heir, Brother and get to stay at home," his twin laughed. "Because Father can't afford to lose any more family members."

"Kaniire forfend!" Valithor said piously, making a circle at his chest.

Loki gestured for them all to be seated, and then he and Rhiannon walked over to the table where there were some refreshments on silver salvers. There were small tarts, both sweet and savory, skewers of meat in a savory sauce, fruit, and puffed pastries with tiny sea shrimp in a creamy rice filling.

He named each type of food for his wife, and she committed them to memory while enjoying them.

She enjoyed catching up with her family, but the thought of mentioning her father and what he had done made her stomach tighten. Valithor noticed the look on her face as he held out his hand and she took it.

"What bothers you, Granddaughter?" he asked.

"I was... I was just thinking about my father. He...," she said then sighed.

Haakon frowned, then said diplomatically, "Ah, we know what he did, snow sparrow. He was a liar and a cheat, but if it bothers you, we shall pretend he does not exist."

"I am just sorry that he made you think that we were both dead," Rhiannon said quietly.

"Not just that," Loki added. "He told Rhee that you had all died in some war. So she did not try and contact you after her mother passed."

Valithor nodded. "When King-in-Waiting Loki informed me that you still lived, I nearly fell down. What that—that—" he spat a word that meant cowardly weasel in Jotun. "—did was wicked and cruel. But no secret can be kept forever. And we are so very glad to welcome you back into the Snowfall clan."

"As I am glad to be a member," Rhiannon said sincerely. "I hope during our time here we can get to know each other better."

"It would be our pleasure, cousin," Skadi nodded.

"Later, we must introduce you to our children," Loki said.

"Is it true you have a dozen, Sire?" asked Thrym.

"Thirteen, actually," Rhiannon corrected.

Valithor's eyebrows rose into his hair. "And are they all from your first marriage, My King?"

"No. Three are," Loki corrected. "The others are adopted."

"Looks like now you have fifteen little scamps, Father," Haakon laughed. "Skadi, Rhiannon's thirteen and my little one."

"Who isn't so little anymore, Uncle Haakon," Skadi reminded.

Her uncle grimaced slightly. "Please do not remind me she is nearly courting age." He looked over at Loki and his niece. "My daughter is twelve this year. Just old enough to notice boys—and not to beat them in races or in recitations. She is named after my sister—only we call her Larina—little Larimar."

"I feel like I will be getting more white and gray hair," Valithor teased.

"My father would agree with you," Loki said and laughed.

"When will we meet your family?" Skadi asked.

"It will be at the royal feast."

"Then we should go get ready," Valithor said with a nod. "We will see you at the feast hall."

Rhiannon gave her relatives a hug as she tried hard not to cry and Valithor cupped her cheek in his hand, "No tears."

"They are tears of joy," she whispered and he nodded. She felt Loki slide his arms around her as they watched her family leave then she turned and looked at her husband. "Thank you."

"It was my pleasure. Shall we go up and see our chambers? "

"Yes," she said and he led her out of the room. The guards followed while they walked down the hallway, up several staircases made of ice and stopped at the doors to their chambers.

Two guards with large halberds flanked the doors and they nodded respectfully at Loki, Rhiannon, and their escort. The large ornately carved blue wood doors bore the Icefyre crest done in opals and also frost blossoms done in precious gems. Loki raised an eyebrow, thinking it was a bit ornate for his liking, but he supposed in a kingdom where it was almost always winter for six months, the carvers of the door needed something to occupy them.

The guards opened the doors as Loki led her into the room and both of them were stunned.

The room was huge, and beautiful woven tapestries covered the walls, depicting scenes like a lady riding a dragon, a king on his throne administering to the people, another scene of a garden kissed by frost with a king and queen walking in it, the same queen with two babies in her arms, the king on a tall white reindeer, with wolves about its feet. There were braziers in the corners, burning with a smokeless flame that gave off a pleasant spiced scent. The floor was more mosaic tiles, and the large room they were in had a mahogany table with lovely carving, two stools with embroidered cushions, and there was a door in the back which presumably led to a bedroom. A huge bookshelf lined one wall and there were two thickly padded chairs with hanging globes above them for reading. A desk occupied another corner with a swirling lamp upon it.

However the biggest surprise was not the royal trappings, but the two Jotun who waited inside. Both were dressed in sumptuous style—the male youth's livery was full white satin with mink trim and jewels about his tunic. The pretty Jotun maid wore a gown that was not quite frostshimmer, but still lovely, of deep midnight blue with sparkling crystals all throughout it and her hair was done in tiny complex braids looped high on her head. Her earrings sparkled like her smile.

They both bowed low to their monarchs.

"Greetings, Your Majesties," they said together.

"Greetings," Loki inclined his head and smiled. "Who are you?"

"My name is Thialfi. I am Lord High Chancellor Malric son, of House Frostheart."

"And I am Lady Gunnora, his sister," the maid said with a little nervous giggle. "We are here to serve you as your personal maid and valet."

Rhiannon was astonished. "But you are noble!"

"Yes. Your Majesty, nobles have always served our monarchs," Thialfi replied. "It is a great honor to be chosen."

"Father thought we would suit you," Gunnora added, one hand twisting her gown slightly. "But if you wish to choose from others of our rank-we are jarls—that is your right."

"No, you will do wonderfully," Rhiannon reassured her, thinking the poor girl looked so nervous and she did not want to make her feel disgraced.

"I agree, and we must thank the Chancellor after the coronation," Loki said.

"Of course, Sire," Thialfi said with a bow.

"Are you twins?" Loki asked shrewedly.

"Aye, Sire we are," his valet answered. "We were born in the Year of the Frost Weaver."

"I see. So that would make you—seventeen?" Loki queried.

"Correct, Sire," the youth said. "If you follow me this way. I shall show you where you may refresh yourself."

After showing them where the bathroom was, complete with a tub that looked like a swimming pool, and fluffy towels with their initials monogrammed on them, the two Jotun began to rearrange their clothes in the armoires.

Rhiannon looked about at the huge bed with the swansdown covering, which looked soft as a cloud or a snowbank, and noticed the ceiling had been painted to look like a starry sky. There were thick white fur rugs on the bedchamber floor, that cushioned their footsteps until they were silent.

On another small table rested a pitcher of icy lemon water and two crystal goblets.

"This goblet is beautiful," Rhiannon exclaimed.

"That is Favre crystal, Your Majesty," Gunnora spoke up. "The crystal singers make it for the nobility."

"Crystal singers?"

"The mages who sing the crystals and make beautiful things with their magic," the maid explained.

"It is lovely," the queen said, admiring the way the light caught the prisms and made them sparkle with rainbow hues.

She sipped some water and found it cool and refreshing, noting with relief that the box with the crowns had been delivered to the sitting room.

"I shall bring that with me when we process to the temple," Thialfi told them.

"That's good," Loki smiled at him.

He took a seat by the table and drank some water, there was about half an hour before the procession would start. Rhiannon and he talked in low voices about her family and what the ceremony would be like. He prayed his children were behaving themselves.

Max had felt a strong sense of familiarity since they arrived as he looked out the window at the landscape. The snow shimmered in the sunlight and the grass moved in the cool wind. He turned from the window when he walked to the doorway and the guard looked down at him.

"Hello, Little Prince," he said and Max nodded. Max walked down the hallway when he headed down the hallway and frowned. He walked down the stairs, nodding at servants who said hello to him, and headed for the side door. He walked out into the garden as he looked at the flowers and plants then looked toward the iron gate. The gate was open as servants entered and left the garden and he walked out of the garden.

He knew he was going to get grounded when Loki found out he was gone, but something was pulling him forward. Max looked around as he picked landmarks to find his way back to the palace and he walked down the winding path. The trees surrounded him, but he didn't feel scared. He noticed some large elk grazing on the grass while he walked on and the feeling grew stronger.

He didn't know how long he walked when he came to a stone path which led up a tall hill and he walked up it. He wasn't sure why, but he started feeling scared. Then he saw a large temple and he stopped. The building was made of blue and white colored marble and large columns stood around the temple. The columns were etched in ancient Jotun runes and the runes shimmered in the sunlight. Faces of Jotun gods and goddesses were carved on the panels on the top of the temple and their dead eyes stared down at him.

"Just like in my dream," Max whispered as he walked to the door to the temple and he entered. The floor was done in white tile with runes carved in the tiles and the large columns were etched in runes. Max walked on when he saw the column from his dream and he placed his hand on the column. The runes flared as he backed away and he was surprised when he heard the sound of a baby crying. He turned when he walked by the columns and tried to find where the crying was coming from.

"Hello?!" he called out, but his voice just echoed around him. The crying grew louder as he walked into a semi-dark room and noticed a large hole in the ceiling. The sunlight cast a glow in the room while he walked by the rubble and headed for the altar. He felt his stomach tightening as he looked at the altar and the baby's crying grew louder. He reached out to touch the altar when he felt a hand on his shoulder and he was turned around.

A tall figure dressed in a red robe looked at him, but the hood covered most of their face. Max screamed when he kicked the figure in the shin and the figure let go of him. Max ran as he left the temple and his heart slammed in his chest.

 _Daddy! Help_! he sent and ran down the path.

 _Max!? What's wrong_? Loki heard his son's frantic cry like it was his own.

 _I went outside and... Daddy, please help me! Don't let him get me!_

"Loki, what's wrong?" Rhiannon asked, watching Loki head for the door.

"Someone is after Max!" he said then nodded for the guards to follow him. They ran quickly down the hallway then down the stairs as he tried to keep calm, but the thought of his youngest son being in danger filled him with dread.

 _Brother, we heard Max' plea for help! What is going on?_ Thor sent.

 _I don't know_ , Loki sent.

 _He was in the nursery the last time I saw him, Dad_ , Sam sent.

 _Is he still there?_

 _No._

 _Where did Max go, Daddy?_ Aleta sent.

 _I don't know, spark._

Loki asked some of the servants if they had seen Max as he ran by and one of them told him they saw the young prince in the gardens. Loki quickly ran to the gardens as he asked the servants if they had seen Max and one of them pointed to the gate which lead outside. Loki changed into his hawk form and soared over the landscape. Fear moved through him as he scanned the ground below when he saw Max running through the grass and Loki swooped down. He changed back, kneeling, and Max ran into his papa's arms.

"Easy, imp, easy," Loki said in a soft voice and lifted Max up. He paced back and forth while making soft hushing sounds and Max sobbed.

 _Loki, did you find him?_ Odin sent.

 _Yes, Father, I found him,_ Loki sent.

 _Is he alright?_

 _He's scared, but otherwise unharmed._

 _Guards have been sent out to search the grounds for intruders._

 _Good._

Loki returned to the palace when he headed up to his chambers and Rhiannon was waiting for him. They went into the bedroom and Loki sat down on the bed with Max on his lap.

"Max, are you alright?" she asked. Shaking his head, Max reached for her and Rhiannon took her new son in her arms. She hushed him while rocking him and Loki gently carded Max' hair.

"Max, why did you leave the palace?" Loki finally asked, trying hard not to sound angry.

"I don't know. I just wanted to," Max said, leaning his head against Rhiannon's chest.

"You wanted to?"

"Yeah. It's like something wanted me to."

Loki had wondered how far back Max' memories of his old life went as he frowned and Loki rubbed his face with his hands.

"Max, did you have one of your bad dreams?"

"No, it was more like one of the weird dreams."

"What did you see in this dream?" Rhiannon asked.

"I was in this cold place. It looked like a church, but had these weird faces on the front of it."

"A church with weird faces?"

"Yeah. Then I heard voices... Like singing... And there were these weird trees."

"Weird...trees?" Loki asked and he nodded.

"Wait. I drew one of them," Max said and took the piece of paper out of his pocket. Handing the piece of paper to Loki, he watched Loki open the piece of paper and Loki looked at the drawing. He saw the green outline, like in most of Max' memory dreams, but it was the runes which made his eyebrows go up.

"It can't be," Loki whispered.

"What are those?" Rhiannon asked.

"Those are Jotun runes. They are used as protection spells for temples."

"Are there temples around here?"

"There are a few," he said then looked at Max. "Did you find the building in your dream?"

"Yeah! I found it in the woods. I know I shouldn't have gone in, but I had to," Max said then started sobbing again. "I'm... I'm sorry, Daddy."

"Oh, imp, I'm not mad at you. Now, what happened when you went inside the temple?"

"I... I looked around and found one of the weird trees. I touched it and it started glowing. Oh! And I heard a baby crying!"

"There was a baby in the temple?" Rhiannon asked and Max nodded.

"But I couldn't find it. The crying kept getting louder and that's when I found the room with the small table in it."

"You mean an altar?" Loki asked and Max nodded.

"The baby was really crying. Maybe it was scared. The room was all messy and scary. I would cry if I was in there. I was going to touch the altar when someone grabbed me."

"Can you show me what they look like?"

Nodding, Max let Loki touch his head as Loki concentrated and he saw the hooded figure Max was talking about. He watched Max scream then kick the figure then run out of the room and Loki let go of Max's head.

"Am I in trouble, Daddy?" Max asked, giving him a hurt look.

"Yes, you are," Loki said with a stern look. "Do you have any idea how frightened I was, not knowing where you were?"

Max didn't look at his papa as he sighed and Rhiannon wrapped her arms around Max.

"Am I grounded for life?" Max sniffed.

"No. But it doesn't mean you're not going to be punished."

"Loki?!" Odin called from the hallway as he and Frigga arrived and Thor, Balder, Sif, Natasha and the kids followed them in the room. Max saw the look on their faces as he buried his face in Rhiannon's chest and she kissed the top of his head. "Is he alright?"

"Yes, he's fine," Loki sad, but Odin saw his son wasn't all right.

"What happened?" Thor asked. Loki filled them in as he showed them the drawing Max made and Odin blinked. Something about the runes seemed familiar.

"Where was this temple?" Odin asked.

"He said it was in the woods."

Odin walked to Max when he sat down on the bed next to Rhiannon and Max glanced at him.

"Max, do you think you can lead us back to the temple?" Odin asked.

"I think so," Max said.

"Father, I think this could wait until after the coronation," Thor said.

"No, I wish to see this temple. If there is someone there who is a threat, we need to take care of them now," Odin said, standing up. Loki agreed as he looked at Max and Max frowned.

"Let's go," Loki said, heading for the door.

After getting some horses, the Avengers and guards, Loki led the way and Max sat on the saddle with him. They headed into the forest as Max pointed which way to go, but something caused Odin, riding on Sleipnir, to move closer to Loki. "Is everything all right, Father?"

"I am having the same feeling Max had. Like I am being drawn somewhere," the AllFather said. Loki knew his father well enough to believe him as he nodded and they headed down the trail. When they arrived at the hill, Max pointed up at the top of the hill and they moved the horses forward. They stopped at the top of the hill while Odin looked at the temple and his eye widened. Memories of long ago filled his mind as he remembered the day he had found Loki and his hands trembled slightly.

"No. It can't be," he whispered. They dismounted the horses while Thor carried Nate and they walked over. Odin looked at the temple when his mind showed him that cold, frosty day and he felt the snow blowing around him.

"See! Those are the faces I saw!" Max said, pointing to the faces. They carefully entered the temple as he lightly pulled on Loki's hand and they walked to the column. "This is the one I drew."

Loki barely placed his hand against the column when the runes flared and he moved his hand back.

"Where did you go next?" Rhiannon asked. Max looked around when Odin thought he heard a baby crying and looked to his right.

"This way," Odin said, walking off.

"Where is he going?" Thor asked and Balder shrugged. They followed Odin while the guards and the Avengers spread out around them and they watched the shadows for movement.

"Why do I feel like there are some sort of zombies or living skeletons in here?" Clint asked.

"Because you play way too many video games," Tony teased.

They kept walking when Odin stopped and they looked in the semi-dark room. The sunlight barely lit up the room as they looked at the broken columns and rubble, but what caught Odin's eye was the altar at the center of the room. His mind replayed when he found Loki and he felt his heart beating faster. He slowly walked to the altar as Loki followed him and Odin looked at the altar.

"Father?" Loki asked in a soft voice.

"This where I found you," Odin whispered and Loki looked at the altar. "You were lying right here. Ill. Hungry. Cold. Frightened. But you stopped crying when you saw me. It was like you knew I wouldn't hurt you. I saw so much of your father in you, but you had your mother's eyes. When I picked you up, you shifted for the first time. I still am not sure if it was from instinct or you did so because you were imitating me."

Loki looked at the altar when he slid his arm around his father's shoulders and gave him a small hug.

"Why would Max remember something you went through as an infant? Why now?"

"I have no answer for that," Loki sighed. "We don't know for sure just how much of my old life he remembers. Maybe coming here triggered them and led him to the only place I remember."

"Uh, guys, I hate to be a downer, but we have company," Tony said as several figures appeared out of the shadows and headed toward them.

"The Grace of Kaniire be upon you," said a priest quietly, his red robe rustling softly. His head was bald save for a long topknot. He bowed with his hands together in front of him. "Blessings upon you and yours, Your Majesties."

Behind him three other priests halted and bowed, they wore white and one wore a white robe with two red stripes on the sleeves. Though the visitors did not know it, the red robed priest was the High Cleric of the temple, and the striped robed one was his under priest, the other two were acolytes.

The acolytes wore simple sandals and wore sacred rune amulets around their necks. They wore their hair short. The under priest wore a set of silver arm rings with sacred runes on them and his hair was pulled back in a topknot.

"I am High Priest Kleryon," said the red robed Jotun. "May I ask what has brought you to our humble temple?"

"You may. My son felt drawn here, as did my father, King Odin." He indicated Max and Odin.

Kleryon gazed at Max. "You and I have met before, young prince. I apologize for frightening you. But I feared you were lost and needed help."

Max gazed up at the kindly Jotun. "No, but I thought you were like the bad man in my dream."

Loki frowned. "What bad man, Max?"

"He was wearing a red robe like that one, but he looked . . . angry. He was growling something and it sounded mean. I was scared."

 _Krishna!_ Loki thought suddenly. _Max dreamed of Krishna!_

Kleryon looked startled. "You had a Vision of a priest dressed in a red robe like this, young prince?"

"Uh huh." Max nodded. Then he pointed to the border that was etched around Kleryon's robe. "But his didn't look like that, sir."

"No? What did it look like?" the priest asked softly.

Max drew a piece of paper from his pocket. "Like this." He showed Kleryon and Loki the picture.

The red robe that the priest was wearing had a single black border with one rune repeated over and over—the rune for Verna, the Goddess of Sacrifice.

Kleryon gasped. "Your Majesty! Such a robe has not been worn by members of the clergy since . . . since your birth. And only one of our rank has ever worn the symbol of the nightfall spider."

"Krishna," Odin murmured.

"Aye, Sire," Kleryon nodded. "Krishna who was later cast out of the brethren for daring to manufacture the lie that King Laufey wished to kill his infant son." He nodded to Loki. "And for trying to carry out that false wish so he could put another on the throne instead should Laufey have died of his wounds. We call him Krishna the Apostate, for he renounced the teachings of Kaniire who advocates mercy and protection to all young things and all those who are small and helpless."

"Tell me, Kleryon, what happened to Krishna?" Loki probed.

Kleryon coughed. "Well, he was stripped of his office and rank and cast out. He left soon after that and none of us knew where he went, nor cared. For many years this temple was known as the Dark Temple and it was believed it was cursed because Krishna had almost sacrificed you in it, Sire."

"Yet you are here now," Loki said.

The priest nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty. Because we have cleansed the temple of Krishna's unholy aura at last, through much prayer and ritual. Now we have rededicated it to Kaniire the Frost Lady, She who Rules the Crops and all Young Things, as well as Marriage and Childbirth."

"Yet this part of the temple is still in need of repair," Rhiannon observed, stroking Max's hair.

The priest nodded. "Yes, Your Excellency, we are . . . a little short on funds." He looked embarrassed. "But as soon as we have the gold we shall see to the repair of this room. In the meantime we have services in the smaller hall."

Rhiannon glanced over at Loki, then sent, _Loki, can we not give them funds from our treasury to complete the repairs?_

Loki considered. Then he asked, "Kleryon, how much gold would it take to repair the roof and the rest of this temple?"

Kleryon named a figure. "That is my best estimate, Sire."

"I see." He looked at Rhiannon and nodded. "High Priest, it would please both of us, but especially my queen, if you would let us pay for the repairs to this temple. In doing so, we shall cleanse the last of the evil spirits from here and return it to a place of harmony and light."

A smile of gratitude spread across the priest's face. "You are most generous, Your Majesty. Most generous."

"I shall tell my Chancellor to bring you the amount requested. As soon as it can be gathered," Loki said.

Out of the corner of his eye he caught Max's grin. He reached out and ruffled his son's hair.

"I believe our business here is concluded," Rhiannon said quietly. "Now let us return to the palace."

Loki nodded. "Yes. The procession will begin soon."

They returned to the palace, quiet and contemplative.

 _And so I have come full circle,_ Loki thought. _As the Norns have intended._ Then he clasped Rhiannon's hand and smiled.


	75. Written in the Stars

**75**

 **Written In the Stars**

 _The crownless again shall be king~ Loki_

Throngs of people crowded the boulevard leading from the palace to the High Temple. All of the Jotun were dressed to impress and to celebrate and they lined the street, waving and throwing frost blossoms and rainbow puffs—which were fluffy rainbow-colored blossoms as the royal coaches passed by. The one carrying Loki and Rhiannon was drawn by snow white reindeer with silver gilt horns and bells on their harnesses with a midnight blue and white collar bearing the Icefyre crest about their shaggy necks. The deer had brilliant icy blue eyes and stepped carefully down the street, unmindful of the crowds.

Loki and Rhiannon waved out the window as they passed their people, and their enthusiastic response delighted the nobles and commoners alike.

Guards rode to the front and back of the coaches, and Odin rode Sleph beside the coach carrying Frigga, Talia, Max, and Aleta.

"Where my Kwoki?" Talia demanded for the umpteenth time since getting into the carriage.

Frigga heaved a long-suffering sigh. "Talia, he is with Rhee in the coach ahead of us. You can see him after the ceremony."

"But why, Mama?" the little scamp asked.

"Because your brother has an important thing to do today—he is going to be crowned King of Jotunheim," Frigga explained again.

Talia's forehead wrinkled. "Kwoki king?"

"Yes, dear, Loki will become king today."

"And Mama will be a queen!" Aleta sang.

"Rhee queen?"

"Uh huh," Max said. He looked over at his grandmother. "Bestemor, if Daddy is king here, is he still a prince in Asgard?"

Frigga smiled. "Once a king, always a king, Max. Anywhere you go."

She was kept busy answering the myriad of questions from her grandchildren and toddler daughter. "How long is the ceremony? Do we get to throw confetti? Do Mama and Daddy have to wear their crowns all the time? Are we there yet? Where is my Kwoki?"

By the time the coaches drew up to the temple stairs, Frigga was nursing a headache and wondering how Loki managed with two toddlers every day. _My son has the patience of the Norns themselves._

Everyone in both families, plus all the Council of Nine and the courtiers, as well as the honored guests from different realms all filed into the temple. The under-priests and alcolytes welcomed them and seated them according to their rank, with the royal family members seated closest to the altar.

The High Temple was a work of art, with vaulted ceilings, beautifully carved runic pillars along the aisle, and shimmering crystalline windows. The altar itself was formed of pure white marble with gold veining and bore mounds of flowers, fruit, and a bowl of glittering gems. In back of the altar were statues of Kaniire, her Consort God Norod, and the great frost dragon Icefyre.

A long velvet blue carpet ran from the altar down the aisle and out of the temple.

In front of the altar, dressed in his ceremonial red robes with gold runes and his horned headdress—the horns representing the great dragon—was High Priest Myklaos.

To either side of the altar were placed gilded chairs and midnight blue velvet footstools. Beside one chair stood Thor and beside the other was Scribe Haakon.

Under a canopy to the right were the two thrones.

The thrones stood on the top of fourteen steps carved from ice. Each throne had a high back with gold and silver orbs on the top and curved lion feet. A dark blue velvet drape covered the arms and seat of the thrones and gold and silver tassels dangled from the ends of the drape. Icebergs were carved in the back of the thrones and runes of blessing were etched on either side of the icebergs. A dark blue velvet carpet was under the thrones and a mural of northern lights was behind them.

Up above on a balcony, the temple choir began to play the ceremonial coronation tune.

The High Priest gestured and the great doors of the temple were flung wide and Loki and Rhiannon entered, bareheaded and barefoot. That was traditional, that the aspiring monarchs be seen as humble and walk shoeless to the altar.

A hush descended over the temple and all within it as they watched the two process up the aisle to the High Priest, their steps soundless on the carpet, walking humbly, their gazes fixed upon the priest who awaited them.

Loki felt his heart beating like a caged bird, and he was shocked that it did not burst out of his chest the nearer he approached the altar.

Rhiannon feared for an instant she would disgrace herself and become sick all over the carpet. But a second later, she felt a slight touch at her elbow, and heard Larimar whisper, "Courage, daughter. Remember, you are the true queen. It was written in the stars. Now breathe, dear one."

Rhiannon felt her uneasiness begin to leave her at Larimar's words, and she swallowed and slid a glance at Loki, who winked at her and gave her a smile from the corner of his mouth. With that bit of support, her nausea vanished. _I can do this. I am the rightful queen, as was foretold._

Loki knew that if he were not in his Jotun form, his palms would be sweaty and the back of his neck under his high collar clammy.

His heart thundered in his chest and he blinked sharply. _Norns, do not let me pass out!_ He prayed.

Then he heard Laufey's voice in his ear. "Breathe, Loki. You will be fine. Remember, this is your destiny, and the crownless again shall be king."

Loki drew in a breath and released it slowly, and felt his heart calm. Slowly the fluttering in his belly ceased when he peered at his queen beside him. He even managed to wink at her and smile. To Hel with being somber. If he would be king, he would do it on his own terms. The way he had always lived his life.

He lifted his gaze to the altar and saw all four of the Guardians standing beside it. The shimmer in the air surrounding them told him that they were only visible to him and Rhiannon.

Once they had reached the altar, and bowed and curtseyed, they were invested into the Chairs of Estate, and Max and Aleta came forward bearing the royal footware on blue velvet cushions with golden tassels. They passed the pillows to Thor and Haakon, who nodded and then knelt to place them upon their monarch's feet.

Then they bowed and backed away, Thor rejoining Sif on their bench and Haakon rejoining his wife, Avena, and their daughter, Larina.

The High Priest raised his arms and the choir ceased playing. In a voice that throbbed with serenity and gravity, that echoed to every corner of the temple, he spoke. "Lords, ladies, and people of Jotunheim! I hereby present unto you, your undoubted King and Queen. All those here to do them homage and service, what say you?"

"Long live the King! Long live the Queen! Hail the rulers of Jotunheim!" arose from thousands of throats. Four more times, at each of the four directions, the priest repeated his query, and four more times the people shouted an affirmative.

Returning to the center of the dais, the High Priest beckoned to the two rulers and when they stood before him, declared, in a voice that carried through the entire temple, "By the power vested in me by The Lady of Frost Kaniire and Her Consort, Lord Norod, I now recognize you as the rightful sovereigns of this realm of Jotunheim. In keeping with the traditions and laws of this realm, do you swear to uphold the government to the best of your ability?"

"I do so swear!" Both monarchs responded.

"Do you promise to be fair, just, and merciful to all thy subjects, both high and low? And recognize that all herin have the right to petition the sovereigns and receive the justice of kings?"

"I promise so to do."

"Do you also swear to uphold the gods of this realm, and the Norns, and reject any and all dark worship and gods?"

"All this I promise to uphold, in the Name of the Norns, I so swear!"

The High Priest brought forth the ancient Globe of Truth, a sphere made of pure and clearest crystal, and both Rhiannon and Loki kissed the tips of their fingers and placed them upon the globe, showing they were truthful and their promises would be upheld.

"Here is the Globe of Truth and Light. May your reign be blessed, prosperous, and fruitful."

The High Priest flicked consecrated water over the monarchs and all the congregation.

Then he received the chrism of anointing oil from his under priest, and both monarchs knelt, to show that even the king and queen bowed to the hand of the Norns and the gods of the Jotun.

The oil was warm and made up of a mixture of different essences, including ambergris, lavender, mint, and frost blossoms. The High Priest gently anointed their heads, hands and hearts, the oil glistening as he did so, intoning, The blessing of the gods and the Norns be upon thee, my sovereign."

At the oil's touch, both Rhiannon and Loki felt their magic stir, as the holy blessing surrounded them and a feeling of such peace and tranquility flowed through them that they gasped with joy.

Next Thrym came forward carrying the great Sword of State, which was a huge broadsword with the hilt of a dragon and an immense sapphire graced the pommel.

Together, Loki and Rhiannon swore the Oath of Protection, and vowed to defend their realm against any who threatened it and broke their peace.

The Sword was handed back and then Valithor came forward and handed them the Sceptre of Rulership, and the priest intoned, "In the Name of Mercy and Justice, I invest thee with the Sceptre of Rulership. May you reign compassionately and well."

Last, Valithor came forward with the Coronation Rings, simple circlets of whte gold. "By the Light of Kaniire and Her Consort, I now present thee with these Coromation Rings, representing the Marriage of the Kingdom to the Monarch, as in heaven so it is on earth."

He slipped the rings onto their fingers and then Loki and Rhiannon deviated from the traditional response and said instead, "With this ring I vow to be the sacrifice and servant to my people, even as they shall do unto me."

People gasped in astonishment, but the Guardians chuckled and grinned, pleased.

The High Priest turned and accepted the Dragon Crown from the acolyte and walked to Loki. He raised the crown, and spoke reverently, "I, High Priest Myklaos, do crown thee, Loki Laufeyson Icefyre, King and Ruler of Jotunheim, the Trickster King, forevermore!"

He placed the crown upon Loki's brow.

A cheer went up, reverberating through the temple.

Loki bowed his head reverently, blinking away tears.

Then Myklaos went to Rhiannon, and held the Crown of Frost and Fire above her head. "I, High Priest Myklaos, do crown thee, Rhiannon Laufeyson Snowfall, Queen and Ruler of Jotunheim, the Dragon Queen, forevermore!"

He placed the crown upon her brow.

Once again there was a loud cheer.

Rhiannon blinked back tears and bowed her head. Then she pulled the string concealed in her sleeve and her wings flared outward and people cheered even louder.

"Long live the King! Long live the Queen!"

As they proclaimed their new monarchs, fireworks exploded into the sky, letting those outside know the ceremony was complete and the new monarchs crowned.

"Good people, I present to you the King and Queen of Jotunheim!"

This time the cheers were defeaning, and the new monarchs processed up the stairs to the Thrones of State and were seated therein, to receive oaths of fealty and loyalty from their nobles, the royal family, the clergy, and the people.

Loki and Rhiannon smiled as they greeted everyone when Loki noticed two older people walking with a younger man. Even though he was tall and brawny, there was a childlike look in his eyes. The young man seemed a little shy at first, but when he looked at Loki, a smile spread across his face.

"Loki! Loki!" Boral said as he half ran toward the stairs, but stopped when the guards appeared in front of him.

"No! It's all right!" Loki said and walked down the stairs.

"Who is that?" Tony asked Thor.

"That is Prince Boral, Loki's cousin. He fell climbing a mountain when he was a boy and the accident damaged his brain. He has the reasoning of a young child, the same age as when he was injured."

Boral grinned at Loki while Loki stopped in front of him and Boral looked at the crown.

"That's sparkly," Boral said, pointing at it.

"Yes, it is. I'm glad you here."

"I yelled really loud."

"I heard you," Loki said. Before he could move, Boral wrapped his arms around Loki then lifted him into the air, giving him a bear hug.

"Norns, I forgot how strong he is," Loki thought. He felt his lungs constricting as the air left his body and black spots moved across his eyes.

"Boral... I need to breathe..."

Boral yelped as he let go of Loki and Loki fell to the floor.

"Are you alright, Sire?!" the guard asked and Boral began to make little moaning noises.

"I'm...fine," Loki said and slowly got to his feet.

"Sorry," Boral said, looking down at his feet.

He wrapped his arms around himself and whimpered. "Bad . . . . I not mean to hurt Loki . . ." Huge tears gathered in his eyes.

Behind them several nobles snickered. "Look! It's the Dummy Prince!" one sneered.

"I can't believe they let him out in mixed company." A lady sniffed.

"Ought to keep him locked away!" snorted another.

Loki placed a hand on the cringing Jotun's arm. "It's okay, buddy," he murmured. "I'm not hurt."

"They want me locked up," Boral whispered, ashamed.

"No one is locking you up."

Loki looked at the nobles as Boral hid behind him and Rhiannon walked quickly down the stairs.

"Loki, are you alright?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"You pretty," Boral said, grinning.

"Thank you," Rhiannon said.

"You Loki's wife."

"Yes, I am."

"You look like fairy."

Rhiannon smiled as Loki noticed some of the nobles were whispering to each other and he sighed.

 _Father, what should I do?_ Loki sent.

 _First, you must address the fact Boral meant no harm and you are uninjured,_ Laufey sent.

Loki put a hand on his cousin's arm and then addressed the nobles behind him. "My lords and ladies, there is no cause for alarm. My cousin became over excited and hugged me. See, no harm done." He held out his arms in a _flourish._

 _Now, address how they reacted,_ Odin sent.

Loki paused and sent the startled nobles one of his Disapproving Looks. "However, while I appreciate your concern, that is no excuse for ill mannered behavior. Boral is a Prince of the Blood, and as such he is to be treated with respect and compassion not mockery. Furthermore, any of my disabled subjects, where noble or common, shall be treated with the same respect that you yourself wish to be treated. They are people, like you, and entitled to the same rights."

"Ooh boy! Now they've done it." Nate muttered. "Dad doesn't tolerate that kind of behavior from anybody."

"Youze in twouble!" Talia shook a finger at the nobles.

The nobles looked at each other with stunned looks which turned to looks of shame and Loki crossed his arms over his chest.

Finally, one noble muttered, "Please forgive us, Your Majesty, we did not mean to insult you."

Loki shook his head. "You should not apologize to me. But to my cousin. It is he you have wronged."

Like scolded children, the nobles bowed to Boral and asked his pardon. The Jotun prince's eyes went wide in astonishment. No one had ever apologized for making fun of him or hurting his feelings before. He glanced between them and Loki.

"Well, cousin?" Loki asked softly. "Do you forgive them?"

Slowly Boral nodded. "Yes, Loki."

"Then tell them," his king instructed.

Boral did so and then he glanced down to see Talia beside Loki. "Hello, wee one." He gave her a smile. "Are you Loki's daughter?"

"No, Kwoki my brudder," Talia told him. "I Talia."

"Hello. I am Boral." He knelt and cautiously held out a hand. Most children were afraid of him because of his size.

"You reawwy tall!" she said, giggling.

"Yes, I am," he said, grinning.

"You tawwler den Kwoki."

Talia took his hand as Boral folded his fingers over her tiny hand and Loki felt a lightness in his chest.

 _Well done, Little Sister_ , he sent.

Talia beamed with pride.

Rhiannon walked to Boral when she held out her hand and he gently took her hand in his.

"Welcome, Cousin," she said as she made a small curtsy and he nearly fell over as he made a bow. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, Cousin. Not used to bowing," Boral said.

Loki led Boral to the children as he introduced him and Boral looked at Nate's wheelchair in puzzlement.

"Why you sit?" Boral asked, his brow wrinkling.

"My legs don't work," Nate explained. "I hurt them in an accident."

"Boral's head no work."

"How did you hurt your head?" Aleta askd frankly.

"I was seven. And I . . .climbed Mount Fury. My papa said not to but I didn't listen. So I climbed without a harness or a partner. And I slipped and fell. I hit my head bad. Almost die. But when I wake up . . ." Boral spread his hands. "It was a long time ago."

"It's okay," Aleta told him. "We like you just the way you are."

Boral looked startled, but then saw the little princess was quite serious and he felt a warm glow in the vicinity of his heart as he realized that his new family was not ashamed or embarrassed by him.

Aleta raised her arms while Boral glanced questioningly at Loki and Loki nodded. Boral carefully picked her up so she could hug him and he leaned his head against her. Placing her on her feet, Boral looked at Max then became a little confused.

"Loki?" he asked.

"No, I'm Max," Max corrected

"You look like Loki."

"I know, people tell me that all the time!" Max said, shrugging.

"Can you shift?" Serena wanted to know.

"Yes. Look!"

The nobles gasped when Boral turned into a large ice dragon and he lifted his head high.

"Wow!" the kids said at the same time and he shifted back.

"Mama and Daddy can shift into dragons, too," Aleta said.

"And Sleph shifts into a horse, Jorgy shifts into a sea serpant and Fenris can shift into a wolf," Max said.

"Can you shift, Max?" Boral asked.

"Umm . . ." He recalled what Loki had said to him back in Asgard. Max concentrated and he blurred into a black kitten.

"Ooooo!"

Boral gently lifted Max into his hands when Max jumped onto Boral's shoulder, shifted back and smiled.

"Blergh! It's me!" Max shouted and Boral laughed.

"Like father, like son!" Thor chuckled and nudged Balder, who smirked in agreement.

The nobles smiled and whispered to each other as Boral carefully reached up and handed Max to Loki. Loki hugged Max just as the room became quiet and they watched as an old man, dressed in rags, slowly walked toward Loki.

Max stared at the old man, who was leaning on a white spiral cane. "Daddy, who is that?"

"I don't know. But I think he wishes to speak with me," Loki said and put Max down.

The old Jotun approached, the cane tapping softly upon the tiles.

"Greetings, Sire," the old man said with a bow.

"Greetings, Honored Elder," Loki replied. "What do you wish of me?"

The old Jotun raised his head and his crimson eyes seemed to see right through the newly anointed king.

Loki tried not to look startled as the elder stood a little taller and Loki waited for him to speak.

"Heed my warning, Newly Crowned King. Beware of the false priest. He will try to take what is yours and place his puppet on the throne. He will turn the people against you and demand your death. As it would have happened long ago. Beware!"

"How dare you threaten the King?" the guard cried as the guards, Odin, Thor, Balder, and the Avengers approached, but Loki raised his hand to stop them.

"I will heed your warning, Old One," he said. Nodding, the old man turned and walked away. They watched him leave while Rhiannon walked to Loki and linked her arm with his.

"We need to get you back to the palace, Sire," the guard said. Loki knew he should say something to calm the others, but he also felt the need to return to the palace and nodded. They processed out of the temple while the driver opened the door to the carriage and Loki helped Rhiannon into the carriage. A loud roar made them stop as the others gathered around Loki and he looked toward the mountain.

"Dad! Look!" Sam said, pointing to the large shape sitting at the top of the mountain.

The dragon was covered in white and ice blue scales. The purple eyes shimmered in a violet glow and the large wings were folded over its back. The large talons clung to the rocks and the long tail curled up toward the dragon's leg. White horns arched down its back to the end of the tail and the body was lean and muscular. White hair dangled from the lower jaw of the long snout and icy mist twirled out of the nostrils. The dragon reared up and spread massive wings and roared—the Accolade of the Dragon—which was done each time a new monarch or monarchs were crowned.

 _I salute thee, blood of my blood,_ the great wyrm sent to Loki and Rhiannon.

"It's... It's Icefyre," Myklaos gasped.

Icefyre rose soundlessly into the air then flew three times around the temple and some of the nobles trembled. Finally, the Great Dragon breathed a large jet of frost in the shape of an eternity knot and two crowns appeared inside the knot.

"What does that mean?" Rhiannon asked.

"It means he approves of your reign and so does the Norns," Myklaos said with a grin.

Something about the Great Dragon caused Loki to frown when he felt someone enter his mind and he blinked.

 _Remember my warning, Newly Crowned King_ , Icefyre sent then flew away and Loki's mouth fell open.

"Loki, does that usually happen?" the queen asked, wide-eyed.

"The Accolade, yes. But the rest . . . not usually," Loki said. "But he is Icefyre the Ancient and can do as he wishes." Then he sent to her what the old man—who had been Icefyre shifted—had told him.

The coach began to move back to the palace, slowly due to the crush of people cheering and waving.

"But what does it mean?" Rhiannon frowned.

Loki sighed. "I can only think of one person it could refer to. The false priest is Krishna. Only he would have reason to depose me and put another in my place."

"He seeks your death," Rhiannon muttered.

"What he wishes and what he shall get are two different things," Loki declared, closing a hand over hers. "Forewarned is forearmed. I shall be careful. And you must also."

She nodded. "Will we be leaving soon?"

"We must stay for the coronation feast and at least a week or two afterwards so the people can bring us gifts and ask our judgement about things. After that, we can speak with the Council of Nine, and leave the running of the realm in their hands while we return to Midgard."

"My Uncle Haakon is on the Council," Rhiannon reminded him.

"I know. As are my cousins Mitzi and Starkaad. Starkaad will act as Crown Regent in our absence."

"Who else is on the Council?"

"The Lord High Chancellor, Bragi. He is in charge of the treasury. High Priest Myklaos, he oversees the clergy. Mitzi is Ambassador. Lord Taron is Minister of Foreign Affairs. Lady Sigertha is Minister of Education and Magic. General Bjorklund is Minister of Arms. Lady Northheart is Minister of Law."

By the time they reached the palace, Rhiannon had gotten a rather thorough course in the workings of the Council and what each member did to help run the kingdom. Loki also explained what family each was from and how it affected their position.

She was grateful for her husband's knowledge and together they descended the carriage and entered the palace.

He resolved to speak to his Spymaster as soon as the feast was over, and have him send some of his people out to find Krishna and if he represented a threat to arrest him.

In the meantime he would enjoy the celebration, for the crownless was once again king.

The feast lasted for hours, and many kinds of foods were served, delicacies of all kinds, and frost wine and honey mead flowed freely. The king and queen were careful to not imbibe too much, though they did sip for the toasts. They sampled all the the food, happy that there was pauses between courses so they did not get so full.

The courses were accompanied by soft music playing and later there was a troupe of Jotun dancers. But soon after that the revelry began to die down and Loki and Rhiannon made sure the children were put to bed.

Thor saw Magni start to nod off over his second cup of mead and put a hand on the youth's shoulder. "Son, I think you ought to go to bed."

"Huh! What?"Magni blinked blearily.

"You look tired,"Thor began.

Loki eyed the two from his place at the head of the table. "Will wonders never cease? My brother being responsible for once." He whispered to Rhiannon.

The Queen of Jotunheim smiled. "Miracles do happen. Besides, he has the best example of a good father sitting right here."

"You mean me?"

She nodded.

"I'm flattered."

"It's not flattery, my love, but truth."

Loki felt a warm glow of pride at his wife's sincere words. "My queen is wise."

"Your queen knows a good man when she sees one."

Loki placed his hand over hers on the table, that simple act endearing him to his subjects, who despite what one might think, were actually a people whose passions ran deep, once you managed to thaw their icy reserve.

Cerulean eyes met emerald and for a single instant they gazed at each other and nothing else existed.

Further down the table, Frigga caught Odin's wink and smiled. "They remind me of us, Wanderer. Long ago and far away."

"I remember when," the old king chuckled. "He has done us proud, Frigga. Though much of the credit goes to you, my darling. You raised a fine king."

Frigga blushed. "You flatter me, Odin."

He shook his head his beard wiggling. "Not flattery, truth."

"It is no excuse to blame my actions against him on my father's soul being inside me. I was a terrible father to Loki. I treated him as though he was nothing and I hope the Norns will forgive me for it."

"I believe they have. It is one of the reasons they allowed him to come back to us. Whatever old business between father and son has been resolved and both of you are better for it," she said and it was Odin's turn to blush.

Talia had been moving between the tables where the kids were sitting to where Thor and Balder were sitting with their friends to the Avengers' table when she stopped near Loki's chair and he noticed his little sister looked sleepy.

"Oh, it looks like it's someone's bedtime," he teased, but she shook her head.

"No. I wanna be with my Kwoki," she said, pouting. Loki lifted her onto his lap as she snuggled against his chest and placed her thumb in her mouth. His soft heartbeat relaxed her as she half closed her eyes and Rhiannon smiled.

"Did you like the coronation?" Rhiannon asked and Talia nodded.

"I wike your wings," she said, pointing to Rhiannon's dress. "I wanna dwess wike that."

"Maybe Mama can make you one as a play dress," Loki said.

"I wanna a puwple dwess."

"Of course," he said with a small laugh. He looked over at Boral, who had his chin in his hands, and Loki saw he was almost asleep. "I think Boral is sleepy, too. Would you like to help me put him to bed?"

"Yes," she said with a nod. Loki stood up when he walked over to the table where Boral and his caregivers were and Boral yawned.

"I think it is time for bed, Cousin," Loki said and Boral looked at him.

"No, I'm not sleepy," Boral said.

"Boral, please, it has been a long day," Minnira, his female caregiver said. He thought of her as a grandmother as he sighed then nodded his head.

"Would he mind if my sister and I help you get him to bed?" Loki asked.

"Oh, we don't want to be a fuss," Braxlir, Boral's male caregiver said.

"It would be no trouble."

"Then I'll go to bed," Boral said. They stood up as they headed for the guest wing and entered the room where Boral and his caregivers were staying. Talia helped Minnira get the bed ready while Loki helped Braxlir undress Boral then get him into his nightshirt. The bed was large enough for Boral to lay out to his full height and Minnira covered him. "I want a story, please."

"I teww you stowy," Talia said as she sat next to him. She started telling him a story about a magical unicorn as Loki, Minnira and Braxlir smiled and Boral's eyes closed. Talia yawned as she settled down next to Boral and placed her head against his shoulder. Both of them soon were asleep as Loki carefully picked his sister up, nodded to the caregivers and left the room. After Loki put his sister to bed, he returned to the feast hall when he looked at Odin, who nodded, and Loki went to sit down.

"Are they all asleep?" Rhiannon asked, her eyes warm with love.

"Safe and sound and dreaming happily. Shall we take a walk in the gardens? I hear the night blooming lillies and jasmine are a wonder."

Rhiannon rose, the gossamer wings of her gown fluttering slightly. "Yes, I would like to see them." But the look in her eyes said she would like much more than that.

Accompanied by a handful of guards, the king and queen made their way to the royal gardens, where they found fantastic profusions of nightblooming lillies and jasmine. The gardens were laid out in a spiral pattern, with beautiful carved ice sculptures inbetween the beds and trees. Rhiannon saw a dragon, a unicorn, and a statue of Kaniire feeding a deer. The perfume from the flowers gently scented the air. The stars twinkled brightly overhead, and Jotun's double moons illuminated the gardens with a gentle ambience.

The guards spread out, watching carefully but giving the couple the illusion of privacy as they strolled together, laughing softly, and the queen paused to pick some blossoms and smell them.

Loki twined some in her hair and she grinned and put a lily in his braid, saying, "I hereby dub thee my Knight of the Lily."

They both laughed at her whimsy, and continued wlalking until they arrived at the center of the spiral path where a cozy gazebo with a domed roof sat. Inside were padded benches, covered in soft mink, along with a white iron table with a small glowing blue lantern on it.

"How sweet!" Rhiannon exclaimed, and Loki gestured her to a seat. She sat gingerly, careful not to damage her wings.

"Alone at last," Loki remarked and sat beside her, one hand coming up to toy with her brilliant golden hair, as they had shifted back to their Asgardian forms while walking. "The feast was splendid but I feel stuffed as a Yule goose."

"I do too. That is why I was glad you suggested a walk. I need to work off some of this food before I no longer fit in my gowns."

Loki moved closer to kiss her lips as she cupped his cheek in her hand and she deepened the kiss. Slightly breathless, she drew back, her cerulean eyes glittering.

"What's wrong?" Loki asked with a concerned look.

"Nothing. I am just enjoying the moment," she said, glancing up at him. His emerald green eyes were shimmering as she etched his face onto her heart and soul. Loki moved his hand up her back as his fingers moved under the wings of her dress and she noticed the amorous look on his face.

 _Loki, the guards,_ she sent and a small smile curled up the corner of his mouth.

 _Will see only what I wish them to_ , he sent, glancing at the guards. He wriggled his fingers and created a simple spell shield that would prevent anyone from hearing or seeing what went on within the gazebo.

"Should we move farther out?" one of the guards whispered to his friend.

"Yes. I remember my father telling me stories of King Laufey and his bride during their first year of their marriage. In fact, there's one about King Loki being conceived in that very gazebo," his friend said and they moved off, taking up positions further away to allow their monarchs privacy.

Rhiannon turned so Loki could remove the wings of her dress then he placed the wings on the ground, out of the way. His clever hands skimmed the back of her dress, undoing all the buttons. The cool night air brushed across her skin as he leaned over to place a kiss between her shoulder blades and she gasped with pleasure. Turning, she slowly unbuttoned his jacket as he nodded and she brushed her fingers over his throat. He kissed her fingers while locking eyes with her and he arched his eyebrows up. Her hands flew over the diamond buttons of his shirt.

Moments later, their clothes were lying on the ground like magic, along with their shoes and boots, and the moonlight shining through the gazebo cast their shadows on floor. She breathed his name in his ear as he nuzzled her neck and she moved her fingers over the bare skin of his back.

"Say my name," he murmured in her ear.

"Loki." Her voice was like a caress.

"Rhee," he murmured back, and then began to make slow exquisite love to her, until they soared together among the stars, unfettered and free, upon a torrent of love and desire, one heart, one body, and one soul.

She moaned in ecstasy and two little flashes of light sparked behind her closed eyes.

"Did I hurt you?" he whispered in her ear.

"No. No, I'm fine," she reassured him and he placed his forehead against hers.

Rhiannon opened her eyes to look at her husband and she swore he was shimmering in a blue glow.

"Are you glowing?" she whispered.

"Are you?" he asked. Neither of them understood the ice blue light shimmering over them as he kissed her lips and snow started falling around them.

A few minutes later, they were redressed as the guards led them back to the palace and some of the guards were grinning knowingly at each other.

The palace soon became silent as the royal family, friends and guests drifted off to sleep and the night guards patrolled the halls and grounds. In Loki and Rhiannon's bedchamber, Rhiannon slept with her head against Loki's chest and her hand rested on his shoulder. As she slept, her mind spun away to another time and place. . .

The first thing she noticed was it was a sunny day. Some of the children were playing with a soccer ball. Sam was sitting on the blanket with Peter and they were laughing. Belle and Serena were reading. Max was doing some magic for a blonde hair girl and her father. Suddenly. Rhiannon felt someone put their arms around her waist when she turned and Loki smiled at her.

"Someone wants to go for a walk," he said. Rhiannon looked down when she saw twin girls, around four years old, looking up at her. One of the girls had dark hair like Loki, but had her sapphire eyes and the other girl had her golden hair and Loki's emerald green eyes. Both of them were dressed in light blue sundresses and were barefoot.

"Mama, we wanna go see the flowers!" Little Astra said, taking hold of her hand.

"All right," Rhiannon said. She and Loki led their daughters through the grass until they came to the large meadow full of spring flowers, in a variety of colors and shapes, spread out before them. She and Loki smiled at each other while their daughters skipped around them and a sweet smile moved across Loki's lips.

Gasping, Rhiannon woke when she sat up and her heart thumped in her chest. The dream felt so real. She had felt the grass tickle under her feet. She felt Loki's hand in hers and the warmth of the sunlight. She could smell the scent of the flowers. She peered at Loki and gently shook him. "Loki, wake up. Please!"

He muttered and woke, blinking sleepily.

"Rhee, what's wrong?" Loki asked, sitting up and moved the blankets around her.

"I had the most unusual dream." Rhiannon said. She told him about the dream while she leaned back against him and he wrapped his arms around her.

"What do you think the dream means?" she asked, barely seeing his face in the dim light of the room.

"It might mean you're pregnant," Loki surmised, hardly daring to hope.

"So soon?!"

"Shall I cast a spell to see?" he queried.

"You know magic like that?"

"Aye. I am no midwife, but my training as Archmage was very thorough." He reassured her. "Lie back, darling."

Loki moved Rhiannon so she was laying against the pillows then moved his hand over her. A green light moved under his hand as he concentrated then his hand stopped. Though tiny, he could sense two sparks of light inside her womb. Both of the lights shimmered and twinkled and he looked at Rhiannon, his emerald eyes glowing.

"Loki?" she asked, concerned.

"Congratulations! You're a mother," he announced, his whole face lit with a mixture of awe and joy.

"You're sure, Loki?" she queried.

"As sure as your name is Rhiannon Laufeyson, beloved."

He laughed as her mouth curved in a smile of incandescent joy, her dream of finally carrying a child realized at last.

"I wonder what the baby will be?" she murmured, her hand covering her still flat belly.

Loki placed his hand atop hers. "That I don't know but what if I were to tell you that you were carrying not one baby, but two?"

"Twins!?" she gasped. She kissed him ardently. "Then we are doubly blessed."

The King of Jotunheim's laughter filled the room with pure delight. "That we are, Rhee. That we most certainly are."

He wrapped his arms about his queen and rested his chin on the top of her shoulder, his eyes dreamy as he thought about the glorious future that awaited them, their destiny written in the stars long and long ago, somewhere over Bifrost.

 **Finis**

 **A/N: And so we come to the end of this story, which will be continued at a later date with the sequel The Trickster King.**

 **In that book the Laufeysons will have some more adventures in Jotunheim before going home at last to New York, where a new life for all of them will begin! Who cannot wait for the sequel?**

 **In the meantime, look for a new story featuring Loki and Belle from Once Upon a Time, as two worlds collide and romance blossoms in a most unlikely place in The Beauty and the Trickster!**

 **Thanks again to all my loyal readers, reviewers and followers! Much love and excelsior!**


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